Though Carlos III was officially proclaimed the new monarch this Saturday, his coronation will not take place until latersince it is a highly symbolic ceremony that takes time to organize.
The coronation of a British sovereign includes various rituals dating back centuries. For example, that of Isabel II in 1953 it was celebrated more than a year after she became queen on the death of her father George VI.
The first thing to note is that the coronation is independent of the so-called Ascension Council, which met yesterday at the Saint James Palace to formally proclaim the accession to the throne of the new king. That while, in a parallel way, preparations began yesterday for the 10 days of official mourning to honor Queen Elizabeth II.
The coronation ceremony will take place in Westminster Abbey and is officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, religious leader of the Anglican Church. The archbishop introduces the new ruler to the audience and the sovereign pronounces the coronation oath.
In it, drawn up in 1688, the monarch solemnly swears to govern the British people in accordance with the laws passed in parliament, to apply law and justice “with clemency” and to “do all in his power” to preserve the Anglican Church and religion. Protestant.
Next, the archbishop anoints the president with consecrated oil and blesses him on King Edward’s throne, made in 1300 and used at every coronation since 1626. The sovereign finally receives his royal regalia, including the scepter and crown, which is placed by the archbishop.
Will they also crown Camila?
Unless otherwise decided, and if the new sovereign is a man, his wife is proclaimed queen consort and crowned, following a similar but simplified ceremony.
She will become queen dowager (or queen mother if the previous queen dowager is still alive) on the death of the king, who will be succeeded by her first son, regardless of sex. In the event that a queen accedes to the throne, her husband does not become king and does not receive the holy anointing.
In one of his last decisive acts for the successionQueen Elizabeth II gave her blessing to Camila becoming “queen consort”solving a long question about the treatment of the wife of Carlos, who before the death of the sovereign served as Duchess of Cornwall and who avoided opting for the title of Princess of Wales, to avoid controversy after Diana’s death.
The British Crown Jewels
The United Kingdom is the only monarchy in Europe that still uses costumes and decorations, such as scepters and swords, in coronation ceremonies.
St Edward’s Crown, made in 1661 for the coronation of Charles II, is traditionally used during the ceremony. Made of gold, silver, rubies and sapphires, it weighs more than two kilos and is placed on the head of the monarch at the time of the coronation.
A lighter crown is worn on leaving the abbey which is made up of 2,868 diamonds, was made in 1937 for the coronation of King George VI and is also worn by the Sovereign at the annual State Opening of Parliament.
As for the gold ring, this was made for the coronation of William IV in 1831. It is composed of a sapphire surrounded by diamonds and encrusted with rubies that form a cross. At the coronation ceremony, the archbishop places it on the sovereign’s ring finger as a symbol of “royal dignity.”
The Scepter of the Dove: Created for the coronation of Charles II in 1661, this gold scepter is surmounted by a dove with outstretched wings perched on a cross to symbolize the Holy Spirit. It represents the spiritual and pastoral role of the sovereign. 110 centimeters long, it weighs 1,150 grams.
The Scepter of the Cross: This scepter represents the temporal power of the sovereign. It has been used in every coronation since that of Charles II in 1661. It weighs 1,170 grams and is 92 centimeters long. In 1911, the impressive 530.2-carat Cullinan I diamond was added. The diamond is so large that the scepter had to be reinforced to support the weight.
The Sovereign’s Orb: This globe crowned with a cross symbolizes the Christian world. It is made up of a hollow gold sphere set with emeralds, rubies and sapphires, surrounded by diamonds and framed by two rows of pearls.
At its top is a cross set with diamonds with a sapphire in the center on one side and an emerald on the other. During the coronation ceremony, the orb is held in the monarch’s right hand before being placed on the altar. The jewel is 27.5 centimeters high and weighs 1,320 grams.
The Blister: This gold piece in the shape of an eagle with outstretched wings contains the consecrated oil used during the sovereign’s anointing. The Archbishop of Canterbury pours the oil from the eagle’s head into a spoon and anoints the monarch on the hands, chest and head, in what is the holiest moment of the coronation ceremony. The figure of the eagle responds to a legend according to which the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Thomas Becket and gave him a golden eagle and a bottle of oil for the anointing of the future kings of England.
Spurs: These gold spurs symbolize chivalry and have been used since the coronation of Richard the Lionheart in 1189. They are attached to the ankles of sovereigns and, if they are queens, they are placed on the altar.
The ring: This gold ring was made for the coronation of William IV in 1831. It is made of a sapphire surrounded by diamonds and encrusted with rubies that form a cross. At the coronation ceremony, the archbishop places it on the sovereign’s ring finger as a symbol of “royal dignity”.
The st edward crown: Made for the coronation of Charles II, the Crown of Saint Edward is the most important and sacred of crowns. It is only used for the coronation ceremony. This solid gold crown set with gems such as rubies, amethysts or sapphires, and endowed with an ermine cover is particularly heavy to wear, weighing more than 2 kilos.
Who will be invited to the coronation of Carlos III?
As for the guests, in 1953, 8,251 people from 181 countries and territories participated in the coronation of Elizabeth II. Among them were many representatives of foreign monarchies, but no European sovereign, respecting a royal tradition.
It is expected that for this occasion, which took seven decades to occur, the guests will include a wide spectrum of recognized figures worldwide.
After the ceremony, a long procession takes place through the streets of London. Although Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace are less than 1.5km apart, the procession route was 7.2km in 1953 to allow as many people as possible to attend.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from AFP and EFE
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