King Charles III will be crowned on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London, alongside his wife Queen Consort Camilla, in a “forward-looking” ceremony, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday. Eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8 at the age of 96, the religious ceremony will be led as tradition dictates by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
Charles III, 73, will be “anointed, blessed and consecrated” by the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, of which the monarch is supreme governor.
A coronation that “will look to the future”
“The coronation will reflect the role of the monarch today and look to the future, while being rooted in the long tradition and pomp of the monarchy,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. The ceremony, in a country currently in the grip of a serious economic and social crisis, should keep the structure of coronations of the British monarchy for a millennium, while including contemporary elements.
The coronations of British monarchs have taken place for 900 years at Westminster Abbey. Since the Norman Conquest in 1066, the ceremony has almost always been conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The event is traditionally held in the months following the accession to the throne. This period allows both to observe the national mourning and the royal mourning, and to organize the ceremony.
Shorter, cheaper and more representative
Became queen on February 6, 1952 on the death of her father George VI, Elizabeth II was crowned 16 months later, on June 2, 1953. For the first time, the ceremony was broadcast on television and watched by 27 million Britons. , for 36 million inhabitants at the time. In the post-war years, it had lasted more than three hours, in front of 8,251 guests massed in the Abbey. 129 nations and territories were officially represented.
In line with Charles’ wish for a tight monarchy, the ceremony should be shorter, smaller and less expensive, but also more representative of the diversity of modern Britain. The capacity of the Abbey is approximately 2,000 people, which corresponds to the number of people, including heads of state and members of royal families, who had attended the state funeral of Elizabeth II at the Abbey of Westminster on September 19.
Queen Consort Camilla also crowned
His son Charles automatically became king after his death. Queen Consort Camilla – a title intended by Elizabeth II for her son’s second wife – will also be crowned during the ceremony, preparations for which are known as “Operation Golden Orb”. Charles is the oldest king to access the throne in the history of the British monarchy, after the seven decades of reign of Elizabeth II, who celebrated her platinum jubilee last June.
During the ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury first introduced the new sovereign to the audience, who acclaimed him. The sovereign takes the coronation oath. Because Coronation Oath Act, written in 1688, it undertakes in particular to “do everything possible” to preserve the Anglican Church and the Protestant religion. Installed in King Edward’s chair, a wooden throne made in 1300 and used at every coronation since 1626, the king will then receive an anointing and blessing from the archbishop.
Charles III will finally receive his royal attributes, in particular a scepter, then the crown, placed on his head by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Ten days of mourning after the death of Elizabeth II
Ten days of national mourning followed the Queen’s death. More than 250,000 people lined up for hours to go and pray in front of his coffin, first in Edinburgh, then in London, at Westminster Hall, the oldest chamber in the British Parliament.
Thousands of other people lined the roads to see the coffin of this immensely popular queen in her country one last time. After the death of Elizabeth II, Charles recorded a jump in popularity (70% favorable opinions) but remains behind his son William (84%) and his wife, Kate (80%).