 Source: By Mark Tantrum - https://gg.govt.nz/image-galleries/official-portraits, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=130828631 Meet the new King and Queen of the United Kingdom, as of 1PM today, May 6th, London time. This was their official portrait this morning. It’s from 2019 when they were titled Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Don’t worry, they still look pretty much the same. This is the first coronation since Elizabeth II in June of 1953. I wasn’t born yet, like most of the world, so this is the first coronation I’ve ever seen. I looked up the schedule last night. Click here to see what it said: Here's the Full Schedule for King Charles III’s Coronation | Time For the general public, the real enthusiasts, it all started at 6AM, London time. That’s when the viewing areas in central London opened up. Those early risers got a great view of the King’s procession. It passed by, twice. Me, I was fast asleep. That was 1AM, Tennessee time. This is the official invitation. I didn’t get one, but Wikipedia let me share this one with you. The guest list had 2200 names, but only 2,000 people fit inside the church, so planning started way back in September.  Source: By Andrew Jamieson - [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73549525 The British government paid for this event, so they got to make the guest list. It included members of the royal family, representatives from the government, and both houses of Parliament. Representatives of the Commonwealth countries, foreign royalty, and heads of state got invitations too. Jill Biden represented the United States. All the invitations and RSVPs were done months ago, just like they are for a wedding. In March the holy oil was consecrated by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. If you’re a Christian, this is where you go to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s fitting that the holy oil is consecrated there.  Sourcce: By Σπάρτακος (changes by Rabanus Flavus) - File:Westminster-Abbey.JPG, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76031882 And just like a wedding, there were practices for Coronation Day. On the morning and evening of April 17th and 18th the military did dress rehearsals for the two processions. No one does ceremony like the Brits. On the 19th the RAF (Royal Air Force) practiced their flypast, and finally on May 3 the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, plus the Princess Royal (his sister) had their own practice inside the Abbey. Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it helps you know what you’re doing! Westminster Abbey actually closed on April 25th to tourists, and to its own congregation. It won’t reopen until Monday, May 8th. I bet the people at the abbey will be glad to see things get back to normal again.  This photo is from Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding. I wanted a photo with people inside the abbey. This is the newest one I could find. Just like today’s coronation, there were 2000 people there to celebrate the wedding of Charles’ parents. For today’s coronation, guests had to arrive between 7:15 and 8:30AM. It sounds like going to an airport. They went through security first, before they entered the abbey. Then most of them waited 3 hours, or more, before the king finally arrived. I would have brought a book. If you’d like to find out who did/who didn’t attend, click the link from Time, and scan down their page. From 9 to 10:45AM, the guests had time to mingle and find their seats. That’s also when world leaders, British politicians, and international royals started to arrive. Lucky them!  Meanwhile back at Buckingham Palace, there were other preparations going on. The men in the photograph are part of the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Calvary. They’re called Life Guards. Too bad they don’t work at a pool! At 9:45AM they started getting into marching order. Their job – to escort the King’s Procession from the Palace to the Abbey. The parade will also include 200 members of the Armed Forces. No one moves until 10:20AM, or whenever Charles and Camilla arrive. I guess it takes time to get horses, and people, into position! The King and Queen left Buckingham Palace at 10:20AM. They were in a special procession that took them to Westminster Abbey. That’s where British monarchs have been crowned for over 900 years, since William the Conqueror in 1066.  #1 By Katie Chan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131601808 . . . #2 By Department for Culture, Media and Sport - Diamond Jubilee State Coach, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131603228 Both of these photos were taken during the procession today. Charles and Camilla were inside his mother’s Diamond Jubilee State Coach. It’s so modern it has air conditioning and electric windows, but, it still uses the traditional horses, 6 Windsor Greys, and the Household Calvary Mounted Regiment. I love British traditions!  The king and queen were scheduled to arrive at 10:53 for the 11:00AM ceremony. Why? To give them time, in case they were late, or needed to catch their breath. They made it . . . with time to spare. Part 2 – The Coronation Ceremony from Start to Finish Charles, Camilla, and their attendants entered the abbey at 11AM in one procession. Another followed a little later. It carried the coronation regalia to the altar. You can see it in that first picture. Then the Archbishop of Canterbury led the recognition. Everyone knows Charles, but recognizing him, that’s tradition. He stood beside the Coronation Chair, in the second picture, for everyone to see.  #1 By Darkmaterial - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127657004 . . . #2 By amandabhslater - https://www.flickr.com/photos/15181848@N02/51370499985/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113624979 Then the Archbishop said, “Sirs, I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King. Wherefore all you who are come here this day to do your homage and service. Are you willing to do the same?” Notice his language, traditional. No one talks like this anymore. And the congregation answered, “God Save The King.” Note – Everyone said this, all weekend long.  Next up, the oath, but first the Archbishop recognized the existence of other faiths and beliefs within the UK. That’s something new in the coronation. Then Charles promised to govern the UK and the Commonwealth, following the laws and justice set up in each nation. He finished by saying he’d maintain and protect the Christian church. Next Charles walked up to the altar, laid his hand on a Bible, and said, “The things which I have here promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God.” Then Charles kissed the Bible and signed a written copy of his oath.  Charles was anointed with chrism oil. It’s a holy oil made from olives that were harvested from the Mount of Olives. Jesus went there to teach, and to pray. The chrism oil was also blessed in Jerusalem, back in March. Anointing a king is as old as the monarchy. Charles went behind a screen close to the altar. The Archbishop put oil on his hands, chest, and head using the coronation spoon. This is a private moment between a monarch, and the God who chose him. That’s why there are no pictures of it.  The next part, the investiture. That’s when Charles got the regalia, the crown jewels, the things that only belong to a British monarch. They were taken from his mother at her funeral, then saved for today. Charles was handed the orb, the golden ball with the cross on top. Then both Sovereign’s Scepters. One is topped by a dove. The other with a Cross. Can you find them in the photo? And finally, the crowning. The St. Edward’s Crown is made of solid gold and is covered in 400 gemstones. WOW! When the Archbishop put it on Charles’ head, gun salutes were fired across the country, and now it’s official . . . Charles is the King of England.  The enthronement was next. It’s almost anticlimactic, but after Charles was crowned, he moved from the coronation chair onto his throne. I couldn’t find one from Britain, except for the coronation chair. It’s been around since 1296. Fun fact – it’s covered in graffiti! I know . . . I saw it back in 2002 when my husband and I went to England. I couldn’t believe someday Charles would sit on this chair, 21 years later. Once Charles was enthroned, the Archbishop delivered a prayer for him.  By Royal Navy - This file has been extracted from another file, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107241839 The enthronement was next. It’s almost anticlimactic, but after Charles was crowned, he moved from the coronation chair onto his throne. I couldn’t find one from Britain, except for the coronation chair. It’s been around since 1296. Fun fact – it’s covered in graffiti! I know . . . I saw it back in 2002 when my husband and I went to England. I couldn’t believe someday Charles would sit on this chair, 21 years later. Once Charles was enthroned, the Archbishop delivered a prayer for him.  At long last, Charles was done, and it was Camilla’s turn. She was anointed with chrism oil. The only difference, she did it in front of the congregation, and that was a break from royal tradition. Every other king or queen was anointed behind a canopy or a screen. Camilla was invested too, but she only got the queen consort’s ring. BTW – Charles got a ring too . . . the sovereign’s ring.  #1 Queen's Crown . . . . #2 King's Crown Then Camilla was crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown. That’s the first one, but it’s missing a little bling. Camilla added 3 Cullinan diamonds, that once belonged to her mother-in-law, Elizabeth II. The coronation part took about an hour, and the church service, another hour. Charles chose a shorter, more streamlined ceremony. His mother and grandfather’s were much longer, like 3 – 4 hours. Charles gave the St. Edward’s Crown back after the service, but he got a new one, the Imperial State crown. That’s the second one, and it looks good to me! Meet the newly coronated couple and their new carriage, the Gold State Coach. Oops, I mean the old one. It was made in 1760 for George III, you know the king that made America declare its independence.  Gold State Coach – By Katie Chan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131601803 This carriage gets 8 Windsor Greys to pull it on the 1.3 mile route back to Buckingham Palace for the Coronation Procession. The streets were lined with 1000 loyal subjects. It was scheduled to leave Westminster Abbey at 1PM, and it included 5000 members of the UK’s Armed Forces, plus 400 from the Commonwealth and Overseas Territories. The Sovereign’s Bodyguards were there again, plus the Royal Watermen. This, was a very big deal! The first photo is the Royal couple on the balcony, just the two of them for the royal salute. It was scheduled for 1:45PM. It’s the only part I saw live on Saturday. I couldn’t figure out why all those soldiers were lined up on a field. It turns out they were in the garden (yard) for a salute, followed by three cheers from all those soldiers. Imagine a drill sergeant yelling, “Hip, hip.” And the 5000 answering, “Hooray,” times three. It was a very British moment.  After the royal salute, it was time for my favorite part, and it wasn’t even on the schedule. It’s when the crowd approaches the palace, and the royal family joins the King and Queen on the balcony. They waved to the crowd, and the crowd roared back, like always. I think everyone loves it because we get a peek at the royal family, sharing a moment, with the country. From left to right do you see Prince William and his family? Next, the King’s 4 pages. One is William’s oldest, George. Can you find him? Hint - he’s looking down. Next of course, the King and Queen, and to her right are her 4 pages, 2 are her grandsons. Camilla’s sister is on the balcony, and finally on the right, Prince Edward and his family. It’s not the whole royal family, just the working ones.  The Fly-past was scheduled for 2:15PM. I’m not sure what time it started, but it wasn’t the fly-past that was planned. It was scaled back from the 68 aircraft who were ready to represent the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and British Army. Even scaled back it was a crowd favorite with the helicopters and Red Arrow Team. Everyone knows about helicopters, but I’d never heard of the Red Arrows. I found this old photo, and I saw a clip of them tonight . . . a row of planes trailing blue, white, and red plumes. Magnificent!  Thank goodness! I finally finished Day 1 of the Coronation. I don’t know how the royal family did it. It’s taken me four days to tell that story. Tomorrow – The Big Lunch and The Big Help – I hope, and I pray I can finish it in one last day! Part 3 – The Coronation Big Lunch, the Concert, and the Big Help Out May 7 at 12 PM was the official time for the big lunch, and it was a BIG success! More than 3000 street parties were scheduled across the country, like this one in London. It looks like fun! The official dish – Coronation quiche. If you’d like to try it, pick up some spinach, broad beans, cheese, and tarragon.  By ChiralJon - Coronation Big Lunch, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131632119 The big idea came from Camilla’s charity, the Eden Project. The goal – much bigger than food. The charity tries to reduce loneliness and promote community spirit. I hope it worked, that people across the UK found a few new friends, and a way to get involved. At 3PM, ticket holders could head over to the East Lawn at Windsor Castle for its first ever concert. Free tickets went to 5000 lucky people who won them in a lottery. Volunteers for the King and Queen’s charities got them too. The coronation concert started at 7PM, and it looks incredible! The headliners were Take That, Lionel Ritchie, Andrea Bocelli, and Katy Perry. Add in performers like Paloma Faith, Nicole Scherzinger, and Sonam Kapoor.  By Department for Culture, Media and Sport - Photo by SkyMagic Drone Shows / DCMS, PDM-owner, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131661868 Stars like Tom Cruise, Sir Tom Jones, Ncuti Gatwa, Dame Joan Collins, and Bear Grylls appeared live on stage or via a TV screen. I almost forgot the Coronation Choir. They may not be professionals, but they were sensational. If you couldn’t make it to Windsor Castle, 57 locations across the country had big screen viewing, from Cardiff Castle in Wales to Belfast City Hall in Northern Ireland to Hyde Park in London. The coronation team gave away 10,000 tickets for the event. It sounds like it was a great weekend to spend in the UK.  By UKinUSA - https://www.flickr.com/photos/ukinusa/52881374132/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131686589 Monday, May 8 was a holiday across the UK. It was also The Big Help Out. The King and Queen partnered with The Scouts, the Royal Volunteer Service, and faith groups across the UK to help their local communities. What a lovely way to celebrate, and to encourage people to get involved. Congratulations to King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and the UK! Well done you! 
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AuthorWhen I write, I can only have one voice in my head, mine. A little noise is fine. But too much, or worse yet, WORDS, and I must change rooms or pull out headphones. Then I can write on! Categories
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