After a religious ceremony on May 6, rooted in the monarchical tradition, but which the king wanted to modernize, the United Kingdom will experience three days of festivities to celebrate the coronation of Charles III.
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traditions
This historic day will begin with the “King’s Procession” which will join Westminster Abbey by carriage from Buckingham Palace on a course of approximately 2 kilometers.
The ceremony itself is due to begin at 11 a.m. local time (10 a.m. GMT) and last around an hour under the direction of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Anglican Church.
Embellished with musical works from the classical repertoire, but also more modern compositions, it is meant to “reflect the role of the monarch today and look to the future, while being rooted in historical traditions and pageantry”. , according to the palace.
Even if Charles III, 74, wanted a simpler and shorter service than that of Queen Elizabeth II, in front of an audience of guests limited to 2,000 people (foreign leaders, crowned heads, elected officials, civil society), certain stages are intangible.
Once entered the Abbey, the king will be introduced and acclaimed by the audience before he takes the oath.
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This coronation oath, written in 1688, has had variations over the centuries. Elizabeth II had for example sworn to govern “according to their laws” the people of the United Kingdom and the 14 other countries over which the Crown reigns and to defend the Anglican religion of which the monarch is the supreme head.
Charles could have a more ecumenical point, in the direction of all faiths.
Next, the king, seated on King Edward’s chair, will receive the anointing with oil from the archbishop, then the royal attributes: the royal robe, the orb (a golden globe surmounted by a cross), the scepter and the crown of Saint Edward which will be placed on the head of the sovereign.
Members of the royal family will pay homage to him.
The king and queen Camilla, also crowned during the ceremony, will leave in a carriage for the “Coronation procession” towards Buckingham, accompanied this time by a procession of nearly 4,000 soldiers in ceremonial clothes.
The royal family will finally appear on the balcony of the palace to greet the crowd and watch the Royal Air Force planes fly over.
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Relatives
Several members of the royal family will have a role to play during the ceremony while some, like Prince Harry, present without his wife Meghan, or his uncle Prince Andrew, in withdrawal after a sex scandal, should only be spectators.
Charles thus chose his four pages among his relatives, including his grandson Prince George, 9, 2nd in the order of succession to the throne, or the young son of Edward Tollemache, godson of the king.
Queen Consort Camilla was keen to include her family from her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles. Three of his grandchildren, Gus, Louis and Freddy, will be among the pages accompanying him, along with his great-nephew Arthur.
Prolonged weekend
In addition to the ceremony, the United Kingdom is preparing to experience three days of celebration around the coronation, even if the craze is still not very perceptible in the country.
On Sunday, the population is invited to share a “big lunch” through neighborhood parties and with the “coronation quiche” on the menu, the recipe for which was unveiled in mid-April by the palace.
In the evening, a concert will take place at Windsor Castle, west London, which 10,000 randomly selected Britons will be able to attend. Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie and tenor Andrea Bocelli will headline a bill marked by the absence of British stars.
Finally, the royal family calls on the British to do volunteer work on Monday, May 8, a bank holiday.