A religious ceremony with millenary luster but keen to adapt to the current times, followed by two days of celebrations and events meant to be popular, the UK will have a historic weekend for the coronation of Charles III. Experience.
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Big Ceremony
This memorable day begins with the Procession of Kings, which travels by carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, a journey of around 1.2 miles.
The ceremony itself is scheduled to begin at 11am local time (1000GMT) and last around two hours, presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church.
Adorned with musical works from the classical repertoire, but also with new compositions, depending on the palace it is intended to “reflect the role of the monarch today and look to the future, while being rooted in historical traditions and pageantry”.
Even if Charles III, 74, wanted a simpler service than that of Queen Elizabeth II before a guest audience limited to 2,300 (foreign leaders, royalty, elected officials, civil society), certain stages are not within reach.
- Over QUB radioPhilippe-Audrey Larrue St-Jacques tells us about Quiche Royale and the monarchical drama celebrating the coronation of Charles III:
Once in the Abbey, the king is introduced and feted by the audience before taking an oath to protect the Protestant religion.
Then the sovereign, seated in King Edward’s chair covering the “Stone of Destiny” specially brought from Scotland, receives the anointing with oil from the archbishop, then the royal attributes: the royal robe, the orb (a golden orb, surmounted by a cross), the scepter and crown of Saint Edward placed on his head.
The King and Queen Camilla, who were also crowned during the ceremony, will set out in a carriage for the ‘coronation procession’ to Buckingham, this time accompanied by a procession of nearly four thousand soldiers in ceremonial dress.
The royal family will appear on the palace balcony to wave to the crowd and watch an air parade.
innovation
The ceremony features some breaks with tradition, some of which have raised eyebrows.
For the first time, the monarch will say a prayer aloud during a coronation, asking God to allow him “to be a blessing to all children of all religions and beliefs.”
Representatives of non-Christian faiths will take an active part in welcoming the King after his coronation, while parts of the service will be spoken in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.
Another premiere that has met with criticism: the “homage of the peers”, in which representatives of the nobility kneel before the king and swear allegiance to him, is abolished and replaced by a “homage of the people”.
Finally, the Queen will receive the anointing – the most sacred moment of the coronation – in full view and not hidden from the public, as tradition has dictated until now, and as will still be the case for Charles, protected behind a curtain.
- What is the true portrait of King Charles: listen to the interview with Benoît Tanguay, editor of the journal La Riposte sociale, on the Benoit Dutrizac program QUB radio :
Relative
Several members of the royal family will play a role during the ceremony, while some, like Prince Harry, who is present without his wife Meghan, or his uncle Prince Andrew, who is stepping down following a sex scandal, are said to be mere spectators.
Charles therefore chose his four pages from his relatives, including his grandson, Prince George, nine, second in line to the throne.
Has Queen Consort Camilla insisted on including her family from her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles? Three of his grandchildren, Gus, Louis and Freddy, will join him along with his great-nephew Arthur.
Long weekend
Alongside the ceremony, the UK is gearing up for a three-day celebration. On Sunday, the population is invited to a “big lunch” together on the occasion of neighborhood festivals and with the “coronation quiche” on the menu, the recipe for which was revealed by the palace in mid-April.
In the evening there will be a concert in front of 20,000 people at Windsor Castle in west London.
Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, the tenor Andrea Bocelli or the pianist Lang Lang will be the heads of a poster marked by the absence of British stars.
Finally, the royal family is calling on Brits to volunteer on Monday May 8, a public holiday.