The most solemn gesture, when Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, anointed the king’s hands, chest and head, took place out of sight of those present and of all ordinary mortals. Three screens surrounded the king and the archbishop to preserve the mystery. As a humble servant of God Charles then returned to the role of king, wearing the “super tunic” of gold fabric that even Queen Elizabeth II and before her father they had brought on their coronation day.
The ritual was followed in every detail, with the presentation to the king of spurs, symbol of chivalrous and military honour, of the jeweled sword, symbol of mercy, of the golden globe with the cross of Christ, a reminder that the power of the king comes from God, of the ring, symbol of the bond between king and subjects and of the glove, symbol of the protection of the monarch.
The novelty in this traditional ritual was the choice of the protagonists, made by Charles III: the king conferred the prestigious task of presenting him these precious and symbolic objects to the leaders of the main religions present in Great Britain: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist.
Charles already thirty years ago when he was Prince of Wales had declared that he wanted to be not the “defender of the faith”, a traditional formula which implies the Christian faith, but the “defender of all faiths”. As king he kept his word and wanted to give a concrete demonstration of tolerance and openness to all religions.
The personalities present
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu, read a passage from the Bible. In his homily, the archbishop of Canterbury underlined the role of the king “to serve, not to be served” and recalled his life dedicated to duty and charitable works. “Only the Holy Spirit can give him strength and support the king in his task,” Welby said.
The Archbishop crowned the king, assisted by leaders of all Christian Churches, including Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols. The king, seated on St Edward’s Throne, which dates from 1296 and is used only for coronations, has had the golden crown of Edward the Confessor placed on his head. Welby then knelt before the king to profess his loyalty to the new “defender of the faith”, and then William, the heir to the throne, first knelt before his father and then kissed him on the cheek to testify to the faithfulness of he.