A long-awaited day, also called to formally seal – between the rites of the traditional pomp and some efforts to streamline or more inclusive openness to a country that has changed profoundly in its multicolored context – the end of an era in the history of the thousand-year-old British monarchy : that of the record seventy-year reign of Elizabeth II. The date of Saturday 6 May 2023, the starting point and highlight of the Coronation Weekend, can be summarized as follows: a celebration spread over three days, up to and including Monday 8, marked by the anointing of the 74-year-old King Charles III, with the 75-year-old at his side Queen Camilla his consort, the 40th sovereign of the Channel solemnly crowned since 1066 under the vaults of Westminster Abbey. A ceremony whose center is tomorrow’s liturgy, broadcast for the first time on live TV and destined to be followed by crowds of fans (and pockets of protesters) on the streets of London; as well as by the 2,000 dignitaries and powerful of the Earth invited among the benches of the abbey.
IN TV
On Italian TV there are several possibilities to follow the event live. Rai1 will follow the Coronation Ceremony live with a special Tg1 live from 11.45 to 15.30. The live broadcast will have the 1.30 pm edition of Tg1 as its only break. On Rai2 a special with comments and insights is scheduled in prime time. Throughout the day windows on Rainews 24 from the beginning of the ceremony. The same in the entertainment programs of daytime Rai. Starting from 10.45 (Italian time), very true in collaboration with TG5 presents ”The Coronation of Charles III”. Silvia Toffanin will follow, live, the coronation of Charles III of England, who will become king after his mother Elizabeth II. A special, produced in collaboration with Tg5, broadcast from 10.45 to approximately 15.45, to document what is about to be a real appointment with history. Tg5 correspondents connected from London: Dario Maltese and Susanna Galeazzi from Westminster Abbey and Federico Gatti from Buckingham Palace. Three expert journalists from the Royal Family will be in the studio to comment on the ”Coronation Day” with Silvia Toffanin: Cesara Buonamici, Cristina Parodi and Antonio Caprarica. Furthermore, the special will also see Andrea Bocelli connected from London, the Italian artist chosen to participate on May 7 in the concert organized in the park of Windsor Castle on the occasion of the coronation.
Double appointment on Saturday 6 May on La7: starting at 10.15 a Special TgLa7 will be broadcast hosted by Flavia Fratello and Stefano Buccafusca, with live connection from London with the correspondent Gabriella Caimi. Afterwards, after the 13.30 TgLa7, it will be the turn of one Special Once upon a time in the twentieth century, conducted by Alessio Orsingher and Luca Sappino. A relay that will also continue to take us into one of the most important events of the year in the afternoon, with the live broadcast from London which will end, as per the royal programme, the day after with the concert at Windsor Castle. Among the guests the journalist Beppe Severgnini and the royal watcher Luisa Ciuni.
Sky Tg24 proposes the special ‘The Return of the King’ broadcast tomorrow 6 May, starting at 11.00. Hosted by Liliana Faccioli Pintozzi from London, among the guests Enrica Roddolo, of Corriere della Sera, writer and expert on the Windsor house, and Enrico Franceschini dean of foreign correspondents. Connections with the correspondent of the all news channel from London, Tiziana Prezzo from Westminster Abbey, with the envoy Nicola Veschi among the people on the Mall and Stefania Trapani from the British Embassy in Rome. Inside the special, an interview with Valentine Low, Royal Correspondent of the Times. A second special ‘King Charles III’, curated by Lavinia Spingardi, will be broadcast on Sunday 7 May. Sky programming will follow the historic day with another appointment, again tomorrow 6 May at 21.15 on Sky Documentaries and streaming on Now, also available on demand, an in-depth study on Charles III entitled “Prince Charles – The new King”, for retrace, on the day of his coronation, the events that characterized the long journey that led him to the throne.
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Here are the 10 key stages.
THE PROCESSION AND ARRIVAL AT WESTMINSTER
The journey from Buckingham Palace, shorter than that traveled by Queen Elizabeth in 1953, will start at 10.40 (11.40 in Italy). Charles and Camilla will cross the flagged avenue of the Mall, skirting Trafalgar Square, the government citadel of Whitehall and Parliament Square, to finally reach the western entrance of the abbey.
IDENTIFICATION
The liturgy will begin at 11 local time (12.00 in Italy), officiated according to the rite of the Anglican national Church, albeit with unprecedented elements of involvement of representatives of other Christian denominations and then of other faiths (Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Sikh religion ). The act of Recognition recalls the ancient introduction to the people, once entrusted to ecclesiastical heralds, of the figure of the new monarch, with an annexed reference to the formula of “God Save the King” echoed by those present. Not without presenting Her Majesty the royal insignia of the House of Windsor, the golden orb and two sceptres surmounted by a cross and a dove, as well as two other scepters to Camilla.
THE KING’S OATH
In the meantime, Charles III will have taken his place on the medieval throne of St Edward the Confessor, placed on the Stone of Destiny (historical object disputed for centuries by Scotland and now transferred to London only on loan from Edinburgh) in the center of the Cosmati Floor. And here he will be sworn in as guardian of the laws of the Kingdom and of the Church of England, as well as a “faithful Protestant”. Even with the addition of a newly minted premise aimed at ensuring his commitment to respect and guarantee also all the other faiths professed by today’s subjects.
Charles III, coronation robes presented at Buckingham Palace
THE UNCTION
This is followed by the ancient rite of anointing the sovereign with holy oil, as a religious consecration of his role. Oil that the celebrating archbishop, the Anglican primate of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will pour from the traditional 17th century gold ampulla onto an ancient ritual spoon, and then onto the king’s head.
THE INVESTITURE
This will be the actual coronation, with the placing on Charles III’s shoulders of a rich ornamental cloak, the Supertunica, and then on his head the Crown of Saint Edward: a gold jewel weighing two kilos studded with stones which actually dates back to 1661, made for King Charles II.
THE INTRONIZATION
It is the final moment of the proclamation, marked in the past by the genuflection and submission of those present to the monarch. Rite that this time, however, will only be performed by the heir to the throne William, Prince of Wales. This will be followed by the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury to swear loyalty to the king according to an ad hoc formula: an act once reserved for the aristocracy and now extended – not without controversy – to all the people who “spontaneously” want to join it from home or on the street .
QUEEN CAMILLA’S MOMENT OF GLORY
Once the ceremonial dedicated to the reigning sovereign is concluded, it will be up to the consort to be formally proclaimed queen with a faster path of anointing, coronation and enthronement. Camilla will wear the crown of Queen Mary, wife of George V.
THE COMMUNION
The liturgy also provides for the sacramental sealing of the Eucharist, entrusted for the first time also to female clergymen.
THE ROYAL PROCESSION
The exit from the abbey will mark the beginning of the coronation procession, with Charles and Camilla called to greet the crowd from the old Gold State Coach, built in 1762 and used for all coronations since 1831 forward. The royals will be followed by a second carriage carrying the Princes of Wales, William and Catherine, and their children George (also included among the pages), Charlotte and Louis. Alongside its march, 4,000 soldiers in full uniform.
GREETING TO THE CROWD FROM THE BALCONY
In the early afternoon there will be the last greeting from the balcony of Buckingham Palace by Charles and Camilla, with the family of the princes of Wales and other senior members of the dynasty, amid cannon salutes, parades and overflights of RAF aircraft: included (bad weather permitting ) the Red Arrows aerobatic team.