London – Today is the big day of the most solemn ceremony for seventy years: King Charles III with his hand on the Bible will swear to respect the laws and the Church of England, becoming the fortieth monarch since 1066 to be crowned at Westminster Abbey .
The Archbishop of Canterbury will place the heavy St Edward’s Crown, used only on this occasion, on the head of the King, who will wear the golden “super tunic” of his predecessors. The centuries-old tradition will be respected in every detail, from the procession with a horse-drawn carriage to the religious rite which culminates with the anointing of the king, a moment so solemn that the rite takes place behind a screen away from the gaze of mere mortals. There will also be some innovations wanted by Carlo.
To underline the climate of tolerance of his reign, the king also invited leaders of religions present in Great Britain – Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Buddhists – to the ceremony. The King also wanted a woman, the Bishop of London Sarah Mullally, to attend the ceremony for the first time. Among the 2,200 guests there will be not only members of the royal family, heads of state from all over the world (including the Italian president Sergio Mattarella), politicians and various celebrities but also 850 ordinary citizens who have done good works in their communities, above all during the pandemic and who were invited by the king to thank them.
Furthermore, for the first time in history all those present will be able to recite the traditional oath of loyalty to the king during the ceremony, until now reserved for peers of the Kingdom. Another sign of the king’s will to extend the arcane rituals as much as possible to ordinary citizens to make them feel involved.
Charles III is not only king of the United Kingdom but also leader of the Commonwealth, born as an association of the former British colonies which now has 56 countries. Openly republican politicians, such as Australian premier Anthony Albanese and New Zealander Chris Hipkins, and leaders of countries that have already declared their intention to cut ties with the monarchy, such as Jamaica, will also participate in today’s ceremony.