Everything is now ready in London – beyond the fears of some protest or the controversy over the costs and the draconian powers attributed to the imposing security apparatus – for the big day, Saturday 6 May, of re Carlo III: 40th sovereign solemnly crowned since 1066 under the vaults of Westminster Abbey, in the ultra-millennial history of the British monarchy, after waiting as heir for 70 years to ascend the throne and ascending it on 8 September 2022 upon the death of his mother Elizabeth II.
LIVE
Millions of subjects and onlookers are expected to attend the ceremony, set in a triduum of festive days and broadcast live on TV for the first time, despite some signs of disaffection from sectors of the Kingdom’s society towards the crown in this transition phase and sinister flashes that dart from the world: with wings of crowds in the streets and 2000 guests of honor – including foreign and British dignitaries – invited to the aisles of the abbey as part of a parterre that includes President Sergio Mattarella for Italy .
Saturday’s highlight can be divided into 10 symbolic moments, with 74-year-old Charles and his wife, 75-year-old Queen Camilla, the absolute protagonists.
THE PROCESSION AND ARRIVAL AT WESTMINSTER
The route of the royal procession, open to the public behind the barriers from 6 in the morning, starts at 10.40 local time (11.40 in Italy) from Buckingham Palace, and is much shorter than the one traveled by Queen Elizabeth in 1953. For Charles and Camilla, the outward ‘journey’ is set aboard a modern carriage with air conditioning and hydraulic suspension, not the historic and scenic (but uncomfortable) Golden Coach, reserved only for the return journey. The Kings will cross the flag-decked avenue of the Mall, then skirt Trafalgar Square, the government citadel of Whitehall and Parliament Square (opposite the Westminster Houses of Parliament) to finally reach the entrance to the Great West Gate of the abbey. With access to the sanctuary in front of the heir to the throne William and his wife Kate (Catherine), and the eldest of these, George, in the front row among the little royal pages.
IDENTIFICATION
The liturgy will begin at 11 local time, officiated according to the rite of the Anglican national Church, although for the first time with elements of involvement of representatives of other Christian denominations and then of other faiths (Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikh religion) practiced in the Today’s multi-ethnic United Kingdom also by figures such as the incumbent prime minister (of Indian and Hindu origin), Rishi Sunak. It was presided over by the archbishop primate of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to the sound of music chosen directly by the sovereign, including the coronation hymn, just composed for the occasion by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, and traditional Orthodox songs in honor of the deceased Prince Philip, father of the king. The first prominent ceremonial moment will be that of the Recognition, i.e. the traditional introduction to the subjects once entrusted to the heralds of the figure of the new monarch, with an annexed reference to the formula of “God Save the King” echoed by the subjects present. Action followed by the presentation to His Majesty of the royal insignia of the Windsor house: the golden globe and the two sceptres (surmounted by a cross and a dove, to respectively symbolize the roots of his temporal power and his spiritual prerogatives). While two other sceptres will be presented to Camilla as the new queen.
THE KING’S OATH
In the meantime, Charles III will have taken his place on the medieval throne of Saint 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 Castle) and in the center of the Cosmati Floor, mosaic thirteenth century made in Westminster by Roman marble workers of the homonymous family. And here he will take the oath – after an unprecedented introduction in a modern key by Welby introduced in the ceremonial to underline the new monarch’s respect for all the faiths of his subjects – as custodian of the laws of the Kingdom and of the Church of England; as well as, personally, as a “faithful Protestant”.
THE UNCTION
This is followed by the ancient rite of anointing the head of the sovereign, monarch and nominal head of the Anglican Church with holy oil. Oil that Archbishop Welby will pour from the traditional Ampulla, a 17th century gold cruet, onto an ancient ritual spoon, also forged in gold, dating back approximately to 1100.
THE INVESTITURE
This act represents the actual coronation, with the placing on the shoulders of the king of a rich ornamental mantle, the Supertunica, and then on his head of the Crown of Saint Edward: a gold jewel weighing two kilos studded with rubies , topazes, amethysts and other precious stones actually remodeled in 1661, for the accession to the throne of Charles II; and worn since then by only 5 other sovereigns (last Elizabeth) before Charles III.
THE INTRONIZATION
It is the final moment of the proclamation, marked in the past by the ritual of genuflection and submission of those present to the incoming monarch. Rite that this time, however, will be streamlined and performed only by the Dauphin 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 delegated in the past to the Peers of the Kingdom of the aristocracy, but now extended to all the people who wish to freely join it from home or on the street in the ambit of what has been called the ‘Chorus of Millions’.
ITHE MOMENT OF GLORY OF QUEEN CAMILLA
Once the ceremonial dedicated to the reigning sovereign is concluded, it will be up to the consort to be in turn formally proclaimed queen with a faster path of anointing, coronation and enthronement, alongside Charles. Camilla will wear the crown made in the early 1900s for Queen Maria, wife of George V, however deprived of some colonial-era diamonds claimed today by India.
THE COMMUNION
The liturgy also provides for the sacramental sealing of the Eucharist, before the conclusion of the religious rite orchestrated, alongside Welby, by other ecclesiastics: including for the first time female bishops.
THE ROYAL PROCESSION
The exit from the abbey marks the beginning of the coronation procession, with Charles and Camilla this time called to greet the crowd from the old Gold State Coach, built in 1762 and used for all coronations British from 1831 onwards. The royals will be followed on the festive journey back to the palace by a second carriage carrying the Princes of Wales, William and Catherine, and their children George, Charlotte and Louis. Alongside its pace, 4000 soldiers of honor departments in high uniforms. Before leaving the church, Charles will give up St Edward’s crown and will wear another one, no less glittering but more modern and lighter, dated 1937: the Imperial State Crown, usually exhibited at the annual inauguration ceremony of Parliament .
GREETING TO THE CROWD FROM THE BALCONY
Saturday culminates, after a break, in the early afternoon exit on the balcony of Buckingham Palace by King Charles and Queen Camilla, with the family of the Princes of Wales and other senior members of the dynasty, for the traditional greeting to the crowd. Between cannon salutes, parades of Army or Royal Navy units and overflights of RAF aircraft destined to lead to the passage of the Red Arrows acrobatic team. Sunday will then be the turn of the “people’s parties” organized to celebrate the event; and in the evening of the gala concert in honor of the royals with Andrea Bocelli and many others in the park of Windsor Castle. While Monday the final day of the celebrations will be dedicated above all to initiatives focused on the social and charitable activities of organizations sponsored by the royals on the island or in Commonwealth countries.
Read the full article on ANSA.it
2023-05-05 17:31:00
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