He planned to make the change in 10 years, after
which to withdraw in favor of his son William
The United Kingdom is entering the final hectic weeks of preparations for the coronation of its King, Charles III, on May 6. Some plans for the big event have already been announced, and they make it clear that it will be far more modest and short compared to its predecessors. In addition, some age-old traditions will be modified to meet the new king’s drive to modernize the monarchy.
Informed sources have revealed to the Daily Mail that Charles, 74, has a very detailed plan on how to carry out the change, which he hopes to complete within a decade. Then to gradually pass the baton to his son Prince William, while retaining for himself the supportive role of royal father. Among his goals are to reduce the number of members of the royal family who represent the crown and to build an image of himself as a high-ranking monarch with strong influence at home and abroad. And this inevitably went through a transition from the previous “magical” monarchy to one in the service of society.
His choice to make his first overseas visit to Europe partially outlined the direction he intended to follow. Amid the United Kingdom’s difficulties after leaving the EU, King Charles III has sought to help ease relations with the continent after Brexit.
“His state visit to Germany shows that the monarchy still wields a lot of soft power, allowing Britain to push its weight in foreign affairs and heal the scars of Brexit,” public administration professor Sir Vernon Bogdanor told the newspaper. Even while he was writing his book The Monarchy and the Constitution in 1995, he was informed by palace officials that his thesis of how the monarchy could survive if it began to serve society coincided with the thinking of the then Prince of Wales. The scientist reminded that Charles has already done a lot in this direction through the charities and funds he patronizes, giving a chance for professional development to young people and working to protect the environment. In this way, he showed that he understands well what the pressing public issues are. The decision to have a more modest coronation ceremony also reflected this tendency to conform to public sentiment.
On May 6, Charles III will take a shorter route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey
compared to the 7km route followed by his mother Elizabeth II in 1953. He will not use the golden state carriage that all British monarchs have been crowned with for the past two hundred years all the time. It is 7 m long and so heavy that although it is drawn by 8 horses, it still moves at the speed of a pedestrian. A lot of people have complained about its rough ride. Elizabeth II described it as terrible, Queen Victoria called it an exhausting tossing and turning, and William IV compared it to a ship tossing in a stormy sea.
Charles and his wife Camilla will arrive at Westminster Abbey in a newer carriage made in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee of his mother’s reign. It’s the vehicle
made of aluminum and equipped with air conditioning
They will return to Buckingham Palace, however, in the old state carriage. Thus, both the traditions will be respected and a step towards their modernization will be taken.
The same will happen with the solemn coronation ceremony itself in Westminster Abbey. It will be shorter and less extravagant than Elizabeth II’s 3-hour service 70 years ago. Details of it have not yet been announced as there has been a row over Charles’ desire for representatives of other faiths to attend – active participation in it. Allowing Muslims, Hindus and Jews to pray alongside Christians would be in keeping with his vision of being a defender of all religions, not just Anglicanism. However, mainline spiritual leaders believe this would defeat the very purpose of the ceremony, as it essentially formalizes the monarch’s role as head of the Church of England. The title “Defender of the Faith”, borne by all English monarchs for the last 500 years, refers to her alone. In addition, there is a law from 1688 that obliges the monarch to support the Church of England.
Charles was also prepared to break with centuries-old traditions regarding the king’s attire for his coronation. Advisers have suggested that the pompous robes and silk stockings look “too dated” to reflect “a modern 21st century monarchy” but are still considering what to replace them with, as it is still an event that it will be watched all over the world. It was discussed that he should wear the uniform of an admiral of the fleet, but some of his close friends thought that the military element was not good to be so central.
However, certain other key traditions will certainly be observed. Charles will sit on a 700 year throne. Two crowns will be placed on his head in succession. First will be that of St. Edward, which is studded with precious stones and weighs over 2 kg. He will also receive the imperial crown, orb and scepter that were last seen on his late mother’s coffin eight months ago.
The age-old tradition of anointing the king will also be performed. However, it will not be televised like the rest of the ceremony. At this point, Charles would be hidden even from the eyes of the two thousand guests in the Abbey by the cloth of gold. Behind him, the Archbishop of Canterbury will anoint the king’s hands, chest and head with holy oil. It is made from a secret recipe, but is known to contain roses, jasmine and cinnamon and no animal ingredients.
Charles personally chose the music to be played at his coronation. It will be performed by a symphony orchestra specially created for the event,
in which the concertmaster is the Bulgarian violinist Vasko Vassilev
He also wished to have Greek Orthodox music in memory of his father, Prince Philip, who was born in Greece.
His wife Camilla will be crowned Queen Mary. Her grandchildren will be page of honor along with 9-year-old Prince George, who is second in line to the throne. It will be little compensation for Camilla, who endured decades of adversity as Charles’s mistress after initially being rejected by the palace and as a suitable wife for him, but also a big sign that modern monarchs don’t just follow age-old rules, they follow their hearts.
2023-04-16 20:00:00
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