The Queen is dead, long live the King! Elizabeth II died in her castle in Scotland, surrounded by her family, on September 8, 2022. Her eldest son, Charles, is now the new King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
King Charles III (as he himself chose), was officially proclaimed King on Saturday, September 10, at the Council of Accession. This ceremony took place at St James Palace, the oldest royal palace in the United Kingdom, in the presence of Privy Councillors, senior civil servants, officers of state, members of the House of Lords, the Mayor of London, High Commissioners of the Commonwealth Realms and many other persons of interest.
The Lord President announced the death of the Queen, and then the Clerk of the Council read the proclamation. The name of the heir to the throne was then announced and the proclamation was signed. The new monarch was then sworn in.
This official ceremony is a way of making the identity of the new monarch known. However, it does not take the place of a coronation ceremony. The latter often takes place several months after the proclamation.
Indeed, Elizabeth II acceded to the throne in February 1952, but was not crowned until June 1953. Similarly, George VI became king in December 1936, but was not crowned until May 1937. It is therefore likely that it will be several months before Charles III is crowned.
The official period of national mourning ended on September 27. However, Charles III is not expected to wear the crown again until next summer. Rumors had it that the coronation ceremony would take place on June 2, 2023, the same date as for his mother, 70 years later. An official statement from Buckingham Palace, released on October 11, indicates that the coronation will finally take place on May 6, 2023 . Queen Consort Camilla is also due to be crowned at the ceremony.
The coronation is to take place atWestminster Abbey in London and is being conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the statement said. " The coronation will reflect the role of the monarch today and in future years, while building on long-standing traditions and pageantry," the palace further added.
If we do not yet know all the details related to this event, we know however that this coronation should be more modern, shorter, less expensive, less extravagant than that of the late Elizabeth II. Charles III would have expressed his wish to see more representatives of the different religious and ethnic groups of the country during his coronation, in order to better reflect the current British society. Because of the new sovereign's advanced age (73), the ceremony is expected to last less than three hours.
All the details of this coronation have been discussed and updated regularly for several years now, so that any eventuality is anticipated. The code name for this project isOperation Golden Orb.
For the past 900 years, each coronation has taken place atWestminster Abbey, and is conducted by theArchbishop of Canterbury, head of theChurch of England.
This ceremony is very codified. The King wears different outfits, from the purple tunic to the robe of Parliament to the veiled tunic. The King receives theanointing and the blessing of the archbishop, then he gives him the symbols of power (the royal globe, the ring that represents the marriage with the nation, the scepter and the dove).
Finally, the crown of Saint Edward is placed on the head of the monarch. The assembly shouts "God save the King" and the representatives of the Church swear their loyalty to the new sovereign.
The coronation is a state ceremony: the government pays for the celebration, and decides on the guest list , explains the BBC. The royal family, international leaders, representatives of the Commonwealth, leading British figures and people of power are usually invited.
