On Saturday, the world’s attention will be focused on the coronation of King Carlos III and his queen consort Camilla, a major event with many curiosities and in which details are essential.
Here are some key points about details of the lavish coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II’s successor:
the military ceremony
More than 6,000 British servicemen will take part in the coronation of King Charles III, the largest ceremonial deployment in the British armed forces for seven decades, including soldiers, sailors and airmen.
Nearly 400 troops from 35 Commonwealth countries will also be involved in the ceremonies.
Gun salvos will be fired from British Army bases across the country and from warships on the high seas.
Eventually, more than 60 military aircraft, including World War II Spitfires and modern fighter jets, will fly over Buckingham Palace.
The guests
Prince Harry will attend the coronation ceremony of his father, King Charles III, at Westminster Abbey, but his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will remain in California with the couple’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The presence ended months of speculation, a result of tensions in the royal family caused by television interviews and the publication of Harry’s memoir, called “Shadow”, in which he was particularly critical of his brother and stepmother.
Several foreign leaders will also be present, such as the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, German, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Filipino, Ferdinand Marcos Junior, as well as the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Australian Prime Minister, Antonius Albanian.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, will be absent, represented by the First Lady, Jill Biden.
the invitations
The more than 2,000 guests received invitations on recycled paper, reflecting Charles III’s concerns about conservation and environmental protection.
The medieval-style decor includes a design of the Green Man, a figure from British folklore that symbolizes spring and rebirth.
the feast
The King and Queen chose a quiche with spinach, broad beans and tarragon as the ideal dish to share at Sunday street parties.
The choice of “Coronation Quiche” was based on the fact that it can be served hot or cold and is not “too complicated to cook or requires expensive or hard-to-find ingredients”.
Since the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, “Coronation Chicken”, a cold chicken dish with curry sauce and cream, has conquered the country and has become a classic at parties and even as a sandwich spread.
The anointing of the king
The oil used for the king’s anointing will be free of animal products and scented with jasmine, sesame, cinnamon, rose, neroli, benzoin, amber and fragrant orange blossom oil.
Traditionally, it contained ambergris obtained from the guts of whales.
the royal pages
Prince George, the King’s eldest grandson and second in line to the throne, will be one of four young pages to assist the monarch during the ceremony.
The queen consort, Camilla, will also have four pages: grandsons Gus, Louis and Freddy, along with second cousin Arthur.
the queen’s crown
Camila will be crowned with a crown made for Charles’s great-grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1911, rather than having a new one made, as was the case with the queen consorts who came before her.
The palace indicated that “minor” changes were made to “reflect Camilla’s individual style” and “pay homage” to the late Elizabeth II by incorporating diamonds from her mother-in-law’s personal collection.
To avoid criticism of colonialism, the “Koh-i-Noor” diamond, originally from India and famous for its size and the controversy over how it reached Queen Victoria in the 19th century, was removed.
the highlight
The ceremony will conclude with the placing on the head of Charles III of the Crown of St. Edward, the centerpiece of the British Crown Jewels, used only for coronations, the last time in 1953, by Elizabeth II.
The crown was made for the coronation of Charles II in 1661, replacing the previous one, melted down after the execution of Charles I, in 1649.
It was recently adapted to the head of Charles III, but when he leaves Westminster Abbey, the King will wear the Imperial State Crown, created in 1937 for the coronation of his grandfather, King George VI.
While both are richly decorated with precious and semi-precious stones such as sapphires and rubies, the second is about a kilogram lighter.
Source: DN
