Despite living in an age of constant
image sharing, there will be two moments in the Coronation of King
Charles III and Queen Camilla that the public knows about but will
not be able to see. The first will be the anointing, a
procedure that involves the King and Queen being blessed by the
Archbishop of Canterbury, which will use chrism, a special oil
produced from fruits coming from the Mount…
New Zealand Prime Minister discusses losing the Monarchy before heading to London for the Coronation
2nd May 2023
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris
Hipkins has said that he sees New Zealand as potentially becoming
fully independent from the British Crown in the future. In a short
press gathering preceding his departure for London on Monday, 1st
May, the successor to Jacinda…
The reign of King Henry IV began with
usurpation and heralded a period of power struggles that would end
in the War of the Roses. As he rode to his Coronation, in 1399, his
predecessor languished in jail and would die in mysterious
circumstances within months. Henry IV’s…
His reign would end with the toppling of
the monarchy but as Charles I was crowned King of England in 1626,
there was little indication that the ancient ceremony heralded a
time of tumult that would lead to war and death. However, as the
Archbishop of Canterbury lifted St. Edward’s Crown into the hushed
air of Westminster Abbey ahead of the Coronation, he heralded a
moment in royal history…
With the Coronation only a few days away,
the country is abuzz with speculation about what to expect from
this historic event. The last Coronation took place seventy years
ago, and much has changed since then. We have been given a
tantalising glimpse into what the Procession…
The Coronation of King Charles III will
be filled with pomp, circumstance and regalia. Some of the regalia
are worn, like robes and spurs. But other pieces of regalia are
carried and presented throughout the ceremony. Swords are a key
part of the Coronation. Five of them…
With the release of the Coronation’s
liturgy (or Order of Service, as it is called for other
ceremonies), many of the last unknown details of this key
historical moment are being revealed. And special roles have been
assigned to the Bishop of Bath and Wells, and the Bishop of Durham,
following a pattern from coronations dating back to the 12th
century. These two figures will have the…
On the last weekend before the
Coronation, Westminster Abbey hosted a special service to mark the
arrival of the Stone of Destiny, a crucial piece of the
ceremony. On Saturday, 29th April, on the day that also
marked the 12th wedding anniversary of the Prince and…
The coronation that created the glittering image of monarchy about to be unveiled in Westminster Abbey
1st May 2023
He was a hero king who had survived an
epic game of thrones and his coronation was set to be a splendid
celebration at the start of a new era of royal power. The crowning
of Richard I involved pomp, pageantry and chivalric splendour but
it also led to riots and the deaths of…
The Gold State Coach is unique: it’s over
200 years old, solid wood, and so large it can only go at a walking
pace. Leading that walking pace are eight Windsor Grey
Horses, the only horses allowed to pull the Gold State Coach.
Windsor Greys are not a specific breed but are grey horses that the
Royal Family chooses to live and train at the Royal Mews. Most of
the Windsor Greys are Irish…
