“Shorter, smaller, cheaper.”
It is in his words that the
Daily Mail
describes the upcoming coronation of Charles III.
The new king of England would like, in fact, a “minimalist” ceremony in the image of what he wishes to embody during his reign.
Especially since the United Kingdom is hit hard by inflation, and the country's economy is heading towards a recession.
Date, place, guests… The coronation of Charles III will follow a meticulous plan, like the funeral of Elizabeth II, which left nothing to chance.
Name of this operation?
“Golden Orb”.
Already underway, she must plan in great detail the religious ceremony which will see Charles III as well as Camilla crowned king and queen consort at Westminster Abbey, London.
However, no plans will be announced in the coming days, since the king and his family have flown to Balmoral for a period of private mourning following the death of Elizabeth II on September 8.
According to
The Sun
,
a close Windsor clan says there is "no urgency" to organize the ceremony.
"The king is not thinking about the coronation at the moment, because he is still far away and he is concentrating on what he is doing now, during this period of royal mourning", still blows a spokesperson for the new monarch to the British tabloid.
That said, the press across the Channel is already revealing some details.
Read alsoCharles proclaimed king: the stages of a meticulously orchestrated protocol
A sacred “minimalist”…
If we believe the sources - well informed but not always reliable - of the
Daily Mail
, the coronation of Charles III will be "shorter, smaller and less expensive" than that of his mother, crowned queen in 1953. This is confirmed by a relative of the Windsors to the
Mirror
: “The king is aware of the difficult daily life of the British.
And if he wants the coronation ceremony to take place in the respect of ancestral traditions, it must also reflect the place of the monarchy in the modern world.
In this period of economic crisis, the potential cost to the taxpayer of the funeral of Elizabeth II, which has not been disclosed, has somewhat raised some teeth.
In 1953, the coronation of Elizabeth II had cost 1.57 million pounds (1.8 million euros), the equivalent in 2022 of 46 million pounds (52 million euros).
… and traditional
70 years will separate the coronation of Elizabeth II and that of her son Charles III.
Nevertheless, the course of the ceremony will probably be very similar.
Before the altar, the king will take the coronation oath, promising to pass judgments according to law and justice and to protect the Church of England.
Sitting on the coronation chair, the King Edward's Chair, Charles III will then receive the anointing of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will give him the two royal sceptres, the orb and the cape.
Before putting the crown on her head.
The assembly will then be able to sing the famous
God save the King
.
While the traditional aspects of the ceremony will remain unchanged, the king is expected to celebrate the diversity of the UK by inviting members of different faiths.
Also according to the
Daily Mail
, representatives of the country's main religious communities (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist) will take part in the event.
A symbolic date
Although nothing has been decided yet, Charles III would be in favor of the ceremony taking place on June 2, 2023. A symbolic day since it will be the 70th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The latter had to wait sixteen months to be crowned.
Full screen
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.
(London, June 2, 1953.) Getty Images
If the ceremony takes place on June 2, 2023, in nine months, it will make Charles III the oldest king of England at the time of his coronation.
Charles will be 74 and Queen Consort Camilla almost 76.
In video, when King Charles III loses patience because of … a pen
A TV event
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is the first to be broadcast in full and live on television.
And this, despite the unfavorable opinion of the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
At the time, less than a third of the British population owned a television set.
But when the coronation live stream is announced, many rush to buy or rent a television set for the event.
In total, nearly 20 million Britons - or 40% of the population at the time - will follow the ceremony on the small screen, in black and white, on the BBC.
Like his late mother, Charles III should allow cameras around the world to film his coronation.
A crown steeped in history
Like his mother, the father of princes William and Harry will inherit the crown of Saint Edward.
Adorned with solid gold and over 400 precious stones, including rubies, garnets and sapphires, this crown is Windsor's most iconic jewel.
