Coronation of Charles III: All about the royal event in the newsreel

The countdown has begun: until the coronation of King Charles III. And Queen Camilla is only a few days away. Streets and shops across the country will be decorated with British flags, and more than 3,000 street parties are planned in England alone. In the village of Hurst, near Reading, members of the knitting and knitting group Hurst Hookers make royal figures or crowns to decorate mailboxes.

Buckingham Palace is releasing more and more details about the course of the historic ceremony on May 6:

The culmination of many innovations

There will be several premieres about the coronation at Westminster Abbey in London. For the first time at the coronation ceremony, representatives of other faiths play important roles. Clerics from the Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Sikhs will jointly salute the King, and members of the faiths will also hand him the badge. This symbolizes the firm belief in promoting unity between the different religions and Charles’ commitment to interreligious dialogue.

Also for the first time, languages ​​from the rest of the UK will be heard at the service, with the hymn ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’ (Come, Creator Spirit) being sung in Welsh, Scots and Irish Gaelic as well as English. Plus, the tune “Kyrie eleison” sounds in Welsh—Charles, as heir to the throne, was known as Prince of Wales for decades and learned the language before his appointment in 1969.

Special robes and a hidden ceremonial part

Queen Camilla’s “coronation gown” is also new. The royal couple traditionally wear two different gowns for the ceremony – one on arrival at Westminster Abbey and one on the way back to Buckingham Palace. While Charles was dressed in the robes of his grandfather, King George VI. From his coronation in 1937, Camilla donned a robe that her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, wore on her way there from 1953, wearing the custom-made gown made of mauve velvet as the “Imperial Robe.” Embedded insects and flowers refer to the natural and ecological themes dear to Charles and Camilla. Also shown are the national symbols of England (the rose), Scotland (the thistle), and Ireland (the shamrock).

The “anointing screen” (literally: the anointing screen) was also specially made, so that the king’s anointing would be protected from peepers and cameras. This central part of the ceremony is considered to be the King’s personal moment with God. The archbishop touches the king with consecrated oil in the form of a cross on his hands, chest and head. The three-sided protection, 2.6 meters high, shows a tree with 56 leaves embroidered with the names of the 56 members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Charles I at the root symbolizes that the king is a servant of his people.

Throne chairs are nothing new. The palace said seats from previous coronations will be used for sustainability reasons. It has been restored and modified. Only monograms have been added for Charles and Camilla.

After the coronation before the ceremony

A concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday night featuring stars including Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. The stage is modeled after the British flag with viewing platforms in several directions, it was announced on Monday. The BBC announced more castings over the weekend: Hollywood star Tom Cruise and animated animal character Winnie the Pooh are set to play a role, too. This raises expectations that there could be a similar scene at Queen Elizabeth II’s anniversary party in June 2022. At the time The Queen met for tea in a critically acclaimed video skit with the animatronic Paddington Bear.