The king does remain the U.K.’s head of state and a symbol of national identity - and Charles will have to work to bring together a multicultural nation and shore up support for the monarchy at at time when it is waning, especially among younger people.

These days, the king no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September. Charles was the 40th sovereign to be enthroned in the abbey - and, at 74, the oldest. Underneath the seat was a sacred slab known as the Stone of Scone, on which ancient Scottish kings were crowned.įor 1,000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in such grandiose ceremonies that confirm their right to rule. In an ancient display of kingly power, Charles was anointed with oil from the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land - a part of the ceremony so sacred it was concealed behind screens - and presented with an orb, swords and scepters.Īrchbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby then placed the solid gold crown, bedecked with more than 400 precious stones, on Charles’ head, while he sat in the 700-year-old oak Coronation Chair - once gilded, now worn and etched with graffiti. It was also the first to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths.

First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British prime ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals, and celebrities including Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie.ĭuring the traditional Anglican service slightly tweaked for modern times, Charles, clad in crimson and cream robes, swore on a Bible that he is a “true Protestant.”īut a preface was added to the coronation oath to say the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely,” and the epistle from the King James Bible was read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first Hindu leader.Ī gospel choir performed a newly composed “Alleluia,” and, for the first time, female clergy took part in the ceremony. A handful were arrested.Īs the day began, the abbey buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colorful hats as the congregation of international dignitaries, nobles and other notables arrived.

Hundreds who want to see Britain become a republic gathered to holler “ Not my king.” They see the monarchy as an institution that stands for privilege and inequality, in a country of deepening poverty and fraying social ties. But to millions more, the day was greeted with a shrug, the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke largely gone.Īnd to a few, it was reason to protest.

Female Fortune by Jill Liddington