King

As the 40th monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey, the oldest in history, and with coronation traditions in place for nearly 1,000 years, the pressure had been on – not just to get the Coronation right, but to make it meaningful and memorable for a 21st-century audience. As this was the first Coronation to be staged for 70 years, a period during which Britain and the world had undergone irrevocable change, no one involved in the Coronation organising in 2023 had hands-on experience of the last Coronation in 1953. It involved months of round-the-clock planning by The King and The Queen, the Palace, Lambeth Palace, the armed forces, the government, the police, broadcasters and many more.

Britain is famed for its pageantry, pomp and ceremony and this Coronation put Britain in the limelight the nation thrives on. But there was a genuine desire to make the day inclusive. Peers of the realm did not pay homage for the first time, and most were not even invited.

Preference was given to meritocracy over aristocracy and the diverse mix of faces composed a very different congregation to that present at The King’s mother’s Coronation. It was of course a fully Christian and Protestant liturgy, but the Ceremony incorporated multi- faith and multi-language elements, with representatives of different faith groups playing an active role in presenting regalia.

The King promotes inclusivity and diversity as he recited and signed the Coronation Oaths (with no leaky pens in sight!)

One of the central moments of the Coronation ceremony and also one of the few instances where traditions were adapted to include the wishes of the King for a more inclusive vision of the monarchy and his role.

The first Oath to King Charles III one was the one in which the new, more inclusive formula was inserted. The Archbishop of Canterbury asked King Charles: “Your Majesty, the Church established by law, whose settlement you will swear to maintain, is committed to the true profession of the Gospel and, in so doing, will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely. The Coronation Oath has stood for centuries and is enshrined in law. Are you willing to take the Oath?” to which the King responded: “I am willing.”

This inclusion of “people of all faiths and beliefs” represents an extraordinary novelty and was added upon the express desire of His Majesty, who wished to convey a monarchy that, while not changing its fundamental principles and core values, is adapting to the inevitable truth that the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth are home to an increasingly diverse range of people.

This was also reflected in the extraordinary opening of the entrance procession in Westminster Abbey with leaders of different faiths and the stop that the King made before exiting the Abbey to receive a short blessing from leaders of Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions.