L’coronation May 6 it will be one of the greatest events in the modern history of the British monarchy. If few people still clearly remember the splendor of the ceremony in 1953 in honor of Elizabeth, then everyone has in mind the organizational machine that moved in September to the funeral of the sovereign and even earlier to the platinum jubilee. But unlike eight months ago, Saturday will be a joyful event, a moment of celebration not without holiness, well represented by the coronation regalia, a series of precious objects and accessories worn by the sovereign on the day of the coronation, a symbol of his secular and spiritual power. But what can we expect from this meeting with history? Which time and program of three days? Which way will the procession take? Where can you see the ceremony? Here we answer all the curiosities about Coronation Day.
Carl’s coronation: from 1953 to the present, what will change
Let’s start with the fact that, compared with the bright precedent of 1953. The ceremony at Westminster Abbey, officiated by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, will be more sober and low-key.. It will last not three hours, but only one, and will be celebrated in both English and Gaelic. It will also be more inclusive as it is multi-ethnic and multi-religious. Then women, especially dark-skinned women, will play a key role: it will be Baroness Floella Benjamin, who sits in the House of Lords, who will present the new sovereign with a scepter topped with a dove, and Lady Elizabeth Anionwu, a former nurse, will deliver an orb representing power on Earth. A special debt also goes to Baroness Valerie Amos, the first black woman to be awarded the Order of the Garter, who will join the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Act of Recognition when the king is presented to the congregation. A radical step forward from Elizabethan times, when these roles were filled only by white males from the British aristocracy. Unlike his mother, Carlo also wanted to reduce the number of guests, which would be “only” 2,200, but expressed his wish that the sovereigns of other countries, rather than other representatives, be present, promising to turn the Saturday event into a large assembly of the European monarchy.
Coronation of Charles: program and time of the ceremony on May 6
We come to plan, which intelligently predicts a very accurate time. Between 9.30 and 10.45, heads of state, representatives of the Commonwealth, members of government, former prime ministers, sovereigns and princes will be welcomed, who will anticipate the arrival of the royal family, who will enter last. Meanwhile, at 10:20 a.m., Charles III and Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace aboard the government’s Diamond Jubilee bus to Westminster, crossing the wide tree-lined Mall to Admiralty Arch, continuing on to Trafalgar Square and then along Whitehall to Parliament Square. . The royal procession will arrive at 10.53, and at 11 the ceremony will begin, which will be divided into six parts: recognition, oath, chrismation, investiture, coronation, enthronement and tribute. The decisive moment will be the laying on of the crown of St. Edward on the head of the king, who will wear it only and exclusively on this occasion, in front of the Imperial State Crown. This will be followed by a tribute to the Prince of Wales and the coronation of Queen Camilla, who will wear a redesigned crown of Queen Mary. At 13 o’clock the sovereign will leave and together with his wife will return to the palace. At 1:45 p.m., he will inspect his soldiers, and an hour later, at 2:45 p.m., he will appear from the balcony, along with working members of the royal family, to greet the crowd and the passage of RAF planes.
Sunday 7 May
The celebrations will continue on Sunday 7 May with a highly anticipated coronation concert similar to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration, but this time outside of Windsor Castle. Long awaited performances by Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie and Take That. The concert will also feature an orchestra and a troupe of dancers, as well as The Coronation Choir, which will include local choir members from across the country, including refugees, people with hearing disabilities, NHS workers and members of the LGBTQ community. . Meanwhile, millions of people will take to the streets of the country to take part in the Grand Coronation Dinner, a series of initiatives in the Kingdom’s gardens and parks that Camilla has been patron of since 2013.
Monday, May 8
The third and final day of the celebration is scheduled for Monday, May 8, which will be a public holiday on this occasion. It will be a day entirely dedicated to charitable and volunteer initiatives, collected under the name “Great Help”.
Where to watch the coronation ceremony
In Italy, you will be able to follow Saturday’s ceremony live from 8:30 am on channel 31 and on Sky News, channel 522. In addition, you can follow Special Tg1 on Rai Uno from 11:45 am to 3:00 pm: thirty; Ranews with information windows throughout the day; Canale 5 with a special edition of Verissimo in collaboration with Tg5, broadcast from 10:45 to 15:45; SkyTg24, with a special broadcast from 11:00 to 14:30; La7, from Mentana Marathon from 9.40 to 13.30. The coronation of King Charles III can also be watched live: on the RaiPlay platform, on mediasetinfinity.it, on la7.it and on skytg24.it.
In anticipation of the long weekend that awaits all royal drug addicts, we celebrate an interesting documentary Charles III King of England by German director Julia Melchior, available online free of charge and with Italian subtitles on the arte.tv streaming platform (find here). A documentary that reveals a complex personality, missed opportunities to modernize the crown, and the future challenges of the “late king”, crowned at the age of 74 after the life of the eternal heir to the throne.
Source: Elle