LONDON (Realist English). Charles III is considered King of Britain, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth countries since September 2022, but the coronation ceremony took place only on May 6 of this year. Its important components are the king’s oath of allegiance to the rule of law, the Protestant denomination and the Church of England, as well as the anointing of the monarch to the kingdom by means of a specially made holy oil.
The editorial board of The Guardian questions the meaning of the coronation ceremony:
“What is this weekend’s coronation for? It will not make Charles III the king. He is that already. He became king when his mother died last year, and after a smoothly performed and sensibly low-key accession process. The line of succession is also firmly set….. It seems gratuitous to be paying £250m for a coronation during a cost of living crisis. “
Over the coming weekend, everything will revolve around this church service, in which Charles will swear to defend the Protestant religion, will be anointed with oil and will swear to make Britain a “holy people” under his “royal priesthood”… Yet modern Britain is not a holy nation. Nor is it even a largely Protestant one.”
The article in the British newspaper notes that the coronation will not affect the king’s ability to fulfill his constitutional role as head of the British state.:
“Nor will the coronation make any difference to the king’s ability to carry out his constitutional role as Britain’s head of state. It will confer no new power on him. He already gives his assent to laws. The coronation no longer provides a platform to parade an imperial reach, as that of Elizabeth II, attended by more than 50 senior representatives of Britain’s possessions and Commonwealth nations, emphatically still sought to. It will not be a celebration of Britain’s global military and naval clout, which earlier coronations also were. Those days have gone, and good riddance.
The coronation of Charles III took place on May 6 and gathered about 2 thousand VIP guests. This is four times less than the coronation of Elizabeth II. The festivities last for three days, including Monday, which has been announced as a weekend, and will also include a concert with the participation of stars.
On September 8, 202, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain died in Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 97. She remained at the head of state longer than any other ruler in British history. The new monarch became her eldest son, Prince Charles of Wales, who took the name Charles III.