Category Archives: British Royals

Royal News Recap – The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

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Chairs of Estate and Throne Chairs

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Throne Chair of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

In addition to the Coronation Chair, used for the actual crowning of the Sovereign, there are other chairs used during the Coronation Ceremony. For the majority of the service, the Sovereign and Consort are seated in Chairs of Estate, which are placed on the south side of the sanctuary. The Sovereign is crowned in the Coronation Chair and then moves to a Throne Chair (also known as a Chair of State). After the Queen Consort is crowned, she then moves to a similar Throne Chair beside the King.

Typically, both the Chairs of Estate and Throne Chairs are made new for each coronation. However, it has been announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will use chairs already in the Royal Collection. They will use Chairs of Estate made for the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and Throne Chairs made for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the King’s grandparents).

Chairs of Estate

The Chair of Estate of King Charles III. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Chair of Estate of Queen Camilla. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Chairs of Estate are placed on the south side of the sanctuary, and are used by the Sovereign and Consort for the majority of the Coronation Service. For the 2023 Coronation, King Charles and Queen Camilla are using the Chairs of Estate made for the 1953 Coronation of the King’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Although only one was used at the 1953 Coronation, a second chair was made for Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. This is the one that will be used by Queen Camilla. Following the 1953 coronation, the Chairs of Estate were moved to Buckingham Palace, where they were displayed on the dais in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace. On either side of them were the Chairs of Estate of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and King George V and Queen Mary. Prior to the coronation of George V in 1911, it was customary that the Chairs of Estate were sold to people who had attended the event.

Throne Chairs (Chairs of State)

Throne Chair of King George VI, 1937. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The throne chairs are placed on a dais behind the Coronation Chair. Following the crowning, the Sovereign moves to the Throne Chair, where the homage is received. A second Throne Chair is located on the dais, usually one or two steps lower, for the Queen Consort.

For the 2023 Coronation, King Charles and Queen Camilla are using the Throne Chairs made for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The chairs have been updated with new material, featuring the cyphers of the new King and Queen.

Throne Chair of King Edward VII, 1902. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Throne Chair of Queen Elizabeth II (pictured at the top of this article) is displayed in the Garter Throne Room at Windsor Castle. Those of King George V and Queen Mary are at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, and those of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra are in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace.

Throne Chair of King George V, 1911. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

 

Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place at Westminster Abbey in London, England on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 11:00 AM British Time.

Westminster Abbey; Photo Credit – By Σπάρτακος – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26334184

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The Procession

The Diamon Jubilee State Coach; Credit – By Grahamedown – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9426700

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey in a procession that started from Buckingham Palace. They arrived in the 2014 Diamond Jubilee State Coach and returned to Buckingham Palace in the 1762 Gold State Coach.

Credit – Time Out

The procession route was only 1.3 miles. The same route was used for the return trip to Buckingham Palace. The route is the normal route royals use to get to Westminster Abbey: leaving Buckingham Palace through the Centre Gate, and proceeding down The Mall, passing through Admiralty Arch and south of King Charles I Island, down Whitehall and along Parliament Street, around the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary, arriving at Westminster Abbey.

Queen Elizabeth II had somewhat the same route to the Abbey with a small .3-mile addition but had a five-mile return trip. On the map above, Charles’ route to and from is in red, Elizabeth’s route to the Abbey is in light blue and her route back to Buckingham Palace is in dark blue. Elizabeth’s route allowed for people to stand on 5.3 miles of street while Charles’ route allowed for people to stand on only 1.3 miles of street.

Participants

One of King Charles III’s grandchildren and three of Queen Camilla’s grandchildren and one of her great-nephews participated.

King Charles III was attended by four pages of honour:

Queen Camilla was attended by four pages of honour:

  • Gus Lopes, the Queen’s grandson, son of her daughter Laura Lopes
  • Louis Lopes, the Queen’s grandson, son of her daughter Laura Lopes
  • Frederick Parker Bowles, the Queen’s grandson, son of her son Tom Parker Bowles
  • Arthur Elliot, the Queen’s great-nephew, son of her nephew Ben Elliot

In addition, Queen Camilla had two Ladies in Attendance:

Some Peers of the Realm carried standards, banners, and the coronation regalia in the procession and/or presented regalia during the coronation. Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of England is the most senior peer in the Peerage of England. The Earl Marshal is a hereditary royal officeholder. The Dukes of Norfolk have held the office since 1672. The Earl Marshal organizes major ceremonial state occasions such as the monarch’s coronation and state funerals. He is also the leading officer of arms, oversees the College of Arms, and is the sole judge of the High Court of Chivalry.

Peers of the Realm Who Participated in the Coronation

Armed Forces Who Participated in the Coronation

  • General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff, carried the Queen’s sceptre
  • Cadet Warrant Officer Elliott Tyson-Lee, carried the Union Flag
  • Petty Officer Amy Taylor, carried the Jewelled Sword of Offering

Others Who Participated in the Coronation

Penny Mordaunt memorably bore the heavy Sword of State throughout the coronation.

  • Penny Mordaunt, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, presented the Jewelled Sword of Offering and carried the Sword of State
  • Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington, Lord Great Chamberlain, presented the Golden Spurs
  • Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, presented The Queen Consort’s Rod
  • John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, presented the Sovereign’s Orb
  • Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, presented the Bible
  • Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, presented the Sceptre with Cross
  • Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, presented the Sceptre with Dove
  • John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh, Usher of the White Rod

The Coronation Ceremony

King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned in Westminster Abbey in London in a service conducted by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster with other clergy participating.

Read about the British coronation regalia at the links below:

The Coronation Theatre; Credit – Westminster Abbey

Like many other Christian churches, Westminster Abbey is built in the shape of a cross. The space where coronations happen, called the Coronation Theatre, is at the point at which the two parts of the cross meet, at the very center of Westminster Abbey, directly in front of the High Altar. It is here that the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, also called St. Edward’s Chair and King Edward’s Chair, on which the monarch sits for the majority of the service, is placed, facing the High Altar.

The coronation involves six basic stages based on the coronation service written by Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury used in 973 for the coronation of Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture/the crowning, the enthronement, and the homage.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s coronation service was shorter than coronations in the past. The Coronation Liturgy for the coronation (link below) followed the six basic stages but the text of the service was quite different from the text of past coronations, and there were some changes from past coronations and some modern additions.

St. Edward’s Crown; Credit – By Firebrace – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116459012

King Charles III was crowned with the traditional St. Edward’s Crown and Queen Camilla was  crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown, first worn by King Charles’ great-grandmother Queen Mary when she was crowned as Queen Consort with her husband King George V in 1911.

Coronation Music

Credit – https://www.royal.uk/coronation-music-westminster-abbey

The music at the coronation of King Charles III, who was very much involved in the music selection, featured twelve new orchestral, choral, and organ pieces commissioned for the coronation including a coronation anthem based on Psalm 98 by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd Webber. One of the liturgical sections of the ceremony was performed in Welsh in tribute to King Charles III’s long tenure as Prince of Wales. At King Charles III’s request, Greek Orthodox music was included in tribute to his late father Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, born a Greek prince.

I Was Glad, with text from Psalm 122, has been sung at the entrance of the monarch at every coronation since that of King Charles I in 1626. Sir Hubert Parry wrote a setting of the psalm for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. It was also used for the coronations of King George V, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II, and King Charles III.

At the coronation of every monarch since the coronation of King James II in 1685, the King’s (or Queen’s) Scholars of the Westminster School have had the privilege of acclaiming the monarch by shouting “Vivat” during the monarch’s procession from the Quire of Westminster Abbey towards the Coronation Theatre in front of the High Altar. The Vivat was incorporated into Sir Hubert Parry’s anthem I Was Glad, at the end. The Latin version of the names is used, and so “Vivat, Rex! / Vivat, Rex Carolus! / Vivat! Vivat! Vivat!” and “Vivat, Regina! / Vivat, Regina Camilla! / Vivat! Vivat! Vivat!” was heard.

In 1727, George Frederic Handel composed four coronation anthems for the coronation of King George II and his wife Queen Caroline. One of the anthems, Zadok the Priest, has been played at every British coronation since the coronation of King George II in 1727, traditionally performed just prior to the sovereign’s anointing, including the coronation of King Charles III.

Zadok the Priest is the most famous of the anthems and is every bit as rousing as Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from the oratorio The Messiah. The text of Zadok the Priest comes from the biblical account of the anointing of King Solomon of ancient Israel by Zadok, the High Priest of Israel and the prophet Nathan, and the rejoicing of the Israelites. These words have been used in every English coronation since that of King Edgar the Peaceful at Bath Abbey in 973.

From 1 Kings 1:34-45:

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king.
And all the people rejoiced and said:
God save the King! Long live the King! God save the King!
May the King live forever. Amen. Hallelujah.

The Coronation Liturgy

Liturgy information is from THE AUTHORISED LITURGY FOR THE CORONATION RITE OF
HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES III for use on Saturday 6th May 2023, 11:00am at Westminster Abbey. Commissioned and Authorised by The Most Reverend & Right Honourable Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury. The liturgy can be seen at the link below along with an excellent and informative commentary.

The Procession of The King & The Queen: As King Charles III and Queen Camilla entered Westminster Abbey, I Was Glad by Sir Hubert Parry was sung by the choir.

Greeting The King: A  young person (a Chapel Royal chorister) greeted King Charles III, saying:
“Your Majesty, as children of the Kingdom of God we welcome you in the name of the King of Kings”. King Charles III responded: “In his name, and after his example, I come not to be served but to serve.”

Silent Prayer: King Charles III stood at his Chair of Estate, head bowed, in a moment of silent prayer.

Greeting and Introduction: Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury started the service with a blessing of God’s love, grace and presence for all who gathered in God’s name.

Kyrie eleison: Kyrie eleison, an ancient Christian prayer, is Greek for ‘Lord, have mercy’. Sir Bryn Terfel, a Welsh bass-baritone opera singer, performed Kyrie Eleison by Paul Mealor in Welsh, composed for the coronation.

The Recognition: The Archbishop of Canterbury along with Lady Elish Frances Angiolini (a Lady of the Order of the Thistle), Christopher Finney (a holder of the George Cross for bravery under friendly fire during the 2003 invasion of Iraq) and Valerie Ann Amos, Baroness Amos (a Lady of The Garter) presented King Charles III to the East, South, West, and North sides of the coronation theater. Each person said: “I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King: Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service: are you willing to do the same?” Each time, the congregation responded, “God save King Charles.”

The Presentation of the Bible: Dr. Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, presented the Bible to King Charles III saying, “Sir: to keep you ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, receive this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; This is the royal Law; These are the lively Oracles of God.”

The Oath: The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “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?” King Charles III replied, “I am willing. King Charles III placed his hand on the Bible, and the Archbishop administered the Oath, saying, “Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, your other Realms and the Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?” King Charles III responded, “I solemnly promise so to do.” The Archbishop said, “Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgements? King Charles III responded, “I will.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Will you to the utmost of your power to maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain inthe United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?” King Charles III responded, “All this I promise to do. The things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep. So help me God.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Your Majesty, are you willing to make, subscribe and declare to the statutory Accession Declaration Oath?” King Charles III responded, “I am willing.”

King Charles III said, “I Charles do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.”

During the signing of the Oath, the choir sang the anthem Prevent Us, O Lord by William Byrd.

The King’s Prayer: King Charles III said, “God of compassion and mercy whose Son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and conviction, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Gloria: The choir sang Gloria from Mass for Four Voices by William Byrd.

Collect: The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Let us pray. Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour: look with favour upon thy servant Charles our King, and bestow upon him such gifts of wisdom and love that we and all thy people may live in peace and prosperity and in loving service one to another, to thine eternal glory; who with the Father and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”

The Epistle: The Prime Minister The Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak, MP read the Epistle of St. Paul Colossians 1: 9-17: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

The Prime Minister: This is the word of the Lord.
Congregation: Thanks be to God.

The Ascension Gospel Choir sang Sung Alleluia Psalm 47:1-2 by Debbie Wiseman

The Gospel: Dame Sarah Mullally,Bishop of London, Dean of HM Chapels Royal read the gospel according to Luke 4:16-21: ”

Dame Sarah Mullally: The Lord be with you
Congregation: And with thy spirit.
Dame Sarah Mullally: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Dame Sarah Mullally Glory be to thee, O Lord.

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Dame Sarah Mullally: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Congregation: Praise be to thee, O Christ.

The Ascension Gospel Choir sang Sung Alleluia Psalm 47:6-7 Debbie Wiseman

Sermon: Given by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

The choir sang Veni Creator (Come Creator Spirit), Plainsong, mode VIII

Thanksgiving for the Holy Oil: The Archbishop of Canterbury was presented with the coronation oil, by The Most Reverend Dr Hosam Naoum, The Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem. The Archbishop said, “Blessed art thou, Sovereign God, upholding with thy grace all who are called to thy service. Thy prophets of old anointed priests and kings to serve in thy name and in the fullness of time thine only Son was anointed by the Holy Spirit to be the Christ, the Saviour and Servant of all. By the power of the same Spirit, grant that this holy oil may be for thy servant Charles a sign of joy and gladness; that as King he may know the abundance of thy grace and the power of thy mercy, and that we may be made a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for thine own possession. Blessed be God, our strength and our salvation, now and for ever. Amen.

The Anointing: During the Annointing the choir sang Zadok the Priest by George Frederic Handel. The Anointing was done in private. The Annointing screen was arranged around the Coronation Chair where King Charles III sat. The Dean of Westminster poured oil from the ampulla into the spoon and the Archbishop of Canterbury anointed the King on hands, breast, and head, and said, “Be your hands anointed with holy oil. Be your breast anointed with holy oil. Be your head anointed with holy oil, as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, so may you be anointed, blessed, and consecrated King over the peoples, whom the Lord your God has given you to rule and govern; in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The clergy returned to the High Altar. The Annointing screen was removed to the St. Edward the Confessor Shrine behind the High Altar. King Charles III moved to the faldstool in front of the High Altar, and knelt. The Archbishopof Canterbury said ‘Oil of Gladness’ prayer of blessing: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who by his Father was anointed with the Oil of gladness above his fellows, by his holy Anointing pour down upon your Head and Heart the blessing of the Holy Spirit, and prosper the works of your Hands: that by the assistance of his heavenly grace you may govern and preserve the People committed to your charge in wealth, peace, and godliness; and after a long and glorious course of ruling a temporal kingdom wisely, justly, and religiously, you may at last be made partaker of an eternal kingdom, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

King Charles III was vested in the Colobium, Sindonis, Supertunica and Girdle.

The Presentation of Regalia:

The Spurs: The Spurs were brought forward from the altar by the Dean of Westminster and handed to The Lord Great Chamberlain. The Lord Great Chamberlain approached The King, and presented the regalia. The King acknowledgesdthem. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive these spurs, symbols of honour and courage. May you be a brave advocate for those in need.” The spurs were returned to the altar.

The Sword: During Exchange of Swords, a Greek choir sang Psalm 72 (Psalm 71 in the Greek Septuagint Psalter) in honor of The King’s late father The Duke of Edinburgh who was born a Prince of Greece.

The Jewelled Sword was presented to The Lord President of the Council in its scabbard and passed to the Archbishop of Canterbury who held it up before the altar. The Archbishop said, “Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee, and so direct and support thy servant King Charles, that he may not bear the Sword in vain; but may use it as the minister of God to resist evil and defend the good, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” The Archbishop returned the sword to The Lord President and it was carried to the King. The sword was placed in the King’s right hand. The Archbishop said, “Receive this kingly Sword. May it be to you, and to all who witness these things, a sign and symbol not of judgement, but of justice; not of might, but of mercy. Trust always in the word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with him in the life which is to come. Amen. The King stood, the sword was clipped on the girdle, and the King sat.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the holy Church of God and all people of goodwill, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order: that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue; and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with him in the life which is to come. Amen.”

The King stood, the sword was unclipped and The King stepped forward and offered the sword to the Dean of Westminster, who placed it on the altar. The sword was redeemed from the altar by The Lord President of the Council, who placed the redemption money on the almsdish, held by the Dean of Westminster. The sword was handed to the Lord President of the Council, who carried it thereafter before The King.

The Armills: The Armills were taken from the altar and given to Lord Kamall by the Dean of Westminster. Lord Kamall approached The King, and presented the regalia. The King
acknowledged them. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive the Bracelets of sincerity and
wisdom, tokens of God’s protection embracing you on every side.” The Armills were returned to the altar.

The Robe and Stole Royal: The Prince of Wales entered the Coronation Theatre. The Stole Royal and Robe Royal were brought to The King. The Bishop of Durham vested the King in the Stole Royal. Baroness Merron with The Prince of Wales and Assisting Bishops clothed The King in the Robe. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive this Robe. May the Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness, and with the garments of salvation.”

The Orb: The Dean of Westminster gave the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh the Orb, who brought the Orb to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who placed it in the King’s right hand.
The Archbishop said, “Receive this Orb, set under the Cross, and remember always the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.” The Orb was retrieved by The Archbishop of Armagh, who gives it to the Dean, who places it back on the altar.

The Ring: The Ring was taken from the altar and given to The Lord Patel, KT, by the Dean of Westminster. Lord Patel approached The King, and presented the Ring. The King acknowledged it. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive this Ring, a symbol of kingly dignity, and a sign of the covenant sworn this day between God and King, King and people.” The Ring was returned to the altar.

The Glove: The Glove was taken from the altar and given to The Lord Singh of
Wimbledon by the Dean of Westminster. Lord Singh approached The King, and presented the ring. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive this glove. May you hold authority with gentleness and grace, trusting not in your own power but in the mercy of God who has chosen you.” The King picked up the glove and placed it on his right hand.

The Sceptre and Rod: The Sceptre and Rod were taken from the altar and given to The Archbishop of Wales and The Primus of Scotland by the Dean of Westminster. The Archbishop of Canterbury delivered them into The King’s right and left hands respectively. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive the Royal Sceptre, the ensign of kingly power and justice; and the Rod of equity and mercy, a symbol of covenant and peace. May the Spirit of the Lord which anointed Jesus at his baptism, so anoint you this day, that you might exercise authority with wisdom, and direct your counsels with grace; that by your service and ministry to all your people, justice and mercy may be seen in all the earth: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Crowning: The Dean of Westminster brought The Crown of St Edward to The Archbishop of Canterbury who said the prayer of blessing: “King of kings and Lord of lords, bless, we beseech thee, this Crown, and so sanctify thy servant Charles upon whose head this day thou dost place it for a sign of royal majesty, that he may be crowned with thy gracious favour and filled with abundant grace and all princely virtues; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, supreme over all things, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Archbishop of Canterbury brought the crown down onto The King’s head and said, “God save The King!” The congregation said, “God save The King!”

Fanfare: The Wiener Philharmoniker Fanfare by Richard Strauss was played and the the Abbey bells rang for 2 minutes. A fanfare was sounded followed by a Gun Salute by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery stationed at Horse Guards Parade. There were Gun Salutes at His Majesty’s Fortress the Tower of London fired by the Honourable Artillery Company, and at all Saluting Stations throughout the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Bermuda, and Ships at Sea.

The Blessing: The Archbishop of York said,”The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you his peace.”

The Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Thyateira & Great Britain said, “The Lord protect you in all your ways and prosper all your work in his name.”

The Moderator of The Free Churches said, “The Lord give you hope and happiness, that you may inspire all your people in the imitation of his unchanging love.”

The Secretary General of Churches Together in England said, “The Lord grant that wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the fear of the Lord your treasure.”

The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster said, “May God pour upon you the riches of his grace, keep you in his holy fear, prepare you for a happy eternity, and receive you at the last into immortal glory.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “…and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen.”

The choir sang the anthem O Lord, grant the king a long life by Thomas Weelkes.

Enthronment The King: King Charles III was set upon the throne. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth this seat of royal dignity, which is yours by the authority of Almighty God. May that same God, whose throne endures for ever, establish your throne in righteousness, that it may stand fast for evermore.”

The Homage of The Church of England: The Archbishop led the words of fealty: “I, Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you,
our Sovereign Lord, Defender of the Faith, and unto your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

The Homage of Royal Blood: The Prince of Wales led the words of fealty. “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.”

The Homage of The People: The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “I now invite those who wish to offer their support to do so with a moment of private reflection, by joining in saying ‘God save King Charles’ at the end, or, for those with the words before them, to recite them in full.”All who so desired, in the Abbey, and elsewhere, said together: “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”
A fanfare is played. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “God save The King.” The congregation said, “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May The King live for ever.”

The choir sang the anthem Confortare by Sir Walford Davies.

The Coronation of The Queen

The Annointing: The Dean of Westminster poured oil from the ampulla into spoon, and held the spoon for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Queen Camilla was anointed on the forehead as the
Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Be your head anointed with holy oil.” The Archbishop then said, “Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness; hear our prayer this day for thy servant Camilla, whom in thy name, and with all devotion, we consecrate our Queen. Make her strong in faith and love, defend her on every side, and guide her in truth and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Ring: The Ring was presented by The Keeper of The Jewel House to The Queen who
acknowledged it. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive this Ring, a symbol of royal
dignity, and a sign of the covenant sworn this day.” The Ring was returned to the High Altar.

The Crowning: The Dean of Westminster brought Queen Mary’s Crown from the altar and handed it to the Archbishop of Canterbury who said, “May thy servant Camilla, who wears this crown, be filled by thine abundant grace and with all princely virtues; reign in her heart, O King of love, that, being certain of thy protection, she may be crowned with thy gracious favour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” The Archbishop of Canterbury brought the crown down onto The Queen’s head.

The Rod and Sceptre: The Rod was presented to The Queen by The Bishop of Dover, and the Sceptre by Lord Chartres and she acknowledged them both. The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Receive the Royal Sceptre and the Rod of equity and mercy. May the Spirit guide you in wisdom and grace, that by your service and ministry justice and mercy may be seen in all the earth.”

Enthroning The Queen: Queen Camilla was set upon the throne as the choir sang the anthem Make a Joyful Noise by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Offertory Hymn: At the start of the communion service, the choir and congregation sang the hymn Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation.

Prayer over the Gifts: The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, these thy gifts, and sanctify them unto this holy use, that by them we may be made partakers of the Body and Blood of thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, and fed unto everlasting life of soul
and body: And that thy servant King Charles may be enabled to the discharge of his weighty office, whereunto of thy great goodness thou hast called and appointed him. Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.”

The Eucharistic Prayer:

The Archbishop of Canterbury: “The Lord be with you.”
Congregation: “And with thy spirit.”
The Archbishop: “Lift up your hearts.”
Congregation: “We lift them up unto the Lord.”
The Archbishop: “Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.”
Congregation: “It is meet and right so to do.”

The Archbishop said, “It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord; who hast at this time consecrated thy servant Charles to be our King, that, by the anointing of thy grace, he may be the Defender of thy Faith and the Protector of thy people; that, with him, we may learn the ways of service, compassion, and love,
and that the good work which thou hast begun in him this day may be brought to completion in the day of Jesus Christ. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee and saying:”

Sanctus:

All sang: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most high.”

Eucharistic Prayer continues:

The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “All glory be to thee, almighty God, our heavenly Father, who, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death, until his coming again. Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee, and grant that, by the power of thy Holy Spirit, we receiving these thy creatures of bread
and wine, according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed body and blood; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks to thee, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

The Archbishop continued, “Likewise after supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks to thee, he gave it to them, saying: Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.

Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, we thy humble servants, having in remembrance the precious death and passion of thy dear Son, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension,
entirely desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain
remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion. And although we be unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences; and to grant that all we, who are partakers of this holy communion, may be fulfilled with thy grace and
heavenly benediction; through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father almighty, world without end. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer: The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Let us pray with confidence as our
Saviour has taught us. All say: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,for ever and ever. Amen.

Agnus Dei: The choir sang Agnus Dei by Tarik O’Regan during which Holy Communion is
privately received by The King an Queen.

Prayer after Communion: The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “O Almighty Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify and govern both our hearts and bodies, in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of thy commandments; that through thy most mighty
protection,both here and ever, we may be preserved in body and soul; through our Lord and  Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.”

The Final Blessing: The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “Our help is in the Name of the Lord;Who hath made heaven and earth. Blessed be the Name of the Lord; Now and henceforth, world without end. Christ our King, make you faithful and strong to do his will, that you may reign with him in glory; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rest upon you, and all whom you serve, this day, and all your days. Amen.

Sung Amen: The choir sang a Sung Amen by Orlando Gibbons.

Hymn: The choir and congregation sang Praise my Soul by Henry Francis Lyte

Anthem: The choir sang the anthem The King Shall Rejoice by William Boyce

Te Deum: The choir sang The Coronation Te Deum by Sir William Walton

The National Anthem: The choir and congregation sang the national anthem God Save The King.

The King’s Outward Procession & Organ Voluntaries: The orgamist played Pomp & Circumstance March no 4 by Sir Edward Elgar, arranged by Iain Farrington and March from The Birds, Sir Hubert Parry, arranged by John Rutter.

Greeting Faith Leaders & Representatives and The Governors-Generals: At the end of the procession The King received a greeting by Leaders and Representatives from Faith Communities (Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist). As the King stood before the Leaders
and Representatives of the Faith Communities, they delivered the following greeting in unison.
Faith Leaders & Representatives: “Your Majesty, as neighbours in faith, we acknowledge the value of public service. We unite with people of all faiths and beliefs in thanksgiving, and in service with you for the common good.” The King acknowledged the greeting, and
turned to greet the Governors-General. The King acknowledged their greeting and proceeded to the Gold State Coach.

After the Coronation

The Imperial State Crown; Credit – By Cyril Davenport (1848 – 1941) – G. Younghusband; C. Davenport (1919). The Crown Jewels of England. London: Cassell & Co. p. 6. (See also The Jewel House (1921) frontispiece.), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37624150

King Charles III and Queen Camilla proceeded to St. Edward’s Chapel, directly behind the high altar, where the Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, King of England stands. King Charles gave St. Edward’s Crown, the Sceptre, and the Rod to the Archbishop of Canterbury who placed them on the altar in the chapel. After a short period, King Charles III emerged from St. Edward’s Chapel wearing the Imperial State Crown with the Sceptre with the Cross in his right hand and the Orb in his left hand. King Charles III and Queen Camilla, still carrying her Sceptre with the Cross in her right hand and the Ivory Rod with the Dove in her left hand, left St. Edward’s Chapel to the singing of the National Anthem and then proceeded up the aisle to the West Door of the Westminster Abbey. They returned to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach using the same route as their outgoing route.

Gold State Coach; Credit – By Crochet.david (talk) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7395195

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Guests

The Coronation Invitation designed by Andrew Jamieson, a heraldic artist and manuscript illuminator; Credit – Wikipedia

There were 8,000 guests at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Westminster Abbey was closed for five months prior to the coronation so that the construction needed for seating the 8,000 guests could be completed. However, because of current safety and health regulations, the capacity of Westminster Abbey is legally approximately 2,000.

In 1953, 800 Members of Parliament and over 900 Peers were invited to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Because of the limited space, far fewer Members of Parliament and Peers were invited to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. This change caused a stir among Peers and Members of Parliament who believed they have a right to attend. Although some Members of Parliament were invited, the spouse of the British Prime Minister and the Head of Government Rishi Sunak was the only invited spouse of a Member of Parliament. The seven living past British Prime Ministers and their spouses were also invited.

450 recipients of the British Empire Medal. attended the coronation. They were invited to join the congregation at Westminster Abbey in recognition of their services and support to their local communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Representatives from the Commonwealth of Nations and foreign dignitaries from other countries attended. First Lady Jill Biden represented her husband Joe Biden, President of the United States.

Traditionally, foreign sovereigns have not attended British coronations. Instead, members of their royal houses were sent to represent them. King Charles III broke with that tradition, and invited foreign sovereigns, and a number of them attended. All current or former royal families who were invited sent guests except for the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The following world leaders were invited but did not attend:

  • Zoran Milanović, President of Croatia was unable to attend due to a defect with the government’s plane.
  • Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia cancelled his attendance following the Belgrade school shooting.
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey, declined his invitation, as he did to Elizabeth II’s funeral, due to the upcoming presidential election.

The governments of seven countries, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Syria and Venezuela, were not invited.  Invitations were extended only to senior diplomats of North Korea and Nicaragua, and not their heads of state.

Note: This is a partial guest list. Links are from Unofficial Royalty or Wikipedia. Not all people listed have a link. A more complete list of guests can be seen at Wikipedia: List of guests at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

British Royal Family

Descendants of King Charles III

Descendants of Queen Elizabeth II

Descendants of King George VI

  • David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, the King’s maternal first cousin
  • Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, the King’s maternal first cousin once removed
  • Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the King’s maternal first cousin once removed
  • Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto, the King’s maternal first cousin and her husband
  • Samuel Chatto, the King’s maternal first cousin once removed
  • Arthur Chatto, the King’s maternal first cousin once removed

Descendants of King George V

Bowes-Lyon Family

  • Sir Simon Bowes-Lyon and Caroline Bowes-Lyon, Lady Bowes-Lyon, the King’s maternal first cousin once removed and his wife

Mountbatten Family

Shand and Parker Bowles Families

  • Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, the Queen’s former husband
  • Thomas Parker Bowles, the Queen’s son
  • Lola Parker Bowles, the Queen’s granddaughter
  • Frederick Parker Bowles, the Queen’s grandson, one of the Queen’s pages of honour
  • Laura Lopes and Harry Lopes, the Queen’s daughter and son-in-law
  • Eliza Lopes, the Queen’s granddaughter
  • Louis Lopes, the Queen’s grandson, one of the Queen’s pages of honour
  • Gus Lopes, the Queen’s grandson, one of the Queen’s pages of honour
  • Annabel Elliot, the Queen’s sister, one of the Queen’s two Ladies in Attendance
  • Sir Benjamin Elliot and Mary-Clare Elliot, the Queen’s nephew and his wife
  • Arthur Elliot, the Queen’s grandnephew, one of the Queen’s pages of honour
  • Ike Elliot, the Queen’s great-nephew
  • Alice and Luke Irwin, the Queen’s niece and her husband
  • Otis Irwin, the Queen’s great-nephew
  • Violet Irwin, the Queen’s great-niece
  • Catherine Elliot, the Queen’s niece
  • Ayesha Shand, the Queen’s niece, daughter of the Queen’s late brother

Middleton Family

Current Monarchies

Former Monarchies

Ceremonial Monarchs

United Kingdom Government Officials

Prime Ministers

Great Officers of State – England

Great Officers of State – Scotland

Officers of Arms – England

Officers of Arms – Scotland

  • Joseph Morrow, Lord Lyon King of Arms
  • Adam Bruce, Marchmont Herald
  • Liam Devlin, Rothesay Herald
  • Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw, Albany Herald Extraordinary
  • George Way of Plean, Carrick Pursuivant
  • John Stirling, Ormond Pursuivant
  • Roderick Alexander Macpherson, Unicorn Pursuivant
  • Colin Russell, Falkland Pursuivant Extraordinary
  • Professor Gillian Black, Linlithgow Pursuivant Extraordinary
  • Philip Tibbetts, March Pursuivant Extraordinary

Members of the Cabinet

Leaders of Other United Kingdom Political Parties

Members of Parliament

First Ministers of Devolved Governments

Leaders of Other Political Parties in Devolved Countries

  • Jim Allister, Leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice
  • Doug Beattie, Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
  • Alex Cole-Hamilton, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
  • Colum Eastwood, Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
  • Naomi Long, Leader of the Alliance Party
  • Douglas Ross, Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament and Leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
  • Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party

Members of Devolved Parliaments

Peers of the Realm

Other Politicians

Lord Lieutenants

Armed Forces

Civil Servants

  • David McGill, Chief Executive of the Scottish Parliament
  • Lesley Hogg, chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Assembly
  • Antonia Romeo, Clerk of the Crown in Chancery in Great Britain
  • Susanna McGibbon, His Majesty’s Procurator General and Solicitor for the Affairs of His Majesty’s Treasury

Representatives of Orders of Chivalry and Gallantry (Some representatives are listed elsewhere.)

Crown Dependencies

British Overseas Territories

Commonwealth Realms

Antigua and Barbuda

  • Sir Rodney Williams, Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, and his wife Lady Sandra Williams
  • Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, and his wife Maria Bird-Browne
  • Paula Frederick-Hunte, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Governor-General
  • Atlee Rodney, Commissioner of Police of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda
  • Dale Mercury, Aide-de-Camp to the Governor-General and Assistant Superintendent of Police
  • Ickford Roberts, Accountant General
  • Laurie Freeland Roberts, Registrar in the Civil Registry
  • Bernard Warner, Field Officer at the Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disabilities
  • Kiz Johnson, Senator, carried the flag of Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

  • General David Hurley, Governor-General of Australia, and his wife Linda Hurley
  • Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, and his partner Jodie Haydon
  • Margaret Beazley, Governor of New South Wales
  • Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria
  • Jeannette Young, Governor of Queensland
  • Christopher Dawson, Governor of Western Australia
  • Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia
  • Barbara Baker, Governor of Tasmania
  • Leanne Benjamin, retired Principal Dancer for the Royal Ballet
  • Nicholas Cave, singer, songwriter, actor, novelist, and screenwriter
  • Jasmine Coe, artist and the creator and curator of Coe Gallery
  • Adam Hills, comedian, presenter, writer, and disability rights advocate
  • Daniel Nour, founder of Street Side Medics
  • Yasmin Poole, public speaker, board director, and youth advocate
  • Emily Regan, London-based nurse who worked for the National Health Service
  • Minette Salmon, studying for a PhD in Genomic Medicine and Statistics
  • Claire Spencer, arts leader and the inaugural CEO of the Barbican Centre
  • Merryn Voysey, Associate Professor of Statistics in Vaccinology at the Oxford Vaccine Group
  • Corporal Daniel Keighran, recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia
  • Corporal Mark Donaldson, recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia
  • Warrant Officer Class Two Keith Payne, recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Richard Joyes, recipient of the Australian Cross of Valour
  • Yvonne Kenny, soprano
  • Samantha Kerr, football (soccer) player, carried the flag of Australia

The Bahamas

Belize

  • Dame Froyla Tzalam, Governor-General of Belize, and her husband Daniel Mendez
  • Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Technology
  • Cameron Gegg, finance professional, carried the flag of Belize

Canada

  • Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, and her husband Whit Fraser
  • Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
  • Janice Charette, Clerk to the Privy Council of Canada and Secretary to the Cabinet
  • RoseAnne Archibald, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations
  • Natan Obed, President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
  • Cassidy Caron, President of the Métis National Council
  • Sarah Mazhero, member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council
  • Christina Caouette, CEO of Young Diplomats of Canada
  • Rebeccah Raphael, founder of Halifax Helpers
  • Marguerite Tölgyesi, President of the French-Canadian Youth Federation
  • Maryam Tsegaye, winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
  • Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons, Canadian Space Agency astronaut
  • Margaret MacMillan, member of the Order of Merit and companion of the Order of Canada
  • Leslie Arthur Palmer, recipient of the Canadian Cross of Valour
  • Colonel Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency astronaut, carried the flag of Canada

Grenada

  • Dame Cécile La Grenade, Governor-General of Grenada
  • Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada
  • Kisha Abba Grant, High Commissioner for Grenada to the United Kingdom
  • Sergeant Major Johnson Beharry, Victoria Cross recipient
  • Afy Fletcher, athlete
  • Lindon Victor, athlete
  • Lance Sergeant Chen Charles, carried the flag of Grenada

Jamaica

  • Sir Patrick Allen, Governor-General of Jamaica, and his wife Lady Patricia Allen
  • David Salmon, 2023 Rhodes scholar, carried the flag of Jamaica

New Zealand

  • Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, and her husband Richard Davies
  • Chris Hipkins, Prime Minister of New Zealand
  • Phil Goff, High Commissioner for New Zealand to the United Kingdom
  • Christopher Luxon, Leader of the Opposition
  • Sir Tom Marsters, King’s Representative in the Cook Islands, and Lady Tuaine Marsters
  • Richie McCaw, Order of New Zealand representative
  • Willie Apiata, Victoria Cross for New Zealand representative
  • Abdul Aziz, New Zealand Cross representative
  • Dame Naida Glavish, former President of the Māori Party and
  • Lorraine Toki, Māori advocate
  • Ben Appleton, kaiāwhina and director of Ngāti Rānana
  • Sarah Smart, UK general manager of The Dairy Collective
  • Craig Fenton, 2023 UK New Zealander of the Year
  • Rebecca Scown, former Olympic rower and CEO of Youth Experience in Sport
  • Rhieve Grey, graduate student and 2021 Rhodes scholar
  • Sergeant Hayden Smith, carried the flag of New Zealand

Papua New Guinea

  • Sir Bob Dadae, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, and his wife Lady Dadae
  • Koni Iguan, Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea
  • Justin Tkatchenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs and his wife Savannah Tkatchenko
  • Rainbo Paita, Minister for Finance and National Planning
  • Taies Sansan, Secretary for the Department of Personnel Management
  • Gisuwat Mangere Siniwin, former Vice Minister of Education and MP for Nawae
  • Noel Leana, acting Chief of State Protocol, carried the flag of Papua New Guinea

Saint Kitts and Nevis

  • Dame Marcella Liburd, Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Hyleta Liburd, Deputy Governor-General for Nevis
  • Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis
  • Denzil Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Naeemah Hazelle, permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office
  • Christine Walwyn, Diaspora Ambassador
  • Thouvia France, Protocol Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Saint Lucia

Solomon Islands

  • Sir David Vunagi, Governor-General of the Solomon Islands, and his wife Lady Vunagi
  • Moses Kouni Mose, High Commissioner for the Solomon Islands to the United Kingdom
  • Jeremiah Manele, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade

Tuvalu

Other Commonwealth Countries

Foreign Dignitaries

Heads of State

Governmental Representatives Representing the Head of State

Diplomats Representing the Head of State

  • Javier Esteban Figueroa, Argentinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Susana Herrera Quezada, Chilean Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Teferi Melesse Desta, Ethiopian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • José Alberto Briz Gutiérrez, Guatemalan Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Euvrard Saint Amand, Haitian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Iván Romero Martínez, Honduran Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Desra Percaya, Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Josefa González Blanco Ortiz Mena, Mexican Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Hakim Hajoui, Moroccan Ambassador to the United Kingdom
  • Ahmed Albably, Consul at the Yemeni Embassy in the United Kingdom

International Organizations

Religious Leaders

Church of England

  • Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England
  • Tosin Oladipo, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, carried the Primatial Cross of Canterbury
  • Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York and Primate of England
  • Dr Jenny Wright, Chaplain to The Archbishop of York, carried the Primatial Cross of York
  • Adrian Daffern, Chaplain Extraordinary to the Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London and Dean of His Majesty’s Chapels Royal
  • Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham
  • Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells
  • Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich
  • Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford
  • David Hoyle MBE, Dean of Westminster
  • David Stanton, Sub-Dean and Canon Treasurer
  • Anthony Ball, Canon Rector
  • Dr James Hawkey, Canon Theologian and Almoner
  • Tricia Hillas, Canon Steward and Archdeacon of Westminster and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons
  • Mark Birch MVO, Minor Canon and Precentor
  • Robert Latham, Minor Canon and Sacrist
  • Ralph Godsall, Acting Minor Canon
  • Paul Baumann CBE, Receiver General of Westminster Abbey
  • Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE, High Bailiff and Searcher of the Sanctuary of Westminster Abbey
  • Canon Paul Wright LVO, Sub-Dean of His Majesty’s Chapels Royal
  • Professor David Fergusson OBE, Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland and Dean of the Thistle
  • David Conner KCVO, Dean of Windsor

Church of Scotland

Roman Catholic Church

Other Christian Denominations

  • Nikitas Loulias, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain
  • Hosam Naoum, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem
  • Helen Cameron, Moderator of the Free Churches Group
  • Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary of Churches Together in England

Other Religions

  • Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth
  • Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews
  • Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Thera, Head Priest of the London Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain
  • Malcolm Deboo, President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe

Royal Household

The King’s Household

  • Sir Anthony Johnstone-Burt, Master of the Household
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Vernon, Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office
  • Jo Churchill, Vice Chamberlain of the Household
  • Marcus Jones, Treasurer of the Household
  • Rebecca Harris, Comptroller of the Household
  • James Newcome, Bishop of Carlisle, Clerk of the Closet
  • Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, Lord High Almoner
  • Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Thompson, Groom of the Robes
  • Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to His Majesty
  • Sir Edward Young, Joint Principal Private Secretary to The King
  • Sir Clive Alderton, Principal Private Secretary to The King and Queen
  • Tim Knox, Director of the Royal Collection
  • Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave, Secretary of the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
  • Sarah Clarke, Lady Usher of the Black Rod
  • Paul Whybrew, Sergeant at Arms
  • Richard Thompson, Sergeant at Arms
  • Francis Dymoke, The Honourable The King’s Champion and bearer of the Royal Standard
  • Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Resident Governor of the Tower of London and Keeper of the Jewel House

The Queen’s Household

  • Sophie Densham, Private Secretary to The Queen
  • Major Oliver Plunket, Groom of the Robes to the Queen
  • Carlyn Chisholm, Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, Queen’s Companion
  • Lady Sarah Keswick, Queen’s Companion
  • Lady Brooke, Queen’s Companion and Sir Francis Brooke Baronet, His Majesty’s Representative at Ascot
  • Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and Queen’s Companion (the King’s second cousin), and her husband Peter Troughton
  • Jane von Westenholz, Queen’s Companion

Queen Elizabeth II’s Household

Notable Guests

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Unofficial Royalty’s Coronation Articles

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Order of Service for the Coronation of the British Monarch

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English Stained glass at Bath Abbey; Credit – By Jules & Jenny from Lincoln, UK https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71397822

The coronation of the British monarch has its roots in the Kings of Wessex and the early Anglo-Saxon Kings of the English being installed on the Kings’ Stone or Coronation Stone which can still be seen in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England.

Coronation Stone in Kingston-upon-Thames, England; Credit – By Hellodavey1902 Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94084918

For the coronation of Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English in 973, Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury felt there was a need for a major ceremony similar to the coronations of the King of the Franks and the German Emperor. Although Edgar probably had a ceremony at Kingston-on-Thames, a coronation using Dunstan’s order of service was held for Edgar at Bath Abbey in Bath, England on May 11, 973. Since then, the main elements of the British coronation service and the form of the oath taken by the sovereign can be traced to the order of service devised by Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Although the coronation service, which takes place within the service for Holy Communion, has had translations, revisions, and modifications over the centuries, the sequence of taking an oath, anointing, investing of regalia, crowning, and enthronement found in the Anglo-Saxon original text has remained constant. The coronation involves six basic stages based on the coronation service written by Saint Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury used in 973 for King Edgar: The recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture/the crowning, the enthronement, and the homage.

What follows below is the basic order of service based upon past coronations. For more information, see the complete Orders of Service and the Unofficial Royaly articles for the last two coronations, linked below. In addition, after the sections dealing with the stages of the Coronation, there are short YouTube videos showing that stage from Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation.

The Order of Service released by the Church of England on April 29, 2023, for coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla follows the six basic stages listed above but the text of the service is quite different from the text of past coronations. There have also been some changes in the Order of Service for King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla’s coronation. For instance, Prince William, The Prince of Wales will be the only Prince of Blood Royal to do the Homage. You can see the order of service for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the following link:

Coronation of a King and Queen Consort

Coronation of a Monarch

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The Recognition

The Recognition of King George VI, 1937

The Recognition involves the presentation of the monarch to the people and dates back to ancient practices of the Witan, the king’s council of England during the Anglo-Saxon period. The Garter Principal King of Arms, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord High Constable, and the Earl Marshal all go to the east, south, west, and north of the coronation theatre. On each side of the coronation theatre, the Archbishop of Canterbury calls for the recognition of the monarch, with the words:

“Sirs, I here present unto you [name], your undoubted King/Queen. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same?” The People reply each time, “God Save King/Queen [name].”

The Oath

King Edward VII swearing the Oath, 1902

The monarch sits in the Chair of Estate. The Chairs of Estate for the monarch and queen consort, if there is one, are placed on the south side of the coronation theatre. These chairs are used during the first part of the service, before the monarch’s anointing and crowning. In the Oath, the monarch makes a series of promises: to reign according to the law, to exercise justice with mercy, and to maintain the Church of England. The Oath is administered by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The monarch proceeds to the altar and solemnly swears the Oath with his/her right hand on the Bible. Afterward, he/she kisses the Bible and signs the Oath.

Below is the Oath King Edgar took in 973, followed by the Oath Queen Elizabeth II took in 1953. Although Queen Elizabeth II’s Oath is longer, similar themes are obvious.

King Edgar’s 973 Oath

In the name of the Holy Trinity, I promise three things to the Christian people subject to me:

  • Firstly, that God’s church and all the Christian people of my dominions will be held in true peace
  • Secondly, I forbid robbery and all unlawful deeds by all ranks of men.
  • Thirdly, I promise and command justice and mercy in all judgments, in order that the gracious and merciful lord, who liveth and reigneth, may thereby forgive us all through his everlasting mercy.

Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953  Oath

The Archbishop of Canterbury asked The Queen these questions to which she responded, “I will.”

  • Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?
  • Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?
  • Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel?
  • Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law?
  • Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England?
  • And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?

The Anointing

The canopy is placed over Queen Elizabeth II for the anointing, 1953

During the most sacred part of the coronation, the monarch is anointed, blessed, and consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The choir sings Veni, Creator Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit).

After some prayers, the choir sings one of the Coronation Anthems by George Frideric Handel, the rousing Zadok the Priest. Written for and first performed at the coronation of King George II, it has been sung at every coronation ever since. The words, taken from the Old Testament, are: “Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king; and all the people rejoiced and said: God save the king, Long live the king, May the king live forever. Amen. Hallelujah.”

During the singing of Zadok the Priest, the monarch is disrobed of his/her crimson robe, and as the anthem ends, the monarch is seated on the Coronation Chair, also called St. Edward’s Chair and King Edward’s Chair.

You can see a concert performance of Zadok the Priest with orchestra and choir at the link below.

Four Knights of the Garter hold a canopy over the monarch for privacy. There is no video or photographs of the anointing. The Dean of Westminster pours Holy Oil from the Ampulla into the Spoon. The Archbishop of Canterbury then anoints the monarch in the form of a cross on the palms of both hands, the breast, and the crown of the head.

The Investiture and The Crowning

The Crowning of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953

After being sanctified with Holy Oil and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s blessing, the monarch is dressed in the Colobium Sindonis, a sleeveless white garment, and the Supertunica, a robe of cloth of gold a long coat of gold that reaches to the ankles and has wide-flowing sleeves. While the monarch is sitting in the Coronation Chair, the Lord Great Chamberlain presents the Golden Spurs, a symbol of chivalry, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of Winchester, presents the monarch with the Sword of Offering. The monarch then goes to the altar, returns the sword to its scabbard, and sits down in the Coronation Chair.

The Dean of Westminster gives the Armills to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who says a prayer while putting the Armills on the monarch’s wrists. The monarch stands and the Robe Royal and Stole Royal are placed on top of the Supertunica. After the monarch sits back down in the Coronation Chair, the Sovereign’s Orb is brought from the altar by the Dean of Westminster and is delivered into the monarch’s right hand by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The monarch then gives the Orb to the Dean of Westminster who returns it to the altar.

The Archbishop of Canterbury places the Coronation Ring on the fourth finger of the monarch’s right hand. The Dean of Westminster brings the Sceptre with the Cross and the Sceptre with the Dove to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who puts it in the monarch’s hands.

The video below is titled The Holy Anointing but as noted above, there was no video or photographs of the anointing so little is seen. The video does show Queen Elizabeth II being clothed with Colobium Sindonis and the Supertunica, and receiving the Sword of Offering.

The congregation stands up and the Archbishop of Canterbury takes St. Edward’s Crown from the altar, then lays it back on the altar, and says a prayer. The Archbishop of Canterbury proceeds to the monarch who is sitting in the Coronation Chair. The Dean of Westminster brings the St. Edward’s Crown to the Archbishop of Canterbury who reverently puts the crown on the monarch’s head. The congregation repeatedly shouts, “God Save The King/Queen.” The princes and princesses, the peers and peeresses put on their coronets and caps. Trumpets sound and the great guns at the Tower of London are fired.

The Enthronement

After a blessing, the monarch goes to the throne and is lifted up into it by the archbishops and bishops, and other peers of the kingdom. The monarch will receive the Homage while seated in the throne.

The Homage

The Homage at the Coronation of King Edward VII, 1902

The Archbishop of Canterbury kneels down before the monarch while the rest of the Bishops kneel in their places and do their Homage together. As the Archbishop of Canterbury says the following, each Bishop also says it: “I <name>, Archbishop of Canterbury [Bishops say, I <name> Bishop of <place>] will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you, our Sovereign Lord/ Lady, King/Queen of this Realm and Defender of the Faith, and unto your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

The Royal Dukes and Princes of the Blood take off their coronets, kneel down before the monarch (this has been done individually or in a group with the senior Royal Duke of Prince of the Blood kneeling directly before the monarch), and pronounce the words of the Homage, “I <name> Prince, or Duke of <place> do become your Liege man of Life and Limb, and of earthly worship; and Faith and Truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of Folks. So help me God.”

The most senior peer of each of the five ranks of peerage – Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron – individually kneels before the monarch. The other peers who are in seats, in turn, kneel down, take off their coronets, and do their homage: the Dukes first by themselves, then the Marquesses, the Earls, the Viscounts, and the Barons. Each rank of the peerage, saying together, “I, <name> Duke, or Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron of <place> do become your liege man of Life and Limb, and of earthly worship; and Faith and Truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of Folks. So help me God.

The Queen Consort’s Coronation

The Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Consort of King George VI, 1937

If there is a Queen Consort, her anointing and crowning happen after the Homage.

The queen consort goes to the steps of the altar, and supported by two bishops, kneels down on the faldstool (kneeler) placed before the High Altar. The Archbishop of Canterbury says a prayer asking God’s blessing upon the queen consort. Four peeresses hold a canopy over her for privacy. The Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the crown of the queen consort’s head and placed the Queen Consort’s Ring on her fourth finger on her right hand. The Archbishop of Canterbury then takes the Queen’s Crown – Queen Consort Camilla used Queen Mary’s Crown – from the high altar and reverently sets it upon the queen’s head, at which time, the princesses and peeresses put their coronets on their heads. The queen consort is then handed her Sceptre with the Cross and the Ivory Rod with the Dove, and walks over to her own throne beside the King, where she sits.

The Communion

Queen Victoria receiving Holy Communion at her Coronation, 1838 by Charles Robert Leslie

The monarch (and queen consort) kneels and takes Holy Communion during a service that includes a general confession and absolution, and, along with the people, the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer.

The Recess

Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Imperial State Crown and carrying the Orb and Sceptre with Cross leaves Westminster Abbey at the end of the Coronation Ceremony

The monarch (and queen consort) proceeds to St. Edward’s Chapel, directly behind the High Altar, and gives St. Edward’s Crown, the Sceptre, and the Rod to the Archbishop of Canterbury who lays them on the altar in the chapel. The monarch is disrobed of the Robe Royal and clothed in a Robe of purple velvet and the Imperial State Crown. The Archbishop of Canterbury puts the Sceptre with the Cross into his/her right hand and the Orb in his/her left hand. The monarch (and the queen consort still carrying her Sceptre with the Cross in her right hand and the Ivory Rod with the Dove in her left hand) leaves St. Edward’s Chapel to the singing of the National Anthem and then proceeds up the aisle.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • A Guide to Coronations (no date) Westminster Abbey. Available at: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/coronations-at-the-abbey/a-guide-to-coronations (Accessed: March 31, 2023).
  • A History of Coronations (no date) Westminster Abbey. Available at: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/coronations-at-the-abbey/a-history-of-coronations (Accessed: March 31, 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2023) Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/coronation-of-king-george-vi-and-queen-elizabeth/ (Accessed: March 31, 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2017) Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/june-2-1953-coronation-of-queen-elizabeth-ii-at-westminster-abbey/ (Accessed: March 31, 2023).
  • Keay, Anna. (2012) The Crown Jewels. London: Thames and Hudson, Historic Royal Palace.
  • Order of Service (no date) Westminster Abbey. Available at: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/coronations-at-the-abbey/spotlight-on-coronations/order-of-service (Accessed: March 31, 2023).
  • Strong, Roy. (2005, 2022) Coronation – A History of the British Monarchy. London: William Collins.
  • The Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937 (no date) Oremus. Available at: https://www.oremus.org/coronation/1937/ (Accessed: March 31, 2023).
  • The Form and Order of Service that is to be performed and the Ceremonies that are to be observed in the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (no date). Available at: http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/coronation/cor1953b.html (Accessed: March 31, 2023).

British Coronation Music

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Beginning with the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902, a music edition of the Order of Service was published. It is difficult to determine coronation music from the past. For most coronations before 1902, no detailed description of the music used has survived.

Below are two examples of music for two 17th-century coronations. Over the years, the texts of the coronation music became traditional and remained the same but were often set to music by different composers.

For the 1603 coronation of King James I and his wife Queen Anne, the music included the following, although it is unclear who wrote the music except for The King Shall Rejoice which is generally attributed to Thomas Tomkins:

  • Processional: Behold, Our Lord and Protector
  • After the Recognition: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened
  • During the Anointing: Veni Creator Spiritus and Zadok the Priest
  • After the Crowning: Be Strong and of Good Courage and The King Shall Rejoice

The following music was played at the 1685 Coronation of King James II and his second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena, sometimes known as Queen Mary:

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I Was Glad

Composer Sir Hubert Parry whose setting of I Was Glad has been used at the coronations of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II; Credit – Wikipedia

I Was Glad, with text from Psalm 122, has been sung at the entrance of the monarch at every coronation since that of King Charles I in 1626.

Psalm 122 from the Book of Common Prayer:

I was glad when they said unto me: We will go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand in thy gates: O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city: that is at unity in itself.
For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord: to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.
For there is the seat of judgement: even the seat of the house of David.
O pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls: and plenteousness within thy palaces.
For my brethren and companions’ sakes: I will wish thee prosperity.
Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God: I will seek to do thee good.

Several composers have set Psalm 122 to music:

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Vivat Rex / Vivat Regina

The Queen’s Scholars from Westminster School who participated in the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; Credit – Vivat! Westminster Scholars’ Role in the Coronation

At the coronation of every monarch since the coronation of King James II in 1685, the King’s (or Queen’s) Scholars of the Westminster School have had the privilege of acclaiming the monarch by shouting “Vivat” during the monarch’s procession from the Quire of Westminster Abbey towards the Coronation Theatre in front of the High Altar. The forty-eight King’s (or Queen’s) Scholars are the recipients of scholarships at Westminster School. In 2017, the first girls became (then) Queen’s Scholars, now King’s Scholars.

The Latin version of the monarch’s name is used so at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, she was greeted with “Vivat, Regina! / Vivat, Regina Elizabetha! / Vivat! Vivat! Vivat!” The Vivat Regina was incorporated into Sir Hubert Parry’s anthem I Was Glad.

The last three Queen Consorts were also acclaimed with their husbands: in 1902 King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra with “Vivat Regina Alexandra” and “Vivat Rex Edwardus”, in 1911 King George V and Queen Mary with “Vivat Regina Maria” and “Vivat Rex Georgius” and in 1937 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth with “Vivat Regina Elizabetha” and “Vivat Rex Georgius”.

In the 1990 YouTube video below, Sir Charles Groves conducts the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, and Choristers of Liverpool Cathedral, in I Was Glad by Sir Hubert Parry followed by the Vivat Regina. The concert is from the 150th birthday celebrations of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Coronation Anthems of George Frederic Handel

George Frederic Handel; Credit – Wikipedia

Although many composers have written coronation anthems, the best known are the four coronation anthems composed by George Frederic Handel for the coronation of King George II and his wife Queen Caroline on October 11, 1727: Zadok the Priest, Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, The King Shall Rejoice and My Heart Is Inditing.

George Frederic Handel was born in 1685 in Halle, Duchy of Magdeburg, then part of Brandenburg-Prussia, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Handel, a Baroque composer, is well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. He received his musical training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712, where he spent the majority of his career. In 1723, Handel was appointed as Composer of Music for the Chapel Royal by King George I.

In February 1727, King George I arranged for Handel to become a British subject via the passing of Handel’s Naturalisation Act 1727. Five months later, King George I died and his son succeeded him as King George II. In 1727, Handel was commissioned to write four anthems for the coronation of King George II. One of the anthems, Zadok the Priest, has been played at every British coronation ceremony since the coronation of King George II in 1727.

Handel’s memorial in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey by Louis Francois Roubiliac – a life-size statue of Handel with musical scores and instruments close to his grave in the Abbey floor

George Frederic Handel died on April 14, 1759, aged 74, at his home at 25 Brook Street in Mayfair, London, England. His funeral at Westminster Abbey was attended by more than three thousand people. Handel was given full state honors and was interred at Westminster Abbey in the south transept known as the Poets’ Corner.

The grave of George Frederic Handel; Credit – By JRennocks – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106364496

Handel picked the texts for the four coronation anthems from the texts of music used at the coronation of King James II in 1685. His four coronation anthems were immediately popular and were regularly played in concerts during Handel’s life.

Zadok the Priest

The Anointing of Solomon by Cornelis de Vos, circa 1630; Credit – Wikipedia

Zadok the Priest is the most famous of the anthems and is every bit as rousing as Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from the oratorio The Messiah. The text of Zadok the Priest comes from the biblical account of the anointing of King Solomon of ancient Israel by Zadok, the High Priest of Israel, and the prophet Nathan, and the rejoicing of the Israelites. These words have been used in every English coronation since that of King Edgar the Peaceful at Bath Abbey in 973, and Handel’s setting has been used at every British coronation since 1727, traditionally performed just prior to the sovereign’s anointing.

From 1 Kings 1:34-45:

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king.
And all the people rejoiced and said:
God save the King! Long live the King! God save the King!
May the King live forever. Amen. Hallelujah.

Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened

The text of Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened is from Psalm 89. It is divided into three parts: a cheerful light beginning, a melancholy, slow middle section, and a closing Alleluia part.

Let thy hand be strengthened and thy right hand be exalted.
Let justice and judgment be the preparation of thy seat!
Let mercy and truth go before thy face.
Let justice, judgment, mercy and truth go before thy face.
Alleluia.

The King Shall Rejoice

The text of The King Shall Rejoice is from Psalm 21. The first part is full of festive pomp and fanfares and uses the full force of the choir and orchestra. The second part is gentler, with no trumpets and drums. The third part opens radiantly, tells of the king’s coronation with a crown of pure gold, and ends in a fugue. The fourth part is a fugue with the instruments being added one by one. The fifth part is a double fugue, two melodies simultaneously played against each other right from the start, ending in a closing ‘Alleluia’ that was to be played at the precise moment the king was crowned.

The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord.
Exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation.
Glory and great worship hast thou laid upon him.
Thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness
and hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
Alleluia.

My Heart is Inditing

My Heart is Inditing uses a text developed by Henry Purcell for the 1685 coronation of King James II, consisting of verses from Psalm 45 and the Book of Isaiah (chapter 49, verse 23). It was originally sung at the end of the coronation of Queen Caroline, with adaptations to the text by Handel to make the words more appropriate for a queen.

My heart is inditing of a good matter:
I speak of the things which I have made unto the King.
Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women
Upon thy right hand did stand the Queen in vesture of gold
and the King shall have pleasure in thy beauty.
Kings shall be thy nursing fathers
and queens thy nursing mothers.

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Music at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

May 1953: The choirboys of Westminster Abbey rehearsing for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

* indicates first performance

Orchestral music played before the service:

Music during the coronation:

Orchestral music after the service:

  • March: Pomp and Circumstance Number 1 by Edward Elgar
  • *Coronation March by Sir Arnold Bax
  • March: Pomp and Circumstance Number 4 by Edward Elgar

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Music at the Coronation of King Charles III

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber composed a new coronation anthem for the coronation of King Charles III; Credit – Wikipedia

The music at the coronation of King Charles III, who was very much involved in the music selection, will feature twelve new orchestral, choral, and organ pieces commissioned for the coronation including a coronation anthem based on Psalm 98 by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd Webber.

One of the liturgical sections of the ceremony will be performed in Welsh in tribute to King Charles III’s long tenure as Prince of Wales. At King Charles III’s request, Greek Orthodox music will be included in tribute to his late father Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, born a Greek prince.

Other contemporary composers who wrote new music for King Charles III’s coronation include:

Tradition requires that the music of the following past composers be included:

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Coronation Anthem (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_anthem (Accessed: April 9, 2023).
  • Coronation Anthem – Handel’s Coronation Anthems (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_anthem#Handel’s_coronation_anthems (Accessed: April 9, 2023).
  • Coronation of Charles III and Camilla (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_of_Charles_III_and_Camilla (Accessed: April 9, 2023).
  • Dunn, Charlotte. (2023) Coronation Music at Westminster Abbey, The Royal Family. Available at: https://www.royal.uk/coronation-music-westminster-abbey (Accessed: April 9, 2023).
  • George Frideric Handel (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frideric_Handel (Accessed: April 9, 2023).
  • I Was Glad (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_was_glad (Accessed: April 9, 2023).
  • (no date) Music at the Coronation of English and British Kings and Queens. Available at: https://www.oremus.org/coronation/music/ (Accessed: April 9, 2023).
  • Music Played at the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (no date). Available at: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/media/5250/elizabeth-ii-coronation-1953-music-full-list.pdf (Accessed: April 10, 2023).
  • Strong, Roy. (2005, 2022) Coronation – A History of the British Monarchy. London: William Collins.
  • Vivat! Westminster Scholars’ Role in the Coronation (no date) Westminster School Archive. Available at: http://archiveblog.westminster.org.uk/?p=504 (Accessed: April 9, 2023).

Westminster Abbey – The Coronation Church

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Westminster Abbey; Photo Credit – By Σπάρτακος – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26334184

Check out all our British coronation articles at the link below:

History of Westminster Abbey

First known as St. Peter’s Abbey, Westminster Abbey in London, England was founded by Benedictine monks in 960 under the patronage of King Edgar the Peaceful (reigned 943 – 975) and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. In the 1040s, King Edward, better known as St. Edward the Confessor (reigned 1042 – 1066), built his royal palace nearby St. Peter’s Abbey on the banks of the River Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Later the medieval Palace of Westminster sat upon the site and today the Houses of Parliament (the formal name is still the  Palace of Westminster) is there.

A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry showing the funeral procession of Edward the Confessor with the church Edward built on the left. This is the only contemporary depiction of Edward’s church; Credit – Wikipedia

Edward the Confessor began rebuilding St. Peter’s Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church. This church became known as the “west minster” to distinguish it from (old) St. Paul’s Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. See Wikipedia: Minster. The new church was consecrated on December 28, 1065. Too ill to attend the consecration, Edward the Confessor died on January 5, 1066, and was buried before the high altar of his new church the day after his death.

The Shrine of St. Edward the Confessor

In 1245, King Henry III started the construction of the second and present Westminster Abbey in the new Gothic style of architecture. The second church was designed to be not only a place of worship and a monastery but also a place for the coronation and burial of monarchs. This church was consecrated on October 13, 1269, and on that day, King Henry III oversaw a grand ceremony to rebury Edward the Confessor in a magnificent new shrine, directly behind the high altar, and he personally helped to carry the body to its new resting place. Edward the Confessor’s shrine survives and around his shrine were interred five kings and four queens, including King Henry III.

Westminster Abbey has been Britain’s coronation church since 1066. From King William I (the Conqueror) to King Charles III, all monarchs except for two have been crowned in Westminster Abbey. Twelve-year-old King Edward V was presumed murdered in the Tower of London before he could be crowned. King Edward VIII abdicated eleven months after succeeding his father, before his scheduled coronation date.

For more information see Unofficial Royalty: Westminster Abbey in London, England

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The Coronation Theatre; Credit – Westminster Abbey

The Coronation Theatre

Like many other Christian churches, Westminster Abbey is built in the shape of a cross. This space where coronations happen is at the point in which the two parts of the cross meet, at the very center of Westminster Abbey, in front of the High Altar

The Cosmati Pavement in front of the High Altar; Credit – By amanderson2 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/49399018@N00/52639897002/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128111089

The Cosmati Pavement in front of the High Altar was laid down in 1268 during King Henry III’s rebuilding of Westminster Abbey. The mosaic workers came from Rome, with a man called Odoricus as the foreman. The pavement is an inlaid mosaic stone decoration known as Cosmati work, named after one of the Italian families of craftsmen who specialized in it. It is abstract in design and differs from ancient Roman and earlier medieval mosaic work that consisted of square stones of equal size. It is here that the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, also called St. Edward’s Chair and King Edward’s Chair, is placed, facing the High Altar, on which the monarch sits for the majority of the service. Photos from recent coronations show the Cosmati Pavement covered.

The Coronation Theatre at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; Credit – By BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives from Canada – Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II / uronnement de la Reine Elizabeth IIUploaded by oaktree_b, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19783528

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The Coronation Chair

The Coronation Chair with Stone of Scone in Westminster Abbey, 1885

King Edward I’s relentless, but unsuccessful campaign to assert his overlordship over Scotland was resisted by William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, (later King Robert I of Scotland) but it gave him one of his nicknames, “Hammer of the Scots.” In 1296, Edward I captured the Stone of Scone, an oblong block of red sandstone that was used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. It was kept at the now-ruined Scone Abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. Edward took the Stone of Scone back to England and placed it in the care of the Abbot of Westminster Abbey.

An oaken chair, called the Coronation Chair, King Edward’s Chair, or St. Edward’s Chair, was made by order of King Edward I to enclose the Stone of Scone. Originally the chair had images of birds, foliage, and animals on a gilt ground. The figure of a king, either Edward the Confessor or King Edward I, his feet resting on a lion, was painted on the back. The four gilt lions on the legs were made in 1727 to replace the original lions which were not added to the chair until the early 16th century. The chair has been in use at coronations since 1308 although opinion is divided as to when it was actually used for the crowning. However, since the coronation of King Henry IV in 1399, the monarch has been crowned in the chair. Originally the Coronation Chair was kept in St. Edward’s Chapel at Westminster Abbey, the site of the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor directly behind the High Altar. The Coronation Chair is now kept in a specially-built enclosure in St. George’s Chapel at the west end of the nave, near the main doors of Westminster Abbey.

The Coronation Chair in its usual home, St. George’s Chapel in Westminster Abbey; Credit – By Darkmaterial – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127657004

In 1996, 700 years after it was taken, the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland. It is kept at Edinburgh Castle in the Crown Room alongside the crown jewels of Scotland (the Honours of Scotland). An agreement was made that the Stone of Scone will be returned to Westminster Abbey and placed in the Coronation Chair for future coronations, and then it will be returned to Edinburgh Castle.

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Seating Capacity

Some of the tiered seating during the 1821 coronation of King George IV

Westminster Abbey has a seating capacity of 2,200. At the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, there were approximately 8,000 guests. Besides the British royal family and other family members, all peers and their wives, all members of the British parliament, representatives from the many nations of the Commonwealth of Nations, heads of state or their representatives, foreign royalty, and members of Parliament from the Queen’s various legislatures, among others, were invited to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.

A view of some of the tiered seating at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Westminster Abbey was closed for five months prior to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation so that the construction needed for 8,000 guests could be completed. Tiered seating, similar to stadium seating, had to be constructed to accommodate all the guests. The coronation of King Charles II in 1661 was the first time that tiered seating was constructed in the transepts so that the congregation could see the ceremony.

The use of tiered seating is no longer possible. Safety regulations at Westminster Abbey now restrict the seating capacity to 2,000 so the guest list was severely limited. Peers were in uproar as only a minority were invited to King Charles III’s coronation.

Before the coronation of King Charles III, Westminster Abbey was closed to visitors from April 25, 2023 – May 7, 2023 for preparations and rehearsals.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • The Coronation Chair (no date) Westminster Abbey. Available at: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/the-coronation-chair (Accessed: March 29, 2023).
  • Coronation Theatre (no date) Westminster Abbey. Available at: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/coronations-at-the-abbey/spotlight-on-coronations/coronation-theatre (Accessed: March 29, 2023).
  • Cosmati Pavement (no date) Westminster Abbey. Available at: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/cosmati-pavement (Accessed: March 29, 2023).
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. List of British coronations – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_coronations> (Accessed: March 29, 2023).
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Westminster Abbey – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey> (Accessed: March 29, 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021) Westminster Abbey in London, England, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/westminster-abbey-in-london-england/ (Accessed: March 29, 2023).
  • Fox, Adam, 1984. Westminster Abbey. Andover: Pitkin Pictorials.
  • Jenkyns, Richard, 2005. Westminster Abbey. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  • Westminster Abbey. 2021. A royal church | Westminster Abbey. [online] Available at: <https://www.westminster-abbey.org/> (Accessed: March 29, 2023).

British Coronation Regalia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The British Coronation Regalia includes the most treasured and sacred items in the royal collection, most of it only used as part of the Coronation ceremony. The majority of the items date back to the 1661 Coronation of King Charles II, with at least one item going back much further in history. This article will give some information about each of the items used in the ceremony – as well as links to some more detailed articles about some of them. We hope you enjoy learning about these magnificent pieces which so greatly define the history of the British monarchy.

The actual crowning of the Sovereign is the most sacred and important part of the Coronation service, and remains largely unchanged for hundreds of years. You can read more about the Coronation and order of service in our Royal Ceremonies section.

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The Coronation Chair and Stone of Scone

The Coronation Chair (without the Stone of Scone). photo: By Darkmaterial – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127657004

The Coronation Chair (also known as St. Edward’s Chair or King Edward’s Chair) was commissioned by King Edward I in 1296 to hold the Stone of Scone, which he had seized from Scotland during the First Scottish War of Independence. It was first used for the Coronation of King Edward II in 1308, and has been used for every coronation since.

The Stone of Scone (also known as the Stone of Destiny or the Coronation Stone) is traditionally believed to have been part of the coronation ceremony for Scottish monarchs for centuries. Originally, the Coronation Chair simply surrounded the Stone, on which the Sovereign sat. In the 17th century, a wooden seat was added above the stone.

Read more about the Coronation Chair and Stone of Scone HERE!

The Ampulla and Coronation Spoon

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The formal crowning starts with the Sovereign being anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The coronation oil, which was made and consecrated in Jerusalem. is kept in the Ampulla, and poured into the Coronation Spoon at the time of the Sovereign’s anointing. Both pieces are also used for the anointing of the Queen Consort.

The Ampulla takes the shape of a golden eagle, with its wings outspread. The head of the eagle screws off to allow the oil to be poured in. It then pours out through the eagle’s beak. Dating from the 1661 coronation of Charles II, the Ampulla is based on an earlier version, which was based upon a legend in which the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Thomas a Becket, presenting him with a golden eagle and a vial of oil to be used for the anointing of future Sovereigns.

The Coronation Spoon is perhaps the oldest item in the Coronation Regalia. Dating from at least 1349, it was recorded among St. Edward’s Regalia in the Abbey. While it is unknown when its use in the Coronation ceremony actually began, it has been used for every English and British Coronation since King James I in 1603. Unlike much of the old regalia which was melted down in 1649, the Spoon was sold off. Following the restoration, it was returned to King Charles II in 1661.

The Spurs

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Sovereign is first presented with the spurs, which symbolize knighthood. The use of spurs dates back to the coronation of Richard I in 1189. The current spurs were made in 1661, and altered slightly in 1820. Originally the spurs would have been attached to the Sovereign’s feet, but since 1661, they are simply presented and touched by the Sovereign, and then placed on the altar. The golden spurs have velvet-covered straps attached by buckles, with gold embroidery adorning them.

The Swords

(l-r) The Sword of Offering, The Sword of State, The Sword of Mercy. photo: Wikipedia

There are several swords carried in the Coronation procession, each representing a different aspect of the Sovereign’s role.

  • The Sword of Temporal Justice – symbolizing the Sovereign’s role as head of the Armed Forces
  • The Sword of Spiritual Justice – symbolizing the Sovereign’s role as Defender of the Faith
  • The Sword of Mercy (also known as the Curtana) – symbolizing the Sovereign’s mercy
  • The Sword of State – symbolizing the Sovereign’s Royal Authority
  • The Sword of Offering (also known as the Coronation sword)

During the ceremony, the Sword of State is presented to the Lord Chamberlain, and then placed in St. Edward’s Chapel (behind the Altar). In exchange, the Sword of Offering is brought forward and presented the sword to the Sovereign.

The Sword of Offering, 1821.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Sword of Offering was made for the 1821 coronation of King George IV. It features a blade of gilt steel, adorned with 2,141 diamonds, 12 emeralds and 4 rubies arranged for form roses, thistles and shamrocks. Each end of the cross-piece features a lion’s head, set in diamonds, with rubies for the eyes. Additional jewels form oak leaves and acorns.

The scabbard is leather encased in gold, lined with red silk velvet. It features roses, thistles and shamrocks – set in diamonds, rubies and emeralds – along with additional designs of oak leaves and acorns.

The Sword of Offering typically became the personal property of the Sovereign, and a new one made for each new reign. However, in 1902, George IV’s sword was used for the coronation of King Edward VII and became part of the Crown Jewels. It has been used for each coronation since.

The Armills

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Armills are wide gold bracelets which were traditionally placed on the Sovereign’s wrists. They are thought to represent the “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom” referenced in the wording of the coronation ceremony (although their original role and purpose in the coronation ceremony has long been unknown). The pair on the left in the photo above date back to 1661 are decorated in enamel, featuring the national emblems – roses, thistles, fleurs-de-lis and harps – and are lined in red velvet. This pair was used at every coronation through George VI in 1937. A new pair (on the right) were made for the 1953 coronation of Elizabeth II, as a gift from the Commonwealth. This pair is made of 22-carat gold, decorated with foliated scrolls, and hinged by a gold Tudor rose.  For the 2023 Coronation of King Charles III, the 1661 Armills were used, and were simply presented and touched by the King.

The Sovereign’s Orb

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Sovereign’s Orb, made in 1661, represents the Sovereign’s power and symbolizes the Christian world. The hollow gold sphere has several bands of pearls surrounding clusters of emeralds, rubies and sapphires, surrounded by diamonds. These bands divide the Orb into three sections – representing the three continents known in the medieval days. Atop the sphere is an octagonal amethyst, topped by a cross adorned with diamonds. The cross features an emerald in the center on one side, and a sapphire on the other, with pearls at the angles and points. It is placed in the Sovereign’s right hand by the Archbishop of Canterbury, before being returned to the altar.

The Sovereign’s Ring

The Sovereign’s Ring (left) and Queen Consort’s Ring (right) 1831.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Sovereign’s Ring (above, left) was placed on the fourth finger of the right hand. For the 2023 Coronation of King Charles III, the ring was merely presented and touched by the King.  The current Sovereign’s Ring dates back to the Coronation of King William IV in 1831. Previously, a new ring was made for each Sovereign, and remained in their personal collection. However, upon the death of Queen Adelaide (King William IV’s consort) in 1849, she left William IV’s ring, as well as her own Consort’s Ring, to Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria then left both rings, along with her own Coronation Ring (a slightly smaller version of King William IV’s) to the Crown upon her death in 1901. The Sovereign’s Ring has been used at the coronations of every British sovereign since Edward VII in 1902.

The Sovereign’s Ring, set in gold, features an octagonal sapphire overlaid with a cross of rubies, banded in gold. This is surrounded by 14 cushion-shaped diamonds, with two additional diamonds at the top of the band.

Read more about the Queen Consort’s Ring HERE!

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross symbolizes the Sovereign’s temporal role. Made for the 1661 Coronation of King Charles II, it is placed in the Sovereign’s right hand. At just over 3 feet in length and weighing about 2.6 pounds, the Sceptre with Cross is adorned with 333 diamonds, 31 rubies, 15 emeralds, 7 sapphires and 1 amethyst. It has been altered several times since its creation, most recently for the 1911 Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary, to include the Cullinan I diamond (also known as the Great Star of Africa). Weighing over 530 carats, the Cullinan I is the largest clear-cut diamond in the world. The Cullinan I features near the top of the sceptre, topped by the large amethyst surmounted by a cross pattée encrusted with an emerald and small diamonds.

Read more about the Cullinan diamond HERE!

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove – also known as the Rod of Equity and Mercy – symbolizes the Sovereign’s spiritual role. Also made for the 1661 Coronation, it is placed in the Sovereign’s left hand. It is over 3-½ feet in length and weighs about 2.6 pounds, and is decorated with 285 gemstones, including 94 diamonds, 53 rubies, 10 emeralds, 4 sapphires, 3 spinels and bands of precious stones circling the rod. The top features a gold monde set with diamonds, topped by a plain cross with a white enameled dove with outspread wings – representing the Holy Ghost.

St. Edward’s Crown

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The most sacred item in the Coronation Regalia is St. Edward’s Crown, used for the physical crowning of the British Sovereign. It takes its name from the original medieval crown, claimed to have belonged to King Edward the Confessor (St. Edward) in the 11th century.

The current crown was made for the 1661 coronation of King Charles II, following the Restoration. It has been worn for the coronations of seven English and British Sovereigns:

  • King Charles II (1661)
  • King James II (1685)
  • King William III (1689)
  • King George V (1911)
  • King George VI (1937)
  • Queen Elizabeth II (1953)
  • King Charles III (2023)

In the most defining moment of the Coronation ceremony, St. Edward’s Crown is placed upon the head of the Sovereign by the Archbishop of Canterbury.  This is the only time that the crown is worn by the Sovereign.

Read more about St. Edward’s Crown HERE.

The Imperial State Crown

The Imperial State Crown, 1937.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Imperial State Crown is worn by the Sovereign during the procession out of Westminster Abbey after the Coronation service. There have been several versions of the crown made through the years, including Queen Victoria’s Crown which was made for her coronation in 1838, and used for the coronations of her two successors – King Edward VII in 1902, and KIng George V in 1911. The current Imperial State Crown was made for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI, and used for the coronations of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and King Charles III in 2023.

Unlike St. Edward’s Crown, which is only worn by the Sovereign at the coronation, the Imperial State Crown is traditionally used for two ceremonial events. It is traditionally worn by the Sovereign at the State Opening of Parliament, and it is traditionally placed upon a late Sovereign’s coffin during their lying-in-state and funeral (along with the Sovereign’s Orb and Sceptre.

Read more about The Imperial State Crown HERE!

The Queen Consort’s Regalia

Queen Mary’s Crown, 1911.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Following the crowning of the Sovereign, the Queen Consort is also crowned in a similar, but simpler, ceremony. Following her anointing – also using the Ampulla and Coronation Spoon – the Queen Consort is presented with the Queen Consort’s Ring.  She is then crowned with the Queen Consort’s Crown and presented with the Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross, and the Queen Consort’s Rod with Dove.

Read all about the Queen Consort’s Regalia HERE!

 

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

The Queen Consort’s Regalia

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Following the Homage paid to the King, the Queen Consort is also crowned in a similar, yet simpler, ceremony.  The Queen Consort is first anointed, using the same Ampulla and Coronation Spoon used for the King.  Following the anointing, the Queen Consort’s Ring is presented.  Traditionally, it is place on the 4th finger of the Queen Consort’s right hand.  However, for the 2023 Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the ring was merely presented and touched by the Queen Consort.  The Consort’s Crown is then placed on her head, followed by the presentation of the Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross and the Queen Consort’s Ivory Rod with Dove.  She then takes her place in the Throne Chair beside that of the Sovereign.

Queen Consort’s Ring

Sovereign’s Ring and Queen Consort’s Ring, 1831.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Traditionally, the Queen Consort is given a ring during her crowning ceremony.  The last Consort’s ring (pictured above on the right) was made in 1831 for the Coronation of King William IV and Queen Adelaide.  The ring consists of a large ruby, surrounded by 14 brilliant-cut diamonds, and an additional 14-rubies around the band.  This design mirrored the traditional design for a Consort’s ring.  Historically, the Sovereign’s and Consort’s rings remained in their personal collection, thus new rings would be made for each Coronation.  Following his death in 1837, King William IV left his coronation ring to his widow, Queen Adelaide, who in turn bequeathed both rings to Queen Victoria in 1849.  Upon her own death in 1901, Queen Victoria left both rings, as well as her own Coronation Ring, to the Crown.  Queen Adelaide’s Ring has been used by every subsequent Queen Consort – Queen Alexandra (1902), Queen Mary (1911), Queen Elizabeth (1937) and Queen Camilla (2023).

Queen Consort’s Crown

From 1685 through 1761, Queen Consorts were crowned with the State Crown of Mary of Modena, which was made for the Coronation of King James II and Mary of Modena.  In addition, it was also used by two Queens Regnant – Queen Mary II in 1689, and Queen Anne in 1702.  It was last used for the Coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline in 1727.  (Queen Charlotte used her own nuptial crown in 1761.)  Since then, a new crown has been made for each new Queen Consort – Queen Adelaide in 1831, Queen Alexandra in 1902, Queen Mary in 1911, and Queen Elizabeth in 1937.  However, Queen Camilla has chosen to be crowned using Queen Mary’s Crown, with some slight modifications.

The Crowns of Mary of Modena, Queen Adelaide, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth are all displayed with the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.

The State Crown of Mary of Modena

State Crown of Mary of Modena, 1685.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Mary of Modena was the first Consort crowned following the Restoration, along with her husband, King James II, in 1685.  For the occasion, the Court Jewelers made this State Crown, a Coronation Crown (used for Mary’s actual crowning ceremony), and a Diadem which Mary wore in her procession into Westminster Abbey.  Mary’s State Crown and Coronation Crown were both used by Queen Mary II (1689) and Queen Anne (1702).

Mary’s State Crown, pictured above, was originally set with diamonds which were rented for the occasion.  The band supports four fleurs-de-lis and four crosses pattée atop a smaller band of diamonds.  It is set with four half-arches – each adorned with a central row of pearls, blanked on both sides by a row of rose-cut diamonds.  Atop the arches is a pavé-set monde and a cross pattée, with pearls on each of the top three points.  It is fitted with a purple cap of velvet and ermine band.

Following the coronation, the jewels were replaced with quartzes.  They were temporarily replaced again with real diamonds for the later coronations of Queen Mary II (1689), Queen Anne (1702), and Queen Caroline (1727).

Mary’s Coronation Crown (seen in the photo below) is not part of the Crown Jewels, but is owned by the Museum of London.

Embed from Getty Images

 

Queen Adelaide’s Crown

Queen Adelaide’s Crown, 1831, lithograph. source: Wikipedia

After King WIlliam IV came to the throne in 1830, it was decided that Mary of Modena’s State Crown was too fragile and theatrical.  Thus, a new crown was made for Queen Adelaide. The Queen, who disliked the practice of renting jewels for the various crowns, instead had diamonds from her own collection used to adorn the new crown made for her.  The new crown kept with the British tradition of having four half-arches, surmounted by a monde and a cross pattée.  It was fitted with a purple cap of velvet and ermine band.  Following the coronation, the jewels were removed, and it was never used again.  The empty frame is displayed at the Tower of London.

Adelaide’s decision to have a new crown made became a precedent in the British Royal Family. For the next 106 years, a new crown was created for each Queen Consort – Alexandra (1902), Mary (1911) and Elizabeth (1937).

Queen Alexandra’s Crown

Queen Alexandra’s Crown, 1902. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

With the last Queen Consort crowned 71 years earlier, when King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra came to the throne in 1901, it was decided that a new crown would be created for the crowning of Queen Alexandra.  The new crown was more in the style of European royal crowns (perhaps a nod to Alexandra’s Danish background), less upright and with an unprecedented 8 half-arches, which were detachable.  But it retained much of the traditional elements – the band supporting four fleurs-de-lis and four crosses pattée, with the arches supporting a jeweled monde and another cross pattée.  Queen Alexandra’s Crown was the first to include the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, sent prominently on the front of the crown.  The Koh-i-Noor had been presented to Queen Victoria in 1856, and was later used in the Crowns of Queen Mary (1911) and Queen Elizabeth (1937).  Today, the diamond is controversial, with several countries laying claim to its ownership.  The Crown is fitted with a purple cap of velvet and ermine band.

Queen Mary’s Crown

Queen Mary’s Crown, 1911. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Queen Mary’s Crown was created for the 1911 Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary.  Queen Mary had the crown designed by Garrard & Co., paying for it with her own money, and the hope/intent that it would become the crown used by all future Queen Consorts.  Its design varied from the traditional style, with 8 half-arches instead of four (just as Queen Alexandra’s Crown was designed).  At 25cm (9.8 inches) tall, and weighing 590g (1.30 lbs), the crown featured about 2,200 diamonds, including the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, the Cullinan III and Cullinan IV.  In 1914, the Cullinan jewels – the personal property of Queen Mary – were removed and replaced with glass, and the arches were made detachable, allowing the Crown to be worn as a circlet.  Queen Mary wore the circlet often, including for the 1937 Coronation of her son, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.  For this occasion, the Cullinan V was added to the crown, set on the back of the band.  The Crown is fitted with a purple cap of velvet and ermine band.  (Read more about the various Cullinan diamonds HERE.)

In the photo above, the large stone on the front is the Koh-i-Noor, with the Cullinan IV set just below it.  The Cullinan III is set at the top of the crown.

Queen Elizabeth’s Crown

Queen Elizabeth’s Crown, 1937. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Queen Elizabeth’s Crown was created by Garrard & Co. for the 1937 Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later The Queen Mother).  It was modeled on the Crown of Queen Mary, however it reverted to the more traditional 4 half-arches instead of 8.  Like the previous crowns of Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary, the arches are detachable, allowing for the crown to be worn as a circlet.  Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore the crown in its circlet form at the coronation of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953.  The Crown was adorned with about 2,800 diamonds, including the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, and a replica of the Lahore Diamond.  The Crown is fitted with a purple cap of velvet and ermine band.  Most recently, in 2002, the Crown – in its full form – was placed upon the Queen Mother’s coffin during her lying-in-state and funeral.

Queen Camilla’s Crown

Queen Camilla has chosen to use Queen Mary’s Crown, created for the 1911 Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary.  In February 2023, the Crown was removed from the Tower of London, to undergo some minor modifications for the upcoming Coronation.  The original eight half-arches have been reduced to four, and the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is not featured.

The crown features several jewels from the personal collection of the late Queen Elizabeth II, which had also been used by Queen Mary.  The Cullinan III, Cullinan IV and Cullinan V  will be prominently featured on the crown.  Originally part of Queen Mary’s private collection, she left them to Queen Elizabeth II upon her death in 1953.  They are now in the personal collection of King Charles III.

The Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross and Ivory Rod with Dove

During the crowning of the Queen Consort, she is also handed two sceptres – smaller versions of those presented to the Sovereign.  Both of these were made for the 1685 Coronation of King James II and Mary of Modena.

Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross, 1685. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross – traditionally placed in the right hand after she is crowned – is made of gold adorned with table- and rose-cut quartzes.  The top features a monde sitting in a base of quartz-set petals representing a fleur-de-lis, and is topped with a jeweled cross.

Queen Consort’s Ivory Rod with Dove, 1685. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Ivory Rod with Dove – traditionally placed in the left hand after she is crowned – is made of ivory, topped by a gold monde which features the national emblems (rose, thistle, harp and fleur-de-lis) in enamel.  Atop the monde is a cross with an enameled dove with its wings folded.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Imperial State Crown

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Imperial State Crown is worn by the Sovereign to depart Westminster Abbey after the Coronation service. It is also traditionally worn for the State Opening of Parliament, and placed atop a late Sovereign’s coffin at their lying-in-state and funeral (along with the Orb and Sceptre).

The empty frame of Queen Victoria’s Imperial State Crown, 1838. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Following the Restoration, a new Imperial State Crown had to be made for King Charles II. Since then, there have been numerous versions of the crown. Queen Victoria’s Crown, made for her coronation in 1838, was also used for the coronations of King Edward VII (1902) and King George V (1911). The photo above shows the frame of Queen Victoria’s Crown, with the jewels removed, as well as the monde and cross which would have sat atop the arches. The current Imperial State Crown was made for the 1937 coronation of King George VI, and was modified slightly for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953), with the arches lowered to give a more feminine appearance. It was modified once again for the coronation of King Charles III (2023).

The back of the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

Designed by Garrard & Co., the Imperial State Crown contains over 3,100 jewels and precious stones, including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. Some of the notable jewels in the crown are:

Cullinan II and Black Prince’s Ruby

close-up view of the Cullinan II and Black Prince’s Ruby on the front of the Imperial State Crown.  photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The Cullinan II – often called the Second Star of Africa – is mounted on the front of the crown’s band, beneath the Black Prince’s Ruby. At 317.4 carats, it is one of the largest clear-cut diamonds in the world. It is cut from the famed Cullinan Diamond, which originally weighed 3,105 carats and was given to King Edward VII in 1907. (Read more about the Cullinan Diamond and it’s various stones HERE)

The 170 carat Black Prince’s Ruby (actually a spinel) is mounted on a cross patté on the front of the crown, just above the Cullinan II. According to legend, the stone was given to Edward, Prince of Wales (known as the Black Prince) in 1367 by King Pedro of Castile. It was later worn by King Henry V in his helmet at the Battle of Agincourt. A hole was drilled into the stone at some point, probably to allow the stone to be worn as a pendant. It was later filled with a small ruby. The stone was set in Queen Victoria’s Imperial State Crown (1838) and then in the same place on the current Imperial State Crown.

The Stuart Sapphire

close-up view of the Stuart Sapphire on the back of the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The 104 carat Stuart Sapphire is mounted on the back of the crown’s band. It most likely belonged to King Charles II, and left England with James II fled to France after the Glorious Revolution. James II passed the stone to his son, James Stuart, who in turn bequeathed it to his own son, Henry Benedict – later Cardinal York. The sapphire, along with other Stuart relics, were sold, and later purchased by King George III in 1807, and returned to Britain.

It was set in the front of Queen Victoria’s Imperial State Crown (1838), just beneath the Black Prince’s Ruby. However, it was later moved to the back of the crown, to make way for the newly acquired Cullinan II in 1909. It maintains the same position in the current Imperial State Crown.

St. Edward’s Sapphire

close-up view of St. Edward’s Sapphire, mounted in the cross at the top of the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

St. Edward’s Sapphire, an octagonal rose-cut sapphire, is mounted in the center of the cross patté at the top of the crown. It is alleged to have originally been in the coronation ring of Edward the Confessor (later St. Edward), and taken from the ring when Edward’s remains were reinterred in Westminster Abbey in 1163. Since at least 1838, the Sapphire has been set in the Imperial State Crown – first in Queen Victoria’s 1838 crown, and then in the current crown.

Queen Elizabeth I’s Pearls

Queen Elizabeth’s Pearls, beneath the monde on the Imperial State Crown. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

The four large pearls, suspended just beneath the monde, are often referred to as Queen Elizabeth’s earrings. Catherine de Medici received several pearls from Pope Clement VII upon her marriage to King Henri II of France in 1553. They were left to her daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots, and then sold to, or acquired, by Queen Elizabeth I. Despite the legend, it is most likely that the pearls are from a later period, as at least two of them did not enter the Royal Collection until the 19th century.

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St. Edward’s Crown

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

St. Edward’s Crown is considered to be the most important piece of the British regalia, used only for the crowning of the Sovereign. The original medieval crown, claimed to have belonged to King Edward the Confessor (St. Edward) from the 11th century, had been destroyed or melted down in 1649 following the overthrow of the monarchy. After the Restoration, a new crown – designed very similarly to the original relic – was made in 1661 for the coronation of King Charles II.

The band, bordered in gold beads, is adorned with sixteen clusters, each set with a rectangular or octagonal stone, surrounded by topazes and aquamarines. Supported by the band are four crosses pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, all bejeweled. Four half-arches form the top of the crown, topped with a jeweled gold monde supporting a cross pattée.

Until 1911, the jewels used in the crown were rented or borrowed for the ceremony and then returned to the jewelers. However, for the coronation of King George V in 1911, the crown was permanently set with jewels which remain to this day.

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Prior to the 2023 Coronation of King Charles III, the last time St. Edward’s Crown was seen publicly was at a service at Westminster Abbey in June 2013, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. This was the first time the Crown had left the Tower of London since The Queen’s Coronation in 1953.

Despite the intent that it be the coronation crown for all future sovereigns, it was only used three times – King Charles II (1661), King James II (1685) and King William III (1689) before it was deemed too heavy. Beginning with Queen Anne (1702), St. Edward’s Crown was instead included in the procession into Westminster Abbey and placed on the altar (with the exception of Queen Victoria’s Coronation in 1838, when St. Edward’s Crown was not used at all). It would be 209 years before it returned to use, at the coronation of King George V in 1911.

Crown of George I, 1714. photo: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

In the interim, several other crowns were used. Both Queen Mary II and Queen Anne chose smaller diamond crowns of their own. Kings George I (1714), George II (1727), George III (1761), and William IV (1831) all used the State Crown of George I, made for his coronation in 1714. King George IV (1821) had a new crown made for his Coronation. Queen Victoria (1838) chose to be crowned with her new Imperial State Crown, which was also used by her son, King Edward VII in 1902. It was King George V (1911) who brought St. Edward’s Crown back to the Coronation ceremony, and it has been used ever since.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.