King Charles III’ Coronation, Tradition, Pomp And Ceremony
Britain is in the grip of Coronation fever – for the first time in 70 years. Commemorative coins, medallions and mugs are everywhere. And there are endless discussions by supposed experts on the pageantry, the procedure, the regalia, the costumes, the music, the coaches and the guest-list. But is all this just hype?
King Charles III Coronation (jessicagirvan/Adobe Stock)
Britain is the only European monarchy to still have coronations. In Spain the last coronation was held in 1494, in Denmark in 1840, and in Sweden in 1873. The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg have never had a coronation. Instead of a coronation, in all these European monarchies there is a simple ceremony, usually held in the parliament or legislature, in which the new monarch swears to abide by the constitution. The crown is sometimes in evidence on a table near the monarch – but not on his or her head!
