“This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle”,
“This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle”,
At 73 years of age, Charles III is about to be crowned in Westminster Abbey as the latest in a long line of Kings stretching back through the ages. In terms of names, there have been six George’s, four Williams and eleven Edwards although earlier ones are not counted as they were Anglo Saxon so officially it is only eight. There have also been eight Henry’s, the occasional Mary, John, Cnut, Harold, Alfred, Richard, James, Ann, Victoria and of course two Elizabeth’s.
There were two 17th century kings by the name of Charles. Three hundred and sixty two years ago, Charles II was crowned king on St George’s Day April 23rd 1661. It was a difficult, fractious time and there had been no certainty that he would be restored to the throne and crowned as King given that his father, Charles I, had been executed by Parliament.
The Parliamentarians under Oliver Cromwell had deliberately destroyed much of the cultural traditions of the monarchy along with some of the royal regalia including the venerated golden crown of Edward the Confessor. Saint George’s Day was carefully chosen as the coronation date in order to reinforce the symbolism of Charles II as Saint George, the slayer of the Commonwealth dragon (the name referring to Crowell’s time in power).
Charles II's coronation was the most extravagant since that of Elizabeth I. At its heart was a magnificent procession which set off through London following in the steps of previous coronations. Various entertainments were planned along the way with the central feature being a set of four triumphal arches representing themes relating to Charles and the Restoration. Paintings and music strengthened the symbolism of Charles II as part of a magnificent heritage of heroes and emperors from history such as the Roman emperor Augustus with trumpeters and drummers placed on the arches and balconies.
At the Abbey the solemnity, the readings from the Epistles, the prayers and choirs were all designed to create a sacred atmosphere of majesty and gravitas. After the mass, the King went into Saint Edward’s Chapel to lay the regalia on the altar before, wearing new purple and ermine robes and the imperial crown, he processed back to Westminster Hall for the feast surrounded by bishops and nobility. Samuel Pepys diaries suggest everyone then ate and drank too much but all much enjoyed it and it was a stark contrast to the puritanical years.
Every new King or Queen interprets the moment of transition differently. It is about responding to the times, drawing together the population and being relevant. At heart however it is a sacred service drawing on deeply held ancient Christian cultural traditions and both Charles II and Charles III chose to wear Edward the confessor’s crown recalling the consecration of this ancient king on 3 April 1043.
There is, however, probably no smooth rite of passage for any coronation. Queen Victoria was crowned in 1837. Her procession was the longest since that of Charles II in April 1667 but it was so expensive that there was no coronation banquet and contemporaries thought it all rather chaotic. A young MP at the time, Benjamin Disraeli, noted that those involved "were always in doubt as to what came next, and you saw the want of rehearsal”. The choir and orchestra were not coordinated and some pieces were described as "a strange medley of odd combinations”. However, the key element of the plan was the presentation of the event to a wider public and large crowds did indeed gather to watch.
Edward VII’s coronation had been carefully planned as a spectacle which bought together the diversity of the British Empire but had to be postponed due to the King’s appendicitis with the result that not all the important guests were able to reschedule for the following year. Furthermore, the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the crown on back to front and then got stuck on his knees until the King helped him up.
George VI entered the abbey filled with 8,000 guests as an elegant young king flanked by the colourful robes of bishops and with fanfares of trumpets. It was a spectacular entrance and the event, as it was in due course for his daughter Elizabeth II, was carefully choregraphed to capture both the sacred anointing and formal crowning as well as the pageantry and colour of the public spectacle.
Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was only a little older than the 19-year-old Queen Victoria had been but her composure and presence was extraordinary. For all the pomp and glamour of the occasion, it was, in her own words, "wonderful and there is a great sense of offering oneself”.
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46 Comments
Lovely the pictures this Royal Thorne of kings did you have a nice weekend and lord Carnarvon and lots of King Charles coronation party going next weekend and lam fan of Downton Abbey and lovely to visit highcelere castle and thank you for send me your email
This is the first coronation in my lifetime of 71 years. I look forward to seeing the grand event. Will you and Lord Carnarvon be attending? Thank you for sharing some facts of the monarchy and the pomp and circumstance surrounding the coronation. It makes the upcoming events more enjoyable.
Would have loved to have had you as my history teacher ! Much more readable
and digestible than those at school. Thank you. Diana
Our preparations for this event are repeatedly sampling the King Charles cocktail, thanks to Highclere Gin!
This is the first coronation in my lifetime of 71 years. I look forward to seeing the grand event. Will you and Lord Carnarvon be attending? Thank you for sharing some facts of the monarchy and the pomp and circumstance surrounding the coronation. It makes the upcoming events more enjoyable. I see the Stone of Destiny arrived from Scotland last week.
Thank you! What a wonderful picture you have painted for us. I am looking forward to seeing the Coronation on tv, at a very early hour here in Canada. Always enjoy your Monday morning notes. Patricia McClelland.
We're all looking forward to King Charles coronation on Saturday. Age brings a new respect for the institutions that hold together, set high standards, and hopefully lead and inspire the citizenry by their example. There is comfort in knowing a form of government that has held the standard for hundreds of years, and brought the world a civilized and productive society. Our American system of elected leadership is for the most part is an acceptable situation for a nation that values freedom above all. What we miss these days is a standard that is in place in Britian, an institution that unites our nation, for at least a few days a year, and diminishes our differences. Hopefully future administrations will value our great traditions and customs, that are a constant. Constant confusion is not inspirational, and diminishes the value that each citizen should enjoy as a free people. We wll by praying that the days ahead for King Charles will be productive and inspire a new wave of innovation and togetherness the entire world will embrace. God save the King!
Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for capturing these both solemn and momentous moments in England’s, and Great Britain’s glorious yet sometimes contentious history. I hope that Charles III’s coronation is as beautiful and meaningful as he hopes it will be. Even many Americans, like me, hold his family and its history dear, and wish him a calm and fruitful reign.
I know you and Lord Carnarvon are happy and proud to be a strong part of this history.
God save King Charles and Queen Camilla!
Martha
Such an elaborate history!
Good luck to all in London and of course England, with the next coronation approaching soon and all the bell ringings that will be happening throughout and the supporting crowds along the carriage routes, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.
Thank you again for your informing Monday Morning Blog and beautiful photos.
Dear Lady Carnarvon:
Thank you for your Monday blog and short history of the king/queen names and prior coronation ups and downs. Very nice pencil sketch of the royal procession to Westminster Abbey, colorful painting from Queen Victoria's coronation, and the stunning photograph of Queen Elizabeth II after she had been crowned.
May I ask, will you and Lord Carnarvon be in attendance at the coronation this coming Saturday morning?
So much has been in the press and on social media lately regarding all the preparations necessary prior to rehearsal and the actual event, so I am looking forward to watching it on television. Long live King Charles III.
Until next week, I wish you all the best.
Perpetua Crawford
Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for giving us a historical narrative about previous coronations. My husband and I are traveling from California to London to witness this event. We will be camping out on the Mall!
Thank you for the riveting accounts of the various coronations! It certainly brings clarity to the upcoming one this week. It is amazing to know that I have been alive for 2 of England's coronations! I will be watching this spectacular moment in history along with the rest of the world and will keep in mind the history of the previous ones, thanks to you.
Love getting these history lessons courtesy of you, Lady Carnarvon!
Will the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon be attending the Coronation?
Fabulous article!
Thank you!!
Sounds pretty good to me!
Weather looks ok!
You are the kindest ...
How truly an amazing time for the British throne and the country. Queen Elizabeth is missed however a new generation and a new era is ahead. Looking forward to watching the pageantry.
We are not there - new king, new way of doings things which is the right thing to do
Like you we will be watching it!
A most interesting piece, thank you for putting the royal lineage into an understandable perspective, Lady Carnarvon.
How interesting! I cannot wait to see this coronation.
Wonderful pictures! That crown is absolutely beautiful. I’m looking forward to watching the coronation even if it means getting up at 5am. My dad had a set of record albums of the late Queen Elizabeth’s coronation service and they are in my collection now. What a special service that was. Congratulations and blessings to the new King!
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
A wonderful post, as always.
Susan Kearsey
Bring British and living in the USA I miss the UK very much.
We have an organization called the DBE (Daughter's of the British Empire) long gone into the distant past but we enjoy getting all our Commonwealth ladies together to eat British teas and have conversations about our "britishness", with an added bonus of having events that we then give the proceeds to local charities.
Thank you for this interesting information which is intriguing.
I will be watching of course the Coronation, many hours behind you, but what a wonderful day it will be.
I was 5 years old when we watched Elizabeth II have her coronation (in those days on a small black & white TV)
May Charles III live many years and the new ideas of his reign make the difference for today's world and the UK.
Your blog is always so informative I'll be watching Monday of 5:00 a.m. to when it's over finally Jenny Modave
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for your informative account of previous monarchs’ coronations. Your blogs are always so interesting.
I was alive for Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation and only have the vague memories of a 3 years old. My grandfather had generously bought each of his 4 children a TV set so that all his family could see the magnificent spectacle, the first Coronation ever to be televised. TVs were quite a novelty in 1953; they had tiny screens and of course the images were black and white. My mother invited some of our neighbours in to watch and was really excited about the whole day. She dressed my older brother up as a Beefeater to enter our street fancy dress parade. Food rationing after WW2 was still in place but on that day the residents managed to provide a tea party in the street for everyone. Later we were allowed to join in with entertainments for all the children and adults in a field close by. No doubt some of the grown ups had a drink or two! The local Council provided each child in the district with a tall pale blue glass beaker decorated with a crown as a keepsake.
I’d like to think King Charles III’s Coronation will bring communities together and all the children will enjoy a wonderful day too.
Thank you for all these details. I was there in August and saw all the Crown Jewels. I shall be up early to watch!!!!
If you feel a kinship to the Throne, this is your moment. Thank you for your incredible description of the history that led to this moment. We, in Canada, will be watching all the pageantry and eating scones and tea sandwiches in the early hours of the day. I hope you will be commenting on the proceedings next week — I always look forward to your critiques.
This will be my second..up very early...MST (3am) to view! My great grandfather served in the army on Gibraltar and Malta,so I'm very proud!
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for your, as ever, good blog entry.
Hereabouts (the USA), the only fuss over the coronation seems to be squabbly rather than celebratory.
I should emphasize that for 25 years, I was an academic...studying and working in the markedly "liberal" milieu of typical upper-tier, American Universities. Consequently, I still have many friends who, for better or worse, are rather stereotypical, American liberals (having been registered Democrat since 1982, I'm scarcely a conservative, but??...).
Over the past few weeks, I've been amused at the regularity with which my liberal pals bring up (usually on the telephone) the coronation....wanting to know my supposed opinion of it. When I tell them that it sounds fun and Charles seems a generally pleasant (if suprisingly hapless at times) guy, they go full ANTI-MONARCHY (!!!!!!) on me.
I remind them that, while I went to Oxford and thus might be expected to have an "opinion", I also spent twelve years in France, where they decapitate kings. I think that qualifies me for having no political opinion at all. I've added that all of my Indian and Irish friends (from the Republic) are looking forward to the party/coronation. My liberal friends (none of whom are British or have ever lived in the UK) still splutter on about abolishing the monarchy, as though Charles and Camilla were planning at this very moment to bomb Baltimore Harbor again.
My impression is the other 90% of my relatives and friends are looking forward to the whole business, although, given that most of what they "know" was learned from feverishly following "The Crown", I wonder how they'll react to seeing the real people doing their jobs.
I had noted that the guest list didn't necessarily include all members of the hereditary aristocracy. That's a nice step towards the monarchy Charles has promised. More interestingly?.....having read plenty of snarky comments (on American food-blogs) about the Coronation Quiche, I looked up and read the official notice released by the palace......along with its explanation that the dish was infinitely variable to adaptation for various dietary needs or restrictions. The dish's relative affordability was also emphasized. I thought that was a remarkably considerate and sincere touch during a time when most household's budgets are already strained.
I should also add that, as an Episcopalian, I've had to endure two recent bickerings over whether Charles will be our official Defender of the Faith. My only contribution has been to say that he certainly can't be our constitutional monarch, and I'm pretty sure that he doesn't really want to be our DOF. Does he become the defender by default, since we never bothered to establish one in the first place? I seem to be the only person amused by this consideration.
Enough of this. Thank you again for your posting, and I hope Coronation Day is a joyous one for you and your household.
SIncerely,
David Terry (North Carolina, USA)
Welcome to London, from a Londoner!
Zofia Zagorska
Dear Lady Carnarvon, what a wonderful history lesson this was.
I am anxiously looking forward to the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.
Brings sweet memories of watching Queen Elizabeth II coronation when I was a child.
My Aunt was a war bride probably very home sick and my Uncle surprised her with a television set for the big day. She graciously invited my mother and me to share this historical event.
We were up very early and went with packed lunches to share as we watched from the beginning to end this amazing young women gracefully follow all the traditional rituals to become THE QUEEN
ELIZABETH that has always been as she promised "devoted to her country and her people"
I have cleared my calendar to be a part in a very small way of King Charles Coronation Day.
I am proud to say that I am "77" years old and a devoted observer of all things England. I have made the trip over "7" times, visited Highclere Castle "3" times and planning one more visit next year.
I follow each article you write and I too plan to enjoy at least one HIGHCLERE GIN AND TONIC
to celebrate this grand occasion.
Thank you,
Pam Green
I watched Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation on live TV in the US. Very early morning! I plan to watch her son on live TV as well. I’m close in age to the Queen so I’ve followed her life closely from after the war to her marriage & birth of her children. I’m amazed to have been alive this long! I find English history fascinating as I do the history of Highclere and its inhabitants! I do so enjoy your blog! You’re blessed with the gift of the written word. Thank you for the enlightenment you bring to the Monday read!
Miss Sallie in Texas.
The DVR is set to record in case we oversleep. Your beautiful cookbook, a Christmas gift from our son, has the ribbon marking page 83, for appropriate treats! I love all things British and your brief History of the Coronations is much appreciated. We will enjoy the tradition and fanfare.
Cheers!
Shelley in Virginia
Thanks so much,quite the history lesson and much more interesting than in school. Will be getting up very early in Canada on Saturday,as it is my duty as a member of the Monarchist League of Canada. God Bless the King! Cheers!
As a little girl my kind mother allowed me to stay up and listen to the Coronation Service for our late lovely Queen Elizabeth. We lived in Burwood, Victoria then and I was only 8years old. Now I have the privilege of listening to the Service for her son and praying that he will be as wise and gracious as his amazing mother.
Look forward to the coronation!
Thank you for your interesting and well-crafted words, Lady Carnarvon. I’ll be awake early here in Chicago to watch the Coronation, starting at 5:00 AM. What an honor to participate in such an important moment of history, even if only in a small way. I’m full of anticipation, proud of my British heritage, and eager to celebrate the new King and Queen! P.S. I recently learned that Matchbox Cars has created a 9-inch Collectors Coronation Gold Coach, complete with teeny horses and many meticulous details. I think it must be charming, and very fun!
Lady Carnarvon,
Your title of this week's blog is one of my favorite descriptions of England. My prep school required English history in year ten (our founding headmaster desired to replicate parts of the British public schools). Though not a popular course, I loved it and became quite the Anglophile - an irony considering I am also an active and card carrying member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Saturday will be a most marvelous day for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. It will be the first coronation for, I suspect, the bulk of the population. Will you be preparing a Coronation Quiche?
May you and yours enjoy the ceremonies and festivities of the day and weekend.
With highest regards and may God save The King.
I suppose I'll have to settle for having seen the new King when he and I were both much younger!
I saw the "Prince" playing polo in Hawai'i in 1972. He was an officer in the Royal Navy and I, was a Lt. in the US Army, I have many great photos of Prince Charles, which I still have.
Wallace Craig
Midland, Texas
Thank you for that interesting history .and Lovely photos we will be watching the Coronation on tv. And raising a glass to our new monarch and Queen Camilla. I have been to Windsor and they were both in attendance also Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It was absolutely an amazing day the food was just Devine I just hope the weather is nice for the occasion. Long live the King.
Thank you for that interesting history .and Lovely photos we will be watching the Coronation on tv. And raising a glass to our new monarch and Queen Camilla. I have been to Windsor and they were both in attendance also Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It was absolutely an amazing day the food was just Devine I just hope the weather is nice for the occasion. Long live the King.
Good afternoon, Lady Carnarvon.
As tomorrow morning approaches, I am refelecting quite fondly on my summer trip to London last year and its environs last year to see the Queen's Platinum Jubilee exhibits and other historic palaces/houses/sites I missed on previous trips there...Highclere amont them! What a surpise and a delight it was to meet you on your lovely back lawn among "the rest of us" while I was there and to have a chat about your beautiful property and its remarkable story. I have looked forward to reading each of your blogs ever since. Thank you for your latest post at this very special time in British history...one which I will certainly save for perpetuity!
All best to you, your compatriots, and King Charles III!
Debra Pickrel, a Virginian of British descent, now a long-time New Yorker
The British certainly have a way with "pomp and circumstance"! In a tribute, and tip of the cap to your crown, I'm making English scones for my Bible study group tomorrow, complete with clotted cream and strawberry jam! And I will be up bright and early for the event on Saturday. Cheers!