King may let anointing be seen by the public
THE King could become the first monarch in British history to be publicly anointed at his Coronation with a transparent canopy being specially made for the ceremony on May 6.
Traditionally, the most sacred part of the Coronation, when the Archbishop of Canterbury pours holy oil from the ampulla on to the Coronation spoon, and anoints the sovereign on the hands, breast and head, is not seen by the public. In previous years, including Queen Elizabeth II’S Coronation in 1953, a canopy of cloth-of-gold was held over the monarch’s head for the anointing to protect their privacy.
But The Daily Telegraph understands that an alternative canopy, with a transparent top, is being made to give the King the option of allowing the anointing to be caught on camera for the first time. The Royal School of Needlework is believed to have started work on the canopy, which is being sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Weavers and the other City livery companies.
The King has yet to decide which one will be used.
Historically, the cloth-of-gold canopy has been carried by the Barons of the Cinque Ports or Knights of the Garter, who performed the honour in 1953. Whichever canopy is chosen for the Coronation of Charles III, it had been hoped that it would be carried by scholars of Christ’s Hospital – a charity boarding school in Horsham, West Sussex, which offers children from humble backgrounds the chance of a better education. But there are concerns it may prove too heavy for school children and will need to be carried by Guardsmen.
The prospect of a public anointing poses problems for the King’s dress, however. The late Queen underwent multiple outfit changes for the Coronation in 1953, and wore a low-cut white
dress for the anointing. Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm what the King, 74, will wear.
He could opt for traditional coronation dress of silk stockings and breeches, opulent robes made from velvet, silk, damask and ermine, and heavily embroidered gowns, or a military uniform, or wear a combination of the two.
At previous coronations, the monarch has worn the “Supertunica”, a fulllength, sleeved coat of gold silk, which was made for the Coronation of King George V in 1911. There is also a Stole Royal to be worn over the Supertunica, as well as a Robe Royal and an Imperial Robe, both featuring intricate embroidery. Each has been worn at different times in the ceremony.
But the need for the King to expose his breast for the anointing could prove problematic should he opt for military dress. The easiest option would be for the King to wear his uniform as a Marshal of the Royal Air Force because it consists of a jacket over a shirt and tie that could be easily undone.
A Field Marshal of the British Army uniform is single-breasted while his Admiral of the Fleet uniform would
pose the biggest headache because it is double-breasted.
This Royal Navy uniform, however, is the one the King is thought to prefer and tends to wear most frequently.
Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace announced that the Coronation celebrations will include the ceremony at Westminster Abbey on the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend, followed by a Coronation Big Lunch on the Sunday and an evening Coronation Concert that night at Windsor Castle. A day of volunteering will be held on the Monday billed as the “Big Help Out”.
While about 30,000 members of the military took part in the Royal procession for the 1953 Coronation, this year’s event will be significantly pared down, with about 3,000 representatives from all the Armed Forces and emergency services taking part.
As one insider put it: “It is going to be a grand spectacle but if you compare it to 1953, it’s going to look like very small beer indeed. The level of bling is going to be very sharply reduced.
“Seventy years on from the last Coronation, we simply aren’t capable of putting on the kind of full-blown pageantry that we did in 1953.”