A ceremony designed to be traditional yet also reflect changing Britain
For years it had been written that the King planned to make the Coronation as inclusive as possible. Much had been made of Charles III pledging to be defender not just of “the faith” but all faiths.
Yet while the palace may have dialled down that rhetoric by insisting the Coronation Oath will not be changed, the newly released plans for the Coronation weekend in May reflect the monarch’s desire to be “the people’s King”.
While the service on the Saturday will be rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry – including a Gold State Coach procession through the streets of London – there will also be more modern elements to reflect a Britain that has changed considerably since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953.
As one royal insider involved with the planning put it: “The Coronation itself is a great and glorious occasion – by its nature, it’s majestic but it needs to be inclusive, and reflect the Britain of today – it’s a more diverse nation than it was in 1953.
“The King is also keen for it to carry a legacy, and that’s where the volunteering aspect comes in.”
As well as the official ceremony at Westminster Abbey, officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a weekend of celebrations has been designed specifically with the aim of bringing communities together.
Although the BBC will be leading on the special Coronation Concert planned for Windsor Castle on the Sunday night, the King is understood to have endorsed the inclusion of refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs as well as the Virtual Choir, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth.
As a lover of both music and dance, Charles is a huge fan of choral music and helped the Duke and Duchess of Sussex find the gospel choir that performed at their wedding in 2018.
The centrepiece of the Coronation Concert, Lighting up the Nation, will see the country join together in celebration as iconic locations across Britain are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations. An echo of the Platinum Jubilee beacons that illuminated the UK and the Commonwealth last June, again this reflects the King’s desire to promote community cohesion.
In another nod to his late mother, the 74-year-old’s decision to set aside the whole Bank Holiday Monday for a day of volunteering in the form of the Big Help Out is another attempt to bring people from all walks of life together for the common good.
In his Christmas broadcast, he spoke of his “belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others, and to shine a light in the world around them,” adding: “This is the essence of our community and the very foundation of our society.” The King hopes that the Coronation Weekend will create a lasting volunteering legacy.
“Unity through diversity” has long been a theme of the King’s work with the Prince’s Trust and other charitable endeavours.
In 2017, he spoke of the importance of “rediscovering unity” as he opened the Oxford Islamic Centre. That’s where the Coronation Big Lunch, at which neighbours and communities are invited to share “food and fun” together, comes in during the day on the Sunday. While the King respects that some people will take no interest in the Coronation at all – he and the Queen Consort want to give members of the public who cannot travel to London the opportunity to join forces in celebration. According to a royal source, the couple are hopeful the weekend will capture the street party spirit of the late Queen’s jubilees.
In generations past, coronations have tended to be elitist affairs.
By creating a weekend of public participation, the King appears determined to ensure that the royal event of the century isn’t just about him – but the people he serves.
‘The Coronation itself is a great and glorious occasion – by its nature, it’s majestic but it needs to be inclusive’