A NEW royal period in Britain has officially begun with the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on Saturday (6).
The monarch also swore to retain the Protestant faith in the UK and to uphold the privileges of the Church of England as outlined in a parliamentary act in front of 2,300 guests, including more than 100 heads of state.
According to official viewing figures, 20 million Britons watched the coronation of King Charles at its peak on Saturday.
In some ways, this makes the ceremony on Saturday the most viewed TV programme of the year, although the viewership is far lower than the 29 mn Britons who watched the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in last September.
The King pledged in his oath to uphold the law and “cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed” in the UK and the 15 Commonwealth nations where he also serves as head of state.
In his sermon, the archbishop referred to the occasion as one to “crown a king to serve” and paid tribute to both the monarch’s career of service and that of many of those in attendance, including members of the emergency services, the armed forces, and community organisations.
The first person who paid homage to Charles was the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Archbishop of Canterbury established the new commitment, which broke the history and made the UK open for people of all religions. It may also be a response to a more pluralistic U.K. that views the royals with increased scepticism and contempt.
Charles read a new commitment before assuming this position, which was written by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in which he pledges “to seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.”
In particular, Charles pledged to “preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England” and to uphold “the Protestant reformed religion established by law.”
For the first time during a coronation ceremony, members of the Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, and Buddhist communities embraced the newly crowned monarch as he exited the abbey, saying they “[united]… in thanksgiving and in service with you for the common good.”
MP Penny Mourdant, the first female sword-bearer at a coronation, carried the royal regalia into the abbey.
Lord Kamall on behalf of the Muslim faith, presented the “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom”-the Armills to the King.
Lord Patel brought the ring back from the altar. Lord Singh of Wimbledon held the glove in trust for the Sikh community.
PM Sunak and wife Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, were at the head of a procession of flag-bearers as the UK’s flag is carried into the Abbey by a high-ranking Royal Air Force (RAF) cadet.
As the leader of the UK government and a practicing Hindu, Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of Britain, also created history by reading from the Bible.
“In the Abbey where monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years, representatives of every faith will play a central role for the first time,” said Sunak, in a statement on the eve of the historic event.
The other faith leaders who attended the ceremony are Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera, head monk of the London Buddhist Vihara, Indarjit Singh, a prominent member of the Sikh community, Radha Mohan das representing Hinduism, and Aliya Azam for Islam.
Qari Asim, the chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, said: “It created an environment where people felt a genuine attempt to include people. And this is reflective of the multifaith, multicultured Britain that we live in now. And King Charles has a track record of showing deep respect to other people’s faiths, beliefs, cultures, as well as care for the planet.”
The 300-voice Coronation Choir sang at the prestigious Coronation Concert, which was held on Sunday (7), on the royal residence’s East Lawn.
The quest for the most enthusiastic community and amateur choirs in the UK to serve as the foundation of this new Coronation Choir started at the beginning of this year.
As a result, an ensemble was formed that included deaf signing choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups, and refugee choirs. Gareth Malone, the choirmaster, had coached the group in advance of their well-known performance.
The 18 different choirs that made up this prestigious group are listed below.
British conservative political pundit Calvin Robinson referred PM Sunak a heathen. He was referring to King Charles’ coronation, when PM Sunak read Colossians 1:9–17 from the Bible. Robinson argued that it was improper for a non-Christian to read the gospel during the panel discussion on how the coronation is a Christian event.
Robinson was talking to GB news. Robinson questioned whether a heathen should read the Gospel. He said, “Should we have heathens reading the Epistles? Is it appropriate for a heathen prime minister to be reading a Gospel reading?”
It is noteworthy that PM Sunak has decided to read from the Bible during King Charles’ coronation has already sparked debate, with many praising him for his dedication to promoting diversity in the UK.
Rishi Sunak is the first person of colour and the first non-Christian to have such a prominent position in the ritual, even though the UK prime minister usually takes part in the coronation of the monarch.
Robinson faced backlash across social media platforms for using the term ‘heathen’ for referring PM Sunak. He has served as a deacon in the Free Church of England (FCE) since 2022.
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