King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 was a momentous, distinctively British event. However, the pageantry and tradition irk some citizens. They ask, Why have a king at all? Charles may need to prove that the monarchy is still relevant in modern Britain.
To counter criticism of the lavish service, Charles sought to distinguish his crowning from his mother’s extravagant coronation in 1953. Still, many parts of the ceremony harked back centuries. Here are a few significant trappings of Charles’ coronation.
STONE OF SCONE
Charles’ seat straddled the Stone of Scone (pronounced skoon). The red sandstone slab features a rough-cut cross and iron rings. England’s Edward I seized it from Scotland in the 1200s. Before that, a Scottish royal purportedly took the rock from Ireland around 498 where it had served as the coronation stone for Irish kings. In 1996, Britain’s prime minister restored the stone to Scotland—with the understanding that England could borrow it for future coronations.
CORONATION CHAIR
Edward I ordered the six-foot-nine-inch tall oak seat built to enclose the Stone of Scone. The chair has been part of every coronation since at least 1308. Gold leaf and colored glass originally adorned it. Today, “historic” graffiti covers the chair, including this note: “P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800.”
CORONATION SPOON
The 10.5-inch gold-plated silver spoon may hail from the 1100s. It is the only piece of coronation regalia to survive the English Civil War. The rest were melted down or sold. During the most somber part of the coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury pours oil into the spoon. He then rubs oil on the monarch’s hands, chest, and head. The act has roots in the anointing of King Solomon. It’s meant to confirm that God appointed the monarch, who serves as head of the Church of England.
ST. EDWARD’S CROWN
Artisans made the current crown for King Charles II’s 1661 coronation. Every sovereign since has used it. It’s a replica of the original melted down in 1649. The solid-gold, 4.6-pound crown features a purple velvet cap, ermine band, and a cross atop crossed arches. It glitters with gemstones including topazes, rubies, amethysts, sapphires, and aquamarines.
CORONATION BIBLE
The book isn’t old, but the tradition is. Every monarch since the coronation of William III and Mary II in 1689 has received a new King James Bible. Charles’ Bible is handbound in leather and decorated with gold leaf. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, calls it “a reminder that scripture is not just at the heart of the responsibilities he undertakes at the coronation, but at the heart of Christian life.”
Why? After 70 years, there’s a new monarch on the throne of Great Britain. Though it’s been a very long time since the last coronation, historic traditions remain—many of them with good reason.
