Millions To Swear Allegiance To King Charles In Historic Coronation
Millions of people will be called upon to swear ‘true allegiance’ to King Charles at the coronation scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey, Daily Mail reports.
The UK-based news platform added that for the first time in history, every citizen of the UK and all the other nations of which the monarch is head of state will be asked to “make their homage in heart and voice to their undoubted King”.
The trailblazing move will make the ceremony more of a ‘People’s Coronation’, as previously only members of the aristocracy were called upon to make such a pledge.
The “Homage of the People” is just one of the significant updates to the ancient ritual, which will see other religious faiths, as well as the Church of England, playing key roles. Female members of the clergy will also be involved for the first time.
The influence of the late Queen will be clear throughout the two-hour ceremony and there will be a tribute to the King’s late father, Prince Philip.
And when Queen Camilla is crowned after her husband it will be the first time a Consort has been anointed in full public view.
The break with centuries of tradition will be most marked with the Homage of the People, when the Archbishop of Canterbury will call on those in Westminster Abbey, and watching on television to pledge their allegiance.
It replaces the “homage of the peers” where members of the aristocracy lined up to honour the new monarch. Now only Prince William, Charles’s heir, will do so.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said, “It’s hugely exciting. It’s probably the most radical departure from tradition we’ve heard about so far, and it’s about as inclusive as you can get, asking the whole world to acclaim him as King.”
“It’s a wonderful, democratic and inclusive gesture and very 21st Century.
“We knew all along this was going to be a different and modern twist on the Coronation but this step is really quite a radical one.”
Constitutional expert Sir Vernon Bogdanor added, “It’s a very sensible change. Even in 1953 I think it was out of date to have the peers there to represent the people as a whole. It is certainly out of date now. It would look ludicrous.
“The Coronation confirms that he is the rightful King and it’s right that a sample of people should be doing that. The Coronation has to balance tradition with adapting itself to current conditions.”
During the homage, 150 million people across the UK and Commonwealth will be called upon to say: ‘I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.’ After a fanfare, the public will add: ‘God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live for ever.’
A spokesman for Lambeth Palace said, “Never before in our history have the public been offered such an opportunity to join with national figures in declaring their allegiance to a new sovereign.’
