ROYAL RITUALS
Hidden meaning behind King Charles’ Coronation regalia – from the mysterious single glove to the ‘stone of destiny’
THERE was a mysterious single Royal glove, a curious Coronation girdle and a Stone of Destiny.
Reading the Coronation’s order of service beforehand, the bizarre regalia and secret anointing ceremony could have come from the pen of Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown.
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There was even the Leader of the House of Commons — resembling a Game of Thrones warrior princess — shouldering the 8lb Sword of State for much of the ceremony.
Indeed, one US news magazine labelled “the overall vibe” as “Disneyland on acid”.
Little wonder that some feared how the ceremony would play out with the TikTok generation.
Yet Charles had wisely stuck with an order of service that has served the institution for 1,000 years.
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The King knows well that without an aura of mystery, the monarchy becomes little more than a civic mayoralty.
And from the moment the Royal trumpeters sounded the fanfare that announced Charles and Camilla’s arrival at Westminster Abbey, the ceremony was spellbinding.
It’s very strangeness and eccentricity only added to the otherworldly atmosphere.
The choir sang Hubert Parry’s reworking of Psalm 122 with haunting new Latin refrains of “Vivat Regina Camilla” and “Vivat Rex Carolus” to begin the ethereal service.
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Meaning “long live Queen Camilla” and “long live King Charles”, the words rang out as Camilla slowly paced through the abbey, her vast train trailing behind her.
The assortment of royal regalia was placed on the altar.
Each relic is loaded with significance that has served the kings of England — and later Britain — well.
Heavy on medieval mysticism and Old Testament ritual, the service dates back to Anglo-Saxon King Edgar’s coronation in 973.
Historian Tom Holland likened the living history embodied in the ceremony — which also has Biblical elements — to “going to a zoo and seeing a woolly mammoth”.
And when set to haunting choral music inside the musty Abbey, the rituals and regalia took on an almost supernatural quality.
Those golden spurs would lend knightly values of courage and honour.
The Coronation Girdle — made of cloth of gold — is used to attach the Jewelled Sword of Offering which should be used for “the protection of good and the punishment of evil”.
While the Coronation Glove or gauntlet is worn to hold the Sovereign’s Sceptre during the Crowning.
The most rousing moment came as Zadok the Priest — written by the German-British composer George Frideric Handel — was sung as the King was anointed with holy oil behind ornate screens in a “sacred” moment.
One Twitter user wrote: “Whatever your stance on the coronation, Zadok the Priest is an absolute banger.”
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Composer Tony Britten rearranged the music for Uefa in 1992 as the new anthem for the Champions League.
Perhaps the most electrifying moment of the ceremony came after Charles had lowered himself onto the battered, 700-year-old Coronation Chair complete with graffiti from the 18th century.
Beneath the wooden structure — the oldest piece of furniture in Europe still being used for its original purpose — rested the ancient Stone of Destiny upon which Scottish kings were crowned.
Dressed first in a collarless shirt, then gold robes, the 4lb 15oz St Edward’s Crown was carefully placed on Charles’ head by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
The King had been practising for the weight by wearing a bowler hat with a bag of flour inside, while the Archbishop prepared for his big moment by “crowning anything that stood still long enough”.
Former MP Gyles Brandreth — a guest inside the abbey — said of the crowning: “It was deeply moving.
“I looked around at that very moment and there were tears in people’s eyes.”
Saturday’s ceremony delved deep into Britain’s historic past to help reveal its future.
The abbey was an easy blend of races and religions from all four United Kingdom nations and the Commonwealth.
A religious man, the King appeared serene throughout.
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Perhaps the most touching moment of the day was when the monarch’s solemn facade finally cracked as his eldest son kissed him on the cheek shortly after he was crowned.
The King’s eyes became watery as he whispered: “Thank you.”
Meanwhile former Tory leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt, who starred in reality TV diving show Splash! in 2014, was trending on social media for her Coronation role.
Wearing a teal dress and cape embroidered with gold ferns, the Lord President of the Privy Council had made an “Olympian” effort clutching the heavy sword.
Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry said: “Got to say it, Penny Mordaunt looks damn fine. The sword bearer steals the show.”
Former BBC man Jon Sopel — now host of podcast The News Agents — tweeted: “The Penny mightier than the sword.”
Penny, 50, had been strengthening her arms with a push-up routine in preparation for the occasion.
She explained that her background as a Navy reservist had made her adept at “standing for long periods of time and not fainting”.
Things ended with a tearful national anthem.
One guest, British Empire Medal holder Kim Beck, 60, from Solihull said she was “so emotional” that she “was struggling to sing it”.
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The Anglo-Saxon ceremony had melded ancient British history and wisdom with modern sensibilities.
Its absurdity was its power.
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