A “stripped down” Coronation might blow a crucial opportunity to raise Britain’s stature abroad, pundits warned yesterday.
According to reports, King Charles prefers a scaled-back event with a guest list that is reduced from 8,000 dignitaries to only 2,000.
Commentators said the preparations ran the danger of projecting an image of a “cut-price Coronation” to the globe and would miss a chance to showcase the country on a grand scale.
It may be a missed chance for the monarchy to use its “soft power,” according to historians, since displays of pomp and grandeur would bring attention to Britain.
The Coronation might promote tourism in a similar way to how the Queen’s state funeral brought visitors to London and Windsor.
After a winter dominated by the cost of living crisis and the conflict in Ukraine, historian Andrew Roberts said the Coronation, which is anticipated for next summer, might prove to be a much-needed celebration.
“Coronations happen once in a generation,” he remarked. If people see this as a cheap Coronation, it will backfire.
“This is an opportunity to represent the people and the country on an international level.” If it went to waste, that would be really terrible.
Although there is no set date, it is anticipated that the King will be crowned in Westminster Abbey in June of 2019.
A day of pomp to equal the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, which was seen by millions of people in Britain and throughout the globe, was what royal watchers had hoped for.
However, King Charles is said to want a more condensed service to symbolize his desire for a more condensed, contemporary monarchy while preserving some of the drama and solemnity that surrounded the Queen’s death.
Plans for the Coronation call for significant time reductions, from more than three hours to slightly over an hour.
In addition, only 2,000 guests rather than the 8,000 dignitaries who attended the Queen’s Coronation would be invited. It is also possible to substitute formal attire for ceremonial robes.
For the three-hour event that was broadcast on television for the first time in 1953, almost 8,000 visitors jammed into Westminster Abbey.
Millions of people witnessed the mysterious rites and age-old customs. However, elements are anticipated to be dropped from the Coronation of the next year, including giving the king gold ingots and the drawn-out Court of Claims procedure that assigned members of the aristocracy to ceremonial duties. Officials from the palace and the government have been working on the Duke of Norfolk’s Operation Golden Orb preparations.
According to The Mail on Sunday, The Duke, who was instrumental in organizing the Queen’s burial, has been given the duty of planning a more varied, simplified, and condensed Coronation service.
The King has significantly scaled down the Coronation, a source told the newspaper, “in acknowledgment that the world has changed in the previous 70 years.” Prince William is anticipated to be a key player in the ceremony’s preparations as well.
The King’s Coronation plan was initiated by Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Mather, however it has since been revised.
No coronation robes, he said. They belong in a museum; give them to one. Instead of a tweed jacket and jeans, it will be a morning or lounge suit.
There are roughly 700 peers, but not all of them will be there, he said. The MPs will not all be there since he is not being crowned in their honor. For the people, he is being crowned.
Standard seating will probably take the place of the velvet seats created for the 1953 Coronation. It’s also possible that the king won’t get gold as is customary. The Lord Great Chamberlain presented a “ingot or wedge of gold of a pound weight” before it was set on the altar.
According to a source, “This is not going to happen in an era when people are feeling the squeeze.”
The king will be anointed and vow to be the “defender of the religion,” not the “defender of faith,” as was previously thought, among other important rites.
The procession will also include the 1762 Gold State Coach.
Arcane terminology will be modified for a contemporary audience, and the event is anticipated to be more religiously and ethnically diverse.
“Coronations are occasions of national rejoicing,” remarked Mr. Roberts. Nobody likes to squander money, but properly handling events like these is necessary for Britain to use its soft power.
“A spectacular event like a coronation is an opportunity to highlight Britain to the rest of the world.” It might do wonders for promoting Britain.
However, Prince Philip Revealed author Ingrid Seward predicted that the day will still have some spectacle. It will be different from the Queen’s Coronation, she remarked. It was a totally different era, and she was 26 and young and gorgeous.
I believe King Charles has a keen sense of the general mood. The world has evolved. Both a domestic crisis and a conflict in Ukraine are now underway.
Although I still believe this Coronation will be just as spectacular and appropriate for our times, we do still need happy moments. The Buckingham Palace chose not to respond.