King Charles III and Queen Camilla are the new rulers of the United Kingdom. As expected, the ceremony of coronation held today in London, proved to be a global event. The plan for the coronation, code name 'Operation Golden Orb': a perfect car! Today for the first time the British sovereign wore the St Edward's Crown, the Imperial State Crown, received in a solemn ceremony celebrated in theWestminster Abbey. King Charles will wear the crown at every opening ceremony of the UK Parliament. It is the crown of Saint Edward, made in 1661 for King Charles II: the most precious, important and heaviest (over 2 kg in weight) in the United Kingdom. 31 centimeters high, decorated with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, it has a Cullinan II diamond in the center (the Cullinan I is set instead in the sovereign's scepter), of exceptional purity as well as the largest in the world. To receive the investiture of queen the consort of the king, Camilla Shand, the great love of her life.
King Charles and Queen Camilla
The first moment of the ceremonial provided for the recognition, or the traditional introduction to the subjects, once entrusted to the heralds of the figure, of the new monarch with an annexed reference to the formula of "God Save the King”. This was followed by the presentation of the royal insignia of the house of Windsor to the new sovereign: the golden globe and the two sceptres, surmounted by a cross and a dove, to respectively symbolize the roots of his temporal power and his spiritual prerogatives. While two other sceptres were presented to Camilla as the new queen. Charles III is sworn to the medieval throne of St Edward the Confessor, placed on Stone of Destiny.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby he emphasized the new monarch's respect for all faiths of his subjects, as guardian of the laws of the Kingdom and the Church of England. Another very significant moment of the ceremony was the anointing of the new sovereign. The Anglican primate used the holy oil of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem to mark a cross on the hands, chest and forehead of the king. The oil is kept in the Ampolla, a golden eagle-shaped vessel made in 1661 by the royal goldsmith Robert Vyner. The head of the eagle it is removable and there is an opening in the spout for pouring the oil. The oil is poured from the cruet into the royal spoon, a precious object present in every coronation ceremony of British monarchs since 1603.
Greetings to the subjects
Today around 11 the royal procession left Buckingham Palace towards Westminster Abbey where the investiture ceremony of the new sovereigns took place. Carlo and Camilla traveled the journey on the historic Golden Coach, one of the oldest carriages in the royal family. The new sovereigns of the United Kingdom crossed the flag-lined avenue of the Mall and then passed through Trafalgar Square. And for the government citadel of Whitehall and Parliament Square to finally reach the entrance of the great western gate of the abbey. Waiting for them the heir to the throne William, his wife Kate, princes of Wales, and their eldest son George. Just William, heir to the throne, knelt down in the presence of the new king during the ceremony, swearing loyalty to him and to the crown.
The other members of the royal family, heads of state and crowned heads from all over the world were present. Following the ceremony broadcast live by all major national and international television stations, millions of viewers around the world. At the conclusion of the religious ceremony, the royals retraced the same route they took in the morning, directed to Buckingham Palace.
Alongside the progress of the royal carriage 4000 soldiers of honor departments, all in full uniform. Before leaving the church, Carlo gave up the St Edward's crown and wore another, but more modern and lighter one dating back to 1937. It is the'Imperial State Crown, usually exhibited at the annual opening ceremony of Parliament. Once they arrived at the Royal Palace, the sovereigns leaned over from the balcony to greet their exultant subjects.
(Images official page Britsh Monarchy/ King Charles III/ Queen Elisabeth II/The Royal Family)
