King Charles III’s coronation will axe these ancient traditions

King Charles III’s coronation will axe these ancient traditions
© Samir Hussein
King Charles III’s coronation will axe these ancient traditions
More under this ad

King Charles III is making significant changes to his coronation as he wants to slim down and modernise the monarchy.

About some 70 years ago, in 1953, the Royals tried to make a difference by televising the coronation for the first time ever in the history of the British monarchy. And as the world has evolved tremendously since then, King Charles III is set to make significant changes in a bid to streamline and modernise monarchy to meet the requirements of the changing world.

Discover our latest podcast

More under this ad
More under this ad

Guests and Duration

For starters, the monarch plans to cut down the number of people attending the event and also the duration of the event. In 1953, some 8251 guests attended the Queen's Coronation ceremony – that was three-hour-long – at Westminster Abbey, reports Mirror.

However, King Charles III plans to cut down the guest list to some 2000 people with just a 60-minute-long ceremony instead of the traditional 3-4 hours long event. Many MPs, peers and dignitaries will be missing out on the event that is allegedly scheduled on June 3, 2023. A royal source confirmed:

More under this ad
More under this ad
The King has stripped back a lot of the Coronation in recognition that the world has changed in the past 70 years.
More under this ad
More under this ad

Clothes

The King’s coronation will also be in a less prescriptive dress code. Discussions are taking place on the relevance of robes in the ceremony. Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Mather – who started the King’s coronation’s planning – told The Mail on Sunday:

No Coronation robes. Give them to a museum where they belong. It’s not going to be a tweed jacket and pair of jeans – but morning suit or lounge suit.
More under this ad
More under this ad

Ancient traditions

The monarch will be anointed and vow to be the ‘defender of the faith,’ not the ‘defender of faith,’ as was previously thought, among other important rites. The 1762 Gold State Coach – which was Refurbished at great expense for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee – will once more be a part of the Coronation parade. A royal source also added:

More under this ad
More under this ad
King Charles is unlikely to do the same and the language will be adapted so as to be understandable to a more modern audience.

Other long ancient traditions and customs might be axed to fit the one-hour-long ceremony. This includes – the traditional presentation of gold to the monarch. Queen Elizabeth II was given ‘an ingot or wedge of gold of a pound weight’ but this is unlikely to happen for King Charles. A source said:

More under this ad
More under this ad
In an age where people are feeling the pinch, this is not going to happen.

Sources Used

Mirror: King Charles to slim down Coronation with '6,000 guests and ancient traditions axed'

DailyMail: The secrets of King Charles III's slimmed down coronation REVEALED: Ceremony will last little over an hour - instead of usual FOUR - while ancient rituals are axed and guest list is slashed by 6,000 - but iconic Gold State Coach WILL feature in procession

More under this ad
More under this ad

Read More

King Charles faces new nightmare as documentary reveals scandalous details about Prince Andrew

King Charles must pay Prince William £700,000 per year, here's why

Prince Harry sues Daily Mail again for ‘abhorrent criminal activity'

More under this ad