Britain: King Charles's coronation will cost 1021 crores, why coronation after eight months of Queen's death?
These days preparations are going on for the coronation of King Charles III in Britain.
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These days preparations are going on for the coronation of King Charles III in Britain. King Charles III will be coronated in London on 6 May. Preparations for the coronation of King Charles have been going on since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Meanwhile, it is being told that those watching the coronation will be invited to swear allegiance to the king and his successors.
Why is the coronation being done? What is coronation in Britain? Who will be present at this event? What's in it for India? Let us know…
Why is the coronation being done?
King Charles, 74, and his wife Queen Camilla, who ascended the British throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year, will be formally crowned in a religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.
Such an event is going to take place after a gap of 70 years, before which such a royal tradition was last seen in 1953 for the late Queen. Coronation is being organized on a grand scale. Between May 6 and 8, the festival will end in Britain amid grand events.
What is coronation in Britain?
Coronation is the ceremony at which the monarch is formally crowned. This ceremony takes place after the end of the mourning period for the death of the first king or queen. Traditionally, a coronation is a purely ritualistic and religious event, held as a celebration.
The ceremony will be officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. For the past 900 years, coronation ceremonies have been held at Westminster Abbey.
He will be adorned with a crown and royal paraphernalia at the coronation ceremony. The Maharaja will be crowned alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. This usually happens several months after the new king has been installed. By tradition, the kings and queens of Britain have been crowned at Westminster Abbey since William the Conqueror in 1066.
Why the coronation eight months after the death of the queen?
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, according to British succession laws, the throne passed without ceremony to her son and heir apparent, Charles. Due to British law, the heir to the throne becomes king or queen immediately after the death of the previous king/queen. There is never a time when there is no king or queen of the kingdom.
The official coronation process began on 10 September, two days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. On this day the Accession Council met at St James's Palace to announce King Charles III as the new King of Britain. The ceremony, called the Privy Council, was the first official ceremony for the new monarch, where he took an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland.
From then on, several phases of kingship began, including the necessary visits to Northern Ireland and Wales. By May, King Charles and the royal family continued to work on 'Operation Golden Orb'. 'Operation Golden Orb' is the name given to the plans for the coronation ceremony. According to the official website of the British Crown, the coronation of a new monarch is followed by a period of mourning, some months after his accession. That is why Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne 16 months later on 2 June 1953, when her father King George VI died on 6 February 1952.
What will be the time of coronation?
The coronation ceremony of King Charles III will begin at 11 AM London time (4:30 PM Indian time). It will be broadcast live in the UK through channels such as BBC, ITV and Sky News. However, other British and American television networks have not yet made plans to broadcast the coronation live.
How much will the program cost?
The coronation of King Charles III is estimated to cost over Rs 1021.5 crore. The entire cost of the coronation will be borne by the British Government as it is a subject of it. The estimated cost is twice that of the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, when the British government spent £1.5 million. This amount is equivalent to approximately Rs 528.7 crore today.
Who will be the guests during the coronation?
There will also be other foreign kings, ministers and heads of state. US First Lady Jill Biden will represent the US and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is expected to attend from Beijing's side. Friends of Charles and Camilla will also be present at the ceremony.
Jagdeep Dhankhar will represent India
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will represent India at the coronation of Britain's King Charles-III and Queen Camilla. At the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru represented India. Britain had initially invited President Draupadi Murmu for Charles's coronation, but Dhankhar will attend the event in her place.
Bollywood actress Sonam will attend the coronation
Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor is going to be a part of King Charles III's coronation event on May 7. Sonam will be the only Indian celebrity to grace the event amid stars like Truman Cruise and Katy Perry. Sonam Kapoor will introduce the Commonwealth Virtual Choir at the coronation event.
MPs oppose 'oath of allegiance to King'
According to the information, Britain's biggest clergyman has appealed to the people to take oath to their king. The people shall take oath saying that I do swear that I will bear true allegiance to you and your heirs in law. God help me in this.
Graham Smith, who campaigned for the abolition of the British monarchy, said that the oath of allegiance to the people should be taken by the state and not the other way around. At the same time, other leaders, including Green's co-leader Adrian Ramsay, also objected to this.
Ramsay said this pledge is somewhat out of date. Green peer Jenny Jones also expressed skepticism over the appeal swearing allegiance to King Charles. He said it was strange to be asked to take an oath of allegiance. The monarchy is an old institution that needs to be reformed.
Security concern before coronation
Meanwhile, concerns about the security of Buckingham Palace have grown. Actually, a person has been caught for throwing some suspicious object near the palace. Officers took the man into custody at around 7pm on Tuesday after he approached the gates of Buckingham Palace in London.