I saw Charles III crowned in Westminster Abbey. I expected Monty Python to save the day. No such luck. No comic relief.
Just lots of pomp.
But there was a “tender moment of intimacy,” as the BBC put it. After paying homage to the king, Prince William rose from his knees, maneuvered around the bulging crown, and kissed his father. I had to playback the video, but I’m pretty sure that after receiving said kiss the king did raise his left eyebrow a smidgen.
I missed Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. So everything I saw last Saturday was new to me.
I saw that a lot of Brits have been storing medieval regalia in their attics for seven decades.
I saw that the king could sit for a really long time. I saw that he could, without giggling, let weirdly dressed men fit him with the royal stole, the robe royal, the royal glove (like an oven mitt), and the royal golden girdle on which to hang his royal sword, which he’s not allowed to keep for some weird reason.
I saw that he could nod imperially at cool stuff sequentially presented to him (spurs, bracelets, ring, orb), which he’s not allowed to keep for some weird reason.
I saw that he could stand up and shuffle from the Coronation Chair to The Throne while gingerly balancing The Crown on His Head.
I heard that he was a “faithful Protestant” and would “defend the faith.” I’m pretty sure that’s the Protestant faith because it allows for divorce, which the Catholic faith inconveniently prohibits.
Long live our noble King!
I saw that not only could the new king hold a scepter in one hand and a rod in the other at the same time; but he could also hold his bladder for a really long time. He’s 74. I’m 75. I know the pressure.
I mentioned that last remarkable bit to friends that evening and without hesitation they told me the king was wearing a diaper. A diaper royal, I presume, which the Yeomen Guardians of Secret Undergarments wrapped around him that morning.
Let me pin that for you, Your Grace.
I also heard them say that the king rules by the authority and with the blessing of God the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ his only son, and the Holy Spirit.
That’s blasphemy.
The Defender of the Faith didn’t even bat an eye.
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See Paula’s “Eternal Sentry” on the home page. Posted May 7, 2023
I like your assessment. He is an odd duck, no?
Someone’s going to write a Shakespearean level tragedy, and the players will be K. Charles III and Camilla, William and Kate, Andrew and Sarah, Lords and Ladies, Princess Anne, valets, maids, the Royal Piper from Balmoral, and the Ghost of Diana. The last person standing on stage will be… new King Harry
I KNOW THEY ALL (BRITS) LIKE THE PAST BUT I WAS HOPING HE WOULD UPDATE THE CELEMONY AND SHOW SOME STYLE AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. I GUESS WE ARE ALL HARD TO CHANGE. DON’T BEND YOUR HEAD TO PRAY YOUR CROWN WILL FALL OFF. LONG LIVE THE KING! PEACE AND HEALTH.
“Royalty,” ridiculous in the 21st century. Plus, they look like fools. The so-called royal family, whoever they are, should get paid off with a few million pounds each, and promise that the rest of the world will never have to hear about them ever again. The rest of the loot should be divided up among UK citizens, so that everyone gets a boost, and done.
Sadly, I think we’re all pretty good at blasphemy without batting an eye.
We seem to crave pomp and pageantry, and if some blasphemy’s thrown in–all the better! But as ministers of Word and Sacrament, were all those words we pronounced any less irreverent or presumptuous??
At the time I didn’t think so. But now that you mention it I’d say you are right. Ministers are most guilty of “taking the lord’s name in vain” through vain repetition and conceit.
Did not watch much. Clothing and accessories looked horribly cumbersome. Hadn’t thought about the bathroom question really. Monty Python WOULD have been a relief ! Nephew’s Senior recital was much more entertaining. 😁
I kept thinking of Diana & Harry. To see Camilla become “queen” tells you all you need to know about a monarchy. Pomp & ceremony should be time & $ given to the people & for the planet. Imagine them dressed in normal attire out doing things to help/serve people food, shelter & doing things to help the planet, like solar panels for peoples’ home/buildings. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”
The lavish and costly coronation was a perfectly blasphemous blend of civil religion. That is, it was a uniting of crown and cross, flag and faith, and government and religion. And that was against the backdrop of a severe cost-of-living crisis in the U.K.
But there was one thing you didn’t see—the protest of many Brits in the streets. Police arrested at least 52 people that day and many were detained by police before they could even protest. According to Priya Gopal, Cambridge University professor and author of Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent, there is growing disinterest in the monarchy and criticism of the institution has been “muted” in the mainstream media. She contends, “The media and the police are colluding in essentially suppressing criticism of the monarchy and what has been going on around the coronation.” Something to keep in mind.
I agree that the over the top pomp & regalia are antiquated… some traditions do have their place.. but I will say that he invited many faith leaders to take part ( that’s new), and he has helped many young black men with the assistance of Lionel Ritchie for years and years, and he has been a champion of climate issues long before most… we’ll see where it all leads…
I suspect most “noble” public rituals the world over have always represented arbitrary hierarchy, hypocrisy, and blasphemy. For those afraid of change, and there are millions upon millions, these recurring rituals bring affirmation and (false) comfort. The human cost for such elaborate charades has been tragic and yet the customs persist: God chose me, therefore… kneel… The protesters are essential for reminding the public of the risk of perpetuating the illusions of human hierarchy and intransigent customs. We can DEPEND on them! lol (or not!)
I laughed almost guffawing at your first sentence. How foolish are those who prance in the trappings of impotent power and hold themselves above the divinity within the rest of us And to think we have one who would burn our country to hold that impotent power. Thanks so much for this.
King Chuck…Funky Chuck…
It must be kinda scary, at an age when all your buddies have been retired for several years, to be starting your first real job. Then again, he must’ve picked up a trick or two, all those years waiting in the wings, practicing his lines.
The 1980’s were not kind to Charles. It wasn’t hubris. It wasn’t the mandate of heaven. It wasn’t the on and off again affairs with Camilla. It was trying to fit a round life into a square hole.
As a former citizen of Great Britain, born in an English hospital with corresponding birth certificate, renouncing same to become a 17-year-old bona fide American citizen to join the Army in 1972, I opine thus: Charles would have excelled at and would have had a happier life as a postmaster at one of those quaint English post offices/stores found in villages across England. He might have also served ably on the local borough or city council. In short, he would have been a respected bloke about town, and likely happier. But for now, enter stage right the tragic King out of general casting.
With apologies to Shakespeare: For television ratings, let us sit upon our sofas, and hear sad stories of queens and kings.
Ahhhh come’on guys, all your comments are so relevant. But it was still great entertainment or we wouldn’t all have been watching and wondering?
I like the history and tradition of the Crown (good or bad?) it gives a country something to be proud of.
Charles doesn’t strike me as someone given God’s authority. Just someone their country has given authority and a blessing.
I think when people use statements like “you have God’s authority” or “God told me to do this” or “I do this in the name of God” is breaking the third Commandment. Just my opinion
No way was I getting up at 0 dark hundred to watch a bunch of people dressed up in old sweaty robes, acting out a tradition that is in dire need of a serious overhaul! What a crock! Besides. I fell asleep in History class!
I thought the coronation was a nice break from Donald Trump,
like relief from severe gas pains occasioned by raw culinary sins.
And Trump mistook a photo of a woman who is suing him for
sexually based crime(s?), as a photo of his wife.
And the coronation shows that a patient person may well come
out on top. (No sexual innuendo intended.)
And recall that at one point in his life, Charles wanted to be a tampon.
But when the crown goes on your head, your options are pinched.
Now he’s the King of Britain and the global Commonwealth/Empire,
which isn’t all that “in common,” not to mention the global empire
that once included us before we got upset enough to rebel, aided
and abetted by all the distance of ocean between our countries. And
the less civilized you are during a war, perhaps the better your chances . . .
Once again you’ve “nailed” the issue! The saddest thing of all is how much money the monarchy costs the British people😩
I’m really believe now that their “beloved queen” is gone the people might vote to do away with the monarchy!
I used to believe William would be a “special king”, but unfortunately I think he drank the cool aid!
Sadly, my sense, we’re raising a group in this country who would like to be”king”!