(LifeSiteNews) – Britain’s King Charles III was crowned on Saturday at Westminster Abbey, London, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in a ceremony retaining most of its ancient traditions, peppered with a few modern and “interfaith” twists.
Charles III, who became king on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, is the supreme governor of the Church of England, in the tradition of the Church’s founder, King Henry VIII, who broke with the Holy See in an effort to divorce his wife and remarry. Accordingly, King Charles III swore on a Bible during the ceremony to maintain in the UK the “Protestant Reformed Religion.”
A new preface was added to the Coronation Oath of 1688, by which Charles III vowed “to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.”
In a sharper break with English and Anglican tradition, the ceremony, which is structured around an Anglican Communion service, included female “clergy,” as well as representatives of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths. The Epistle was read by Britain’s Hindu Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The novelties are in step with Charles III’s reputation for promoting creeds even aside from Christianity. In 1994, he famously referred to the monarchical oath to be “Defender of the Faith” and expressed a wish to be “‘Defender of Faith’… not the faith.” While still Prince of Wales, he later backtracked somewhat on the statement, wanting to be seen as “protector of faiths.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also designed a new oath for the ceremony, which, in another departure from tradition, was spoken aloud by all those watching his coronation. This pledge, called the Homage of the People, replaces the previous Homage of Peers, which called upon dukes, the highest ranking nobility in the U.K., to swear their allegiance to the Crown, as the Daily Mail noted.
According to this new Homage, the people declared, “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”
Pope Francis gifted the monarch some of the most treasured relics of the Catholic faith for use in the ceremony: two relics from the true Cross of Christ. The relics adorned the Cross of Wales, which led the coronation procession into Westminster Abbey.
The Cross of Wales and its now incumbent relics of the True Cross will now be shared by Welsh Anglicans and Catholics.
The coronation of Charles III was attended by international dignitaries including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as celebrities such as Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, and Lionel Richie.
Thousands of protestors also made a show about a mile from Westminster Abbey, including those belonging to the anti-monarchy group Republic, who held up signs saying “Not My King.” The group’s leader was arrested hours before the coronation, Reuters reported. Republic CEO Graham Smith has criticized the institution for what he claims is its “abuse” of position and public money, and for giving politicians “too much power.”
While the protestors were outnumbered by the tens of thousands of supporters of the king, surveys show enthusiasm for the monarchy in Britain is waning. A recent YouGov poll found 64 percent of people in Britain said they had little or no interest in the coronation, with that number rose to 75 percent for those aged 18 to 24.
The British Monarchy has a long history of refraining from interference with the decisions of Parliament, and in fact, for the last several centuries, such interference has been very rare across the remaining monarchies of the world. However, British laws still require Royal Assent to go into effect, which will now come from King Charles III.
King Charles III as well as his father Prince Philip have both attended Bilderberg meetings, a highly secretive annual forum used by world elites since 1954 to further their vision for the world. In June 2020 Charles was one of the leading speakers at the launch of the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset initiative.
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