Queen Consort will be anointed with holy oil without being hidden by a canopy, making her the first ever monarch in history to be consecrated in public view. The news comes as further details of the coronation – including a schedule of the day’s events – have been revealed by the Palace.
- Queen Camilla will be consecrated with holy oil without being hidden by a canopy, in contrast to the last Queen Consort’s coronation, which was Elizabeth Lyons (the Queen Mother)
- King Charles, like his mother before him, will be anointed behind a canopy
- In other royal news, Prince William's next project could be a surprising break from tradition: 'This is pretty extraordinary - it’s never been done before'
More details of the Coronation and the order of service have been unveiled, and Queen Camilla is set to make history. The full details of the Westminster Abbey service taking place on May 6 have been published by Lambeth Palace and it proves that Charles’ coronation is going to be a day of firsts.
It’ll be the first coronation where women clergy members will play a big role and the first to incorporate other languages spoken in Britain, with a hymn set to be sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.
But it will also see a major first for the Queen Consort – who it’s believed will simply be referred to as The Queen after the coronation – as she will be anointed in full public view.
As Queen Consort, like the Queen Mother before her during King George VI’s coronation, Camilla will receive her own special moment during the historic day.
During this, she will be anointed with the holy oil and be presented with a ring which “marries” her as consort to the King.
The ring, an octagonal mixed-cut ruby surrounded by 14 diamonds, bears the symbolism of a ring exchanged in marriage.
A spokesman for the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury has described it as signifying “covenant and agreement, an unbroken bond, without end. It 'marries' Consort to King, and them both to God in duty and to the people in loving service, and in turn acts as an assurance of God's unfailing love.”
Camilla’s anointment will be done in public as one big change to proceedings.
As reported in the Daily Mail, reps for Buckingham Palace said that, in comparison to the King, “this anointing will happen without a screen or canopy to demonstrate the different nature of anointing a consort compared to a reigning sovereign, as this anointing is at the permission of the sovereign.”
When the late Queen Elizabeth was anointed in 1953, she did so with a canopy over her head – and Charles will carry on this custom.
During the Queen’s coronation, it was at the time of the sacred oil that, during the historic broadcast, the BBC cameras looked away because the monarch’s hands, head and breast were said to be anointed.
To keep this sacred act away from public view, Charles has commissioned a screen which will reportedly enclose him on three sides. The screen is said to have been made by 150 needlework specialists at the Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court.
A royal expert in the UK, Michael Cole, has said of the screen, “It's beautifully designed and based on a window at the Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace and essentially it's a beautiful tree and each of the leaves, 54 leaves, bears the names of the countries of the Commonwealth.”
“This will enclose him while this ceremony and the anointing go on, and he will then be wearing a simple white shirt.”
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