Queen Elizabeth wanted to 'preserve the mystery' around this rare royal tradition that was a 'moment between her and God'
Both Queen Elizabeth and King Charles have kept this incredibly solemn custom private
Throughout her history-defining reign, Queen Elizabeth II oversaw many firsts and ushered in many changes, but there was one “solemn” tradition that was kept private - and King Charles followed her lead seventy years later.
Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation was the first of a British monarch’s to ever be fully televised, but one part was kept hidden - the anointing of the oil. The Chrism oil is consecrated in Jerusalem ahead of a coronation, and per the Royal Family’s website, “It has historically been regarded as a moment between the Sovereign and God.”
In a new book, royal historian George William Cullen Gross suggests this was Her Majesty’s way “to preserve the mystery surrounding it”, and perhaps a testament to her faith and dedication to her role as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
In the book, Crown and People: British Coronations and the Shaping of National Identity 973–2023, Gross writes, "In a similar vein to the religiosity of baptism, the ceremony of anointing was hidden from television cameras during the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II to preserve the mystery surrounding it”
"In this instance, four Knights of the Garter held the canopy of gold over and around the monarch to shield the act from view. During the act of Anointing, the monarch disrobes from their crimson robes and takes off any jewellery, giving up all symbols of their status."
The book goes into more detail, explaining that the oil is presented in "an eagle-shaped flask in solid gold, [which] dates back to the remade crown jewels for the coronation of Charles II in 1661."
Interestingly, despite many changes in his own coronation in 2023, King Charles decided to keep this moment private as well.
The Royal Family’s website wrote in more detail about what was to take place in the build-up to the historic affair. They explained, “The Dean of Westminster pours holy oil from the Ampulla into the Coronation Spoon, and the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the Sovereign on the hands, chest and head.
"It has historically been regarded as a moment between the Sovereign and God, with a screen or canopy in place given the sanctity of the Anointing."
King Charles’s anointing took place behind a special screen he had commissioned before the coronation. His Majesty personally chose the design of the anointing screen, which was inspired by the stained-glass Sanctuary Window in the Chapel Royal and created by the Royal School of Needlework.
The central design takes the form of a tree which includes 56 representing the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth. The King’s cypher was positioned at the base of the tree, representing the Sovereign as servant of their people.
