King Charles III has been formally crowned as King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in what is the first coronation UK has seen since 1953. He took the second oath -- the Accession Declaration Oath -- stating that he is a "faithful Protestant". during his Coronation ceremony on Saturday.
The Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the UK by saying the Church of England "will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely".
Welby then administered the Coronation Oath -- a legal requirement and asked King Charles, 74, to confirm that he would uphold the law and the Church of England during his reign. The King then placed his hand on the Holy Gospel and pledged to "perform and keep" his promises.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made history by being the first Indian-origin British Prime Minister to perform a reading at the Coronation ceremony. “The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be a moment of extraordinary national pride. Together with friends from across the Commonwealth and beyond, we will celebrate the enduring nature of our great monarchy: its constancy, devotion to duty, and service to others. No other country could put on such a dazzling display – the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties,” he said.
There has been a deliberate attempt to make the Coronation a more multifaith and diverse ceremony, alongside what is essentially a Christian church service. There are representatives of the Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Buddhist communities – and the prime minister reading out a Bible reading is Rishi Sunak, a Hindu.
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Black and Asian people will have prominent roles within the ceremony, including as public figures and as part of the clergy. Women bishops will be participating for the first time in a thousand years of Coronations. There are words in Welsh, Scottish, Irish Gaelic, and a Byzantine chant in Greek, as a nod to the King’s late father, Prince Philip.
King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, on Saturday, arrived at Westminster Abbey for the historic coronation in a solemn religious ceremony that dates back almost a thousand years. Westminster Abbey has been the site of every British Coronation since that of William The Conqueror in 1066 and King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, will follow in the footsteps of this grand tradition in a service themed “Called to Serve”.
(With inputs from PTI)
