What do we know about King Charles's coronation so far?
Medieval chair being restored and oil has been consecrated but many questions remain
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The sacred oil has been prepared. The medieval oak chair is being restored. New musical pieces have been composed.
With less than two months to go before the coronation of King Charles, more details are emerging about the ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6.
Many larger issues, however, remain unknown.
"Some matters have been dribbled out, but we still await news about the processions to and from the abbey, the nature of the procession within the abbey and — above all — the order of service, for what's in and what's out," said Bob Morris, a member of the honorary staff of the constitution unit at University College London, via email.
Other questions also loom: Who will — and won't — be invited to a service likely to unfold before about 2,000 people?
And just how will a service that took about three hours the last time around — for Queen Elizabeth in 1953 — be modified, considering Buckingham Palace has said it will "reflect the monarch's role today and look toward the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry."
"Those choices, once we know about them, I think will reveal … in a way how the monarchy views how the country has changed over the past 70 years," said Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert at Bangor University in Wales, in an interview.
Prescott watched footage of the 1953 coronation recently.
"There's no way you could just do a repeat of that. It's … simply too long and … I imagine within 15 minutes, millions would go and turn onto Netflix."
Morris says it's thought that the order of service may be published before Easter. Invitations may not have gone out yet, he said, because those who receive them would then turn around and reveal that publicly.
Still, there is a broader sense of who may be on the list.
"It seems likely that invitees this time will include representatives from the King's charities and perhaps others who are not celebrities but represent those wider elements of civil society that do so much unheralded effort to enrich the quality of public life in the U.K.," Morris said, noting there also are likely to be fewer parliamentarians and members of the peerage.
Much media attention has focused on a more specific question: will Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend Charles's coronation?
"He wants both sons to be there because if [they're] not, it doesn't matter what Charles does, all the glamour, all the music, all the conversation will be that Harry isn't there," historian Kate Williams told CBC News from London.
There's been a lot of conversation about Harry and the strained relations with his family, much of it set against media speculation of how various issues might relate to whether he and Meghan attend on May 6. Those headlines have included how he and Meghan, who live in California, were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, near Windsor Castle; his live-streamed chat with Canadian author Gabor Maté; and the first public use of the title of princess for daughter Lilibet (she and elder brother Archie have been eligible under royal rules to use the titles of prince and princess since Charles became King last September).
Among the details of the coronation that have emerged, one particularly caught Prescott's attention: "the sheer number [12] of new pieces of music that the King has commissioned."
"That shows that it will be a much more musical coronation, because one thing that did surprise me watching 1953 from beginning to end was actually just how little music there was."
The crowning itself "took place in total silence," he said.
"I think there are ways in which they can refashion all this for modern audiences who have grown up with royal events being weddings and funerals, both of which actually in different ways are highly musical."
There are also plans for a coronation concert at Windsor Castle on May 7, but media reports suggest some high-profile artists have turned down the gig. Among them is Australian singer Kylie Minogue, with some reports suggesting she made that decision because of growing republican sentiment Down Under.
"I think Kylie Minogue's decision not to take part was interesting because she sort of suggested Australia's on a journey to become a republic and she wants to reflect that," Prescott said.
He also sees the possibility that there is considerable difficulty scheduling the very biggest big-name artists on relatively short notice.
"They're just a victim of circumstances here, I think, although for some [artists], that might be a convenient excuse."
What will Canada do?
J.P. Tasker, our colleague in the CBC's politics bureau in Ottawa, followed up on concerns from some that the federal government hasn't given any indication yet regarding how King Charles's coronation will be marked in Canada. Here's the report:
Monarchists in Canada say they're troubled by the fact that the federal government hasn't said yet how the country will celebrate King Charles's coronation — a historic event for the head of state that is just two months away.
Royal watchers say that as a senior member of the Commonwealth with close historic ties to the Crown, Canada should meaningfully mark Charles's investiture as King and the crowning of Camilla as Queen Consort.
The federal government's silence is frustrating, said Robert Finch, dominion chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada.
"We're two months away from the coronation and there's still no concrete plan that we know of. There's no meat on the bones and, in some cases, there aren't even any bones," Finch told CBC News.
The monarch stands at the centre of Canada's parliamentary democracy and the festivities should reflect his outsized position in national political life, he said.
"I don't want the day to come and all we do is say, 'Hey, it's coronation day,' and that's it," Finch said.
"There's a new monarch. There's a new head of state in Canada and it should be recognized in a meaningful way."
In January, the U.K. government released details of a planned three-day spectacle — a countrywide celebration for the first coronation in 70 years.
Along with the coronation ceremony, there will be "big lunches" and street parties, special charity events and a televised concert featuring amateur choirs composed of refugees, LGBT community members and National Health Service workers, among others — all part of Charles's push to make the day more reflective of modern society.
There will also be a special bank holiday — a day off from work so British revellers can participate in the festivities and volunteer with local charities.
Canadian monarchists have coronation envy.
"Celebrating institutions, symbols and ceremonies — those are very important aspects of national life," Finch said. "We should do something."
In a statement, a spokesperson for Heritage Canada said the government "looks forward to celebrating the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in May 2023 and marking this historic moment."
"Work is underway by the government and various partners to plan coronation events and initiatives in Canada," the spokesperson said, noting that details of the events "will be announced in due course."
Finch said that's not good enough and it won't give communities the time they need to plan events.
Justin Vovk, a royal commentator and a PhD candidate at McMaster University in Hamilton who specializes in the history of the monarchy, said he's "not hugely surprised" the government has been tight-lipped about the coronation — it's just not a priority.
"The Trudeau government sort of sees the monarchy as a kind of Christmas ornament. You take it out of the box, you polish it up and you show it off to people maybe once a year, and then you put it back in the box and you don't think about it again until it's absolutely necessary," Vovk told CBC News.
The government may also be aware that Charles is less popular than his mother, which could explain its muted approach, Vovk said.
If the government rolled out "the red carpet" for the coronation, Vovk said, it might look "really insensitive" to Canadians who are struggling with a host of issues — including the high cost of living and a health-care system in crisis.
But Vovk said the coronation could be a "golden opportunity" for the government to refresh the monarchy's image in Canada.
There's no prospect of dumping the Crown any time soon — that would require a protracted constitutional battle with the provinces — and so the federal government should use the day to champion topics it cares about most, Vovk said.
King Charles is closely aligned with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a number of topics. Charles has long been concerned about climate change and youth issues. As Prince of Wales, he promoted Indigenous reconciliation. Charles also has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russia — a position that aligns with Trudeau's worldview.
The coronation celebrations could reflect those shared priorities, Vovk said.
Politics and principles
When King Charles met the president of the European Commission at Windsor Castle the other day, the palace said he was acting on "the government's advice."
But Downing Street said the decision for Charles to meet with Ursula von der Leyen was "fundamentally" a decision up to him.
Beyond the confusion, there were also questions over whether Charles had been dragged into politics as a new Brexit deal over Northern Ireland was agreed upon.
"It looks clumsy and I think whatever the constitutional niceties … Downing Street and the palace have really got to … sing from the same hymn sheet in terms of what is actually happening," said Philip Murphy, director of history and policy for the Institute of Historical Research in the School of Advanced Study at the University of London.
Murphy says it looks like British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been "quite keen" for the meeting to take place, and keen for the optics of endorsement by the head of state for what was happening.
"I don't think there was … anything sort of constitutionally improper about that, but there is a sort of convention, I suppose, that the prime minister should try and shield the monarch from embarrassment and shouldn't put the monarchy in harm's way, so to speak."
Prescott saw the problem as one of timing.
"There's … two principles which somehow seem to collide" he said. One "is that the monarch must always remain out of party politics, and that the monarch must not enter the political fray.
"But …. the monarch as head of state, which is a political position, ultimately meets other international figures or world leaders, of which the president of the European Commission is one."
Prescott sees two examples of Charles as monarch acting on government advice — meeting with von der Leyen and not attending the COP27 climate summit in Egypt last fall.
"We know that if he had a free choice, if he was Prince of Wales still, he probably would have been [at COP], so we can see that … he follows that constitutional fundamental … that he will follow the advice of the government of the day," Prescott said.
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King Charles will travel to France and Germany for his first state visits since becoming monarch, underscoring Britain's efforts to build bridges with its European neighbours following years of strained relations caused by Brexit. Read the full story here.
Long before Charles became King, there were worries in some quarters around whether as monarch, he would meddle in the affairs of state or become more involved in day-to-day politics than his mother ever was.
"We know through the so-called black spider memos that he was quite actively lobbying within government and in ways that was rather dangerous," said Murphy.
"I think that perhaps people have been a little bit surprised how well … he's bedded down to this new role."
Six months in as King, there is perhaps an emerging sense of Charles's style as monarch. Murphy looks to Charles's Christmas Day message as an example.
"It was this sort of quite … warm, caring message. And … you forget how … uncomfortable the Queen was at public communication," he said.
"She had many other virtues. She couldn't really do warmth very well, whereas he can — you know … one to one, he's a very sort of warm, friendly human being."
Next Monday, Charles will make another speech, delivering the Commonwealth Day message from the pulpit in Westminster Abbey. (Queen Elizabeth's Commonwealth Day message was delivered in written form.)
"I think that … he feels that he can do that sort of thing," said Murphy.
Prescott said it's an opportunity for Charles to show his different style.
"We're replacing a monarch who was well in her 90s with someone who is seemingly a very fit 74-year-old. … We're seeing a literally more active monarch again and they're able to do things in perhaps a more modern and effective way."
Clips of Charles delivering the Commonwealth message could be posted to Instagram or Twitter rather than the text being published on the Royal Family's website, Prescott said.
"I think it shows that … as the style of communication changes, anyone in the public eye has to change with it, and the monarchy is no different."
Royally quotable
"The more books you read, the more you are going to understand about different places, different cultures, different ways of life."
— Camilla, the Queen Consort, during a conversation with Joseph Coelho, Britain's children's laureate, to mark World Book Day. They spoke about their shared love for books, the importance of reading in childhood and the joy of sharing stories with loved ones.
Royal reads
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Nearly a month after turning off comments on her official social media accounts, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon is sharing some of the hateful remarks that were directed at her. [CBC]
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Prince Edward has been named as the new Duke of Edinburgh. The title, granted Friday by King Charles on the prince's 59th birthday, will be held for his lifetime. Prince Philip, who died in 2021, had formerly been Duke of Edinburgh. [BBC]
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Catherine, Princess of Wales braved freezing temperatures and snow to help administer first aid to a wounded soldier as part of an exercise on Salisbury Plain in southwestern England. [ITV].
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A sketchbook containing drawings by Queen Victoria is to be reunited with many of her other artworks. [BBC]
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