Is King Charles Having a Second Coronation?
All eyes were on the UK in May when King Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey in a coronation ceremony designed to formalize his position within the British constitution since his accession to the throne last September. Hence why people waking up in the past few days to the news that he has been at the center of another ceremony in Scotland (which is also being described by some as a coronation) could be forgiven for being slightly confused.
King Charles did not have a second coronation yesterday, but he *was* presented with the Honours of Scotland at a Service of Thanksgiving in Edinburgh’s St Giles' Cathedral to mark his May coronation. The Honours, which are also referred to as the Scottish Crown Jewels, were used to crown Scottish monarchs before the formation of the United Kingdom. Since then, they have not formed part of a coronation but are now presented to UK monarchs as symbols of their authority in Scotland during a service. Unlike his coronation in May, the Scottish crown was not placed on the King’s head today.
Comprising of a crown, scepter, and sword of state, the Honours of Scotland date back to the 16th Century—making them older than the Crown Jewels held at the Tower of London, most of which were made in the 17th Century. They are usually kept at Edinburgh Castle and were brought to the cathedral by a procession of people representing all aspects of Scottish life described as a People’s Procession. The King and Queen, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales (who hold the titles Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland) traveled from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is the King’s official residence in Scotland, to the cathedral.
As with the King’s May coronation, the public was invited to line the streets to view the procession. There were a number of protesters who also joined the route, chanting “Not my King”—shouts that the Telegraph reported could be heard from inside the cathedral as the service took place. Polling shows that the royals are less popular in Scotland than in the UK as a whole, with numbers revealing that the percentage of people in Scotland who want the UK to become a republic is higher than the UK as a whole.
You Might Also Like
