There are important local elections next week. You’ll know my view of our Liberal Democrat-run councils by now and how I’ve been encouraging people to vote on the doorstep, but a party-political article on behalf of the Conservative Party would not pass muster with the Herald, so I’ll stick to the non-political event that will take place 2 days later instead!
The King’s Coronation on 6th May will be an event no-one under the age of 70 will have seen in their lifetimes and few under the age of 80 will remember. It will be a very special occasion that will bring the country together, as events involving our monarchy always do.
Although he is already King, it is the moment King Charles III will formally have the crown placed on his head. It begins with King Charles being presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury to those attending the service in Westminster Abbey, who will shout God Save the King.
King Charles will take the oath, in which he swears to uphold the law and the Church of England, before his robe is removed and he takes a seat in the 700-year-old Coronation Chair. He will be concealed from view by a gold cloth and will be anointed by the Archbishop with oil containing various ingredients including jasmine, roses, orange flowers and cinnamon, but no ingredients derived from animals.
The investiture will follow, with the King being presented with the Royal Orb, the Sceptre and the Sovereign’s Sceptre, before the crown – St Edward’s Crown – is placed on his head.
The ceremony will undoubtedly make many of us think of Queen Elizabeth II and her magnificent service to our nation. It will also be a celebration of our community and our relationship with other countries. Over 800 community representatives will be attending the ceremony to recognise their contributions, including 450 British Empire Medal recipients and 400 young people from charities chosen by the Royal Family, including Barnardo’s and the National Literacy Trust, who will join the leaders from across the world in attendance.
In case you’re wondering, MPs don’t attend. There were a small number of places allocated to Members of Parliament that were allocated by a ballot and I was unfortunately unsuccessful, so I will be watching on the tv like everyone else!
But across the weekend I’ll be doing what I did on occasions such as the Platinum Jubilee, and seeking to get to as many Coronation-related events in the constituency I can. On Sunday there will be all sorts of street and open-air parties taking place and the Monday is designated as the Big Help Out, to encourage volunteering. Unlike the week before, there won’t be any politics.
