May 6, 2023

Are you watching the Coronation?


(The tag "Prince Charles" is no expression of hostility to the King, just another manifestation of continuity on this blog.)

A glimpse of the next 2 generations seems exciting:

Special walls are brought out to enclose the King, so the annointing with holy oil is out of view:


In view, various rituals occur, one involving bestowing a jeweled sword on the King and then the King giving it back:


The orb:


(My screenshots.)

83 comments:

Wilbur said...

The continuity is manifest, indeed. And no, I'm not watching. Didn't even know it was taking place.

Humperdink said...

The chlorination (sic) is not my bag. I suspect Mrs. Dink will be watching though. She loves this stuff and has followed the royal family since she was a kid. She knows all the titles, the succession sequence etc.

rehajm said...

Newpe…but checked in. Funny how much stuff goes down in that little area- an excess of history…

I’m off on the hunt for a Jaeger Reverso in the king’s honor…

typingtalker said...

"Are you watching the coronation?"

No. When the last queen was crowned many decades ago, my grandmother took me to a downtown movie theater to watch excerpts on film. Technology has advanced to the point that I had the opportunity to wake up early (for a Saturday) and watch the whole thing live.

The world has changed but not the Royal brouhaha.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

King Charles is not going to last long as a living tag is not an expression of hostility to the king.

Danno said...

No, but my lady friend said she might. Must be a girl thing.

According to Danno, "The only good royalty is dead royalty."

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The prince couldn’t memorise his pledge of allegiance to his father? He read while kneeling from a note held up by someone to the side of the king. Or was that an expression of hostility to the new king?

Temujin said...

Nope. Reading boxscores from last night, going through Twitter posts, cleaning up after grandkids, coffee, and more coffee. No Kings seen around here. Just commoners. Everywhere commoners.

Breezy said...

Couldn’t they just show a 3 minute video? I kid, I kid…

I watched a little of it. Saw him accept the Crown. Kate is stunning, as always. The pageantry is awesome, not to be confused with awful.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Wow… Harry is not even in the front rows.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

If would’ve funny if Camilla had made a v line for the throne as she went by it to her assigned seat.

Maybe the new king would have found it funny.

Aught Severn said...

Happen to be in the middle of a trip to England, so yes. All it is doing is making me appreciate more not living under a government that is (was) a monarchy.

I feel it necessary to point out that the last time an xxx the 3rd was king of England, we won our freedom from mornarchical and parliamentary tyranny...

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Tv camera stayed on the kid of color long enough to make sure enough people watched.

rwnutjob said...

I had too much Hellman's in my sink last night.
Who won the Westminster Derby?

Tina Trent said...

Princess Anne is doing a fine job of entirely obscuring Harry Husband of Meghan with her military regalia. It was smart to seat him directly behind her to keep him in line.

It's a lovely ceremony. Their different tradition of the relationship between Church and State, while now performed by scoundrels, is at least given an airing.

Andrew said...

The best part is the music.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

One of the priests has alopicia, establishing the new king squarely on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air side.

Chris Rock hardest hit, yet again.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Honi Soit Que Mal Y Pense - "Shame on him who thinks evil of it"

It's nice to see that some British traditions survive in Great Britain that's no longer great, or really British. I do not think evil of it.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Wait a minute… where’s Harry’s consort?

gspencer said...

Ther new liege lord.

All hail to Chuckie, Chuckie the Thoid, rhymes with Turd.

Rusty said...

No.
I think South Park did it better.
God save the people of Britain.

re Pete said...

Now when all of the flower ladies want back what they have lent you

And the smell of their roses does not remain

And all of your children start to resent you..............

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I take it the carriage is real gold?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

“Fairy tales were inspired by this” - BBC commentator

William said...

When in the Course of human events …

Beat ‘em in two wars, bailed ‘em out of two others. Who cares?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Carriage is decorated with “thin gold leaves over wood”

Dave Begley said...

Where’s the redhead?

michaele said...

I guess I'm pleased for Charles (in a bleh sort of way) that he lived long enough to not only be king but have all the hoopla of the official coronation. For a while there, I thought the cruel hand of fate was going to be that he was skipped over in favor of William because of the age thing. It's symbolic of our upside down world that England has a decently spry and coherent 74 year old king and the US has a doddering, mush mouthed and foggy thinking 80 year old as president.

Balfegor said...

I didn't watch live, but did go back and watch a stream from Zadok tge Priest up until the actual coronation and fanfare. I liked the Greek chant. The King seemed a bit uncomfortable in his robes.

Guimo said...

Nope.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Canadian Mountie police fresh crushing a truck insurrection.

Roger Sweeny said...

No, though I saw a few seconds. I turned on the tv for the morning weather and there was "Blank Network News Special: The Coronation of King Charles III". Since I didn't think we had a king, I went searching for the weather. And found it at last on a dinky cable news station.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The BBC commenters are lame. might be because their woke predilections is incompatible with what they are describing? Maybe?

tim maguire said...

So it already happened? Will and Kate don’t look very happy.

Mea Sententia said...

I tuned in during Holy Communion, with Charles standing in his golden robe. Then there was this beautiful music that ABC interrupted to show me a tweet from Joe Biden. So I had to change channels.

Kate said...

No, but that's a matter of my sleep cycle winning out. The history and pageantry is fascinating.

What's more interesting is that none of my British gamer friends have mentioned it. When QEII passed, the Discord was filled with feelings.

Sydney said...

Watched the parade. Impressed by the musicians who ride horses while playing their instruments, especially the drummers!

Bob Boyd said...

Charles aspired to be a tampon, but he'll settle for King of England.
Perhaps he can console himself with the sure and certain knowledge that he's a douche.

ccscientist said...

I do not recall any queen in brit history being as hated as Camilla. This does not help the monarchy.

wildswan said...

I can remember watching Queen Elizabeth's coronation in black and white back in the Fifties. I thought it was boring and livened it up by wondering if the crown would stay on her head or fall off suddenly or slip sideways. What would they do then? I believe that was a speculation circulating at the time based on the fact that the crown was made for a man's head which would be larger? Something like that. The crown might drop down over her eyes. But she wore the crown with dignity, then and afterward.

gspencer said...

The orb.

Of all the spooky "things" they have in these ceremonies, the orb takes the cake. Then again it could be Oreos kept inside.

Jamie said...

I love how everyone in the "next two generations" about has resting bitch face! Didn't they school anybody in the at of just turning up the corners of their mouths ever so slightly? That expression looks like interest without sacrificing dignity. What they're all doing looks like intense boredom or, worse, disapproval.

Jamie said...

I love how everyone in the "next two generations" about has resting bitch face! Didn't they school anybody in the at of just turning up the corners of their mouths ever so slightly? That expression looks like interest without sacrificing dignity. What they're all doing looks like intense boredom or, worse, disapproval.

Andrew said...

I don't care much about all the royal soap opera, but watching Harry relegated to third row, and then obscured by a feather, really did seem like poetic justice.

William and Kate looked astounding. Very dignified. I think they "won." Where's what's her name? Still recuperating from South Park?

Andrew said...

I wish King Charles had spoken from his royal balcony, "You riff-raff have wasted my time long enough. Now, sod off!"

john said...

I thought the best part was getting all 6 horses to back up after overshooting the church.

Second was Ann's bicorne hat blocking Harry. Too rich. The whole thing could have been correographed by John Cleese.

Aggie said...

I heard yesterday that this is costing the UK coffers $125 million.

But we've all known that Charles is a fairly low-wattage replacement for the Queen, God Bless'er. She was made of regal stuff. Charles..... not so much. He'll never measure up, and never fail to pander to all the worst impulses.

And poor old Harry, representing the next generation from the cheap seats. The thoughts that must be going through his head, with Sparkle sitting next to him....

Robert Cook said...

It's not my business, as Britain isn't my country, but, to the extent I think at all about the royals, my attitude is "fuck 'em."

We fought a war to free ourselves of their rule over the colonies. Why do Americans (or the Brits) give a toss about the royals, much less seem so fascinated and enamored with them? They're simply parasites on the British citizenry.

Tregonsee said...

My late mother was born in Wales, though she came to this country as a little girl. She told me that she heard the news of his birth while she was carrying me. Apparently, my kicking was keeping her up. :) I find it amazing that it has taken this long from him to be crowned, and did watch the coronation live. It seems a bookend to both our lives.

~ Gordon Pasha said...

Apparently a worthy successor to Old Rowley himself.

Dave Begley said...

Warren Buffett, “I woke up today and realized there was a competing broadcast out of the UK….. We’ve got our own King Charles.” Points to Charlie Munger, from Omaha.

Classic Buffett.

William said...

Not interested. Charles never had much glamour, and now he's an old man. This is like rebooting Indiana Jones with Toby Jones in the lead role. Charles should have abdicated in favor of William. William's okay, but he would benefit from a hair piece or plugs. ... England was still an Empire when Elizabeth took the throne. Her progression from young and attractive to old and dowdy somewhat matched England's progress through the years. There was something reassuring about her dullness.... There's something dispiriting about Charles' age and stiffness. If he lives another twenty years, England will have had monarchs with an older median age than the average Pope for fifty years.

gspencer said...

What if the hat-crowns didn't fit as Chuckie waits?

"I usually take a 7 and five-eights. What other choices do you have? Do you have one with a bill?"

hawkeyedjb said...

Reading Churchill's "History of the English Speaking Peoples" makes me long for the days when men with swords and lances fought each other to determine who would be king. It would be great fun if a usurper were to burst in with an array of pikemen at his side and throw down a gauntlet on Charles.

Smilin' Jack said...

I prefer the way Charlemagne did it. While being crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 A.D. he got tired of all the folderol, grabbed the crown out of the Pope’s hands, and placed it on his own head.

Walter said...

Seems to me that the “K” in “the King” should only be capitalized in American English when referring to Elvis.

Invites confusion, otherwise.

Joe Bar said...

Thanks for the shots. My daughter is getting her doctorate, so I am otherwise occupied. I did not know that physical therapy was so rigorous.

Would only watch to see skate, though.

Narr said...

Didn't realize it was today, and found it when I turned on the TV. Not sure, but I think it was the fag end of the farce.

I like ancient pomp and pageantry as much as the next guy, and more than some, but I'll wait for the highlights reel.

OTOH, I amuse myself thinking the screens were put up to allow privacy for a royal dump.

Yancey Ward said...

I thought about watching it- the last one was before my birth, and if Charles lives as long as his mother, I will probably not be alive to see the next one. But, in the end, I preferred to sleep.

Joe Smith said...

No.

As an American it is kind of appalling.

Rulers decreed by God.

Give me a break.

minnesota farm guy said...

It does seem a shame that the crown could not have skipped a generation and gone to William - and Kate. They seem capable of filling their responsibilities with class. Charles not so much.

Mary Beth said...

No. I live in Louisville and it's Derby Day, so if I were going to watch fancy dressed people that I have no interest in, I'd be watching all of the Pre-Derby show because at least with that there will eventually be horses.

Dustbunny said...

I’m in London but not specifically for this event; I went down to the festivities but couldn’t get close to anything. Those in view of the procession got there much earlier or camped out. People were herded along the streets to viewing screens. It was wet but a massive party. Loved all the silly Union Jack themed costumes. There is an eccentricity here that comes out in pageantry.

John henry said...

When he was a young lad
He knew he'd be a king
Now he's pushing eighty
and it's finally a thing

King Chuck
Lived in many castles
King Chuck
Was it worth the hassles?

Apologies to El Steverino but about the best I can do sitting in gate E20 in Houston

https://youtu.be/FYbavuReVF4

John Henry

Michael K said...

Nope.

John henry said...

In national Socialist Germany army and officials had to swear an oath of loyalty to the office of the fuehrer.

In England pretty much everyone who draws a govt paycheck must swear loyalty to Chuck personally.

Not to the king. Not to the fuehrer.

Chuck also has an amazing array of absolute powers. Custom dictates that he only exercise them under the table. But there is nothing to stop him if he decides to use them.

It is going to be interesting to see if Chick is a Baghotian traditionalist.

He may decide that having only a few years to "git 'er done" he needs to use his absolute kingly/dictatorial powers.

John Henry

ALP said...

Once you've seen South Park's parody of this type of stuff you can't unsee it. Although the setting is usually Canada: "What a day for Canada, and therefore, the world."

I don't see the Royal Pudding.

madAsHell said...

That's a job I could NEVER do.

MalaiseLongue said...

On Instagram this morning I caught a video clip of the orb presentation and suddenly gained a deeper understanding of Monty Python.

walter said...

CAGW dope with pedo in his genes.
It's high time.
He wants it.

Jim at said...

I actually watched a bit of it before going to bed.

I have no use for Charles - or the crown, for that matter - but from an historical perspective, it was fascinating.

Gospace said...

No. I was at the beach with grandchildren and wife.

hpudding said...

Good thing we don’t have a monarchy - instead we have a royal pain in the ass with a combover who tweets from gold toilets all his bleating proclamations!

The only royal drama he has is not recognizing his daughter, TIffany. She was born from wife #2 and not the naked villager Melania.

alanc709 said...

I didn't watch. My only regret is that Elizabeth didn't live long enough to abdicate in favor of Prince William.

RideSpaceMountain said...

@hawkeyedjb

Women and gays hate you and your suggestion. They prefer weft-cut deception and neverending innuendo about what they might do to you, or if all else fails bad-mouthing you to their nannies and anyone who might deign perk an ear to listen.

Like all humans, they despise what they cannot do themselves. Act accordingly.

Narr said...

Dr. Jill and some Biden gal showed up in yellow and blue.

How precious.

And Queenie couldn't stop fiddling with her hair during her crowning . . .

At least we in the Anglosphere can see what trashy people our elites are.

walter said...

Trump lives rent free in hpudding's head.
There's lots of room.

mikee said...

I, for one, would love to know the thoughts of Charles as he was crowned. I hope he writes about it in future, for the public. Until then, I'm going with the entitled attitude of, "About damned time."

gadfly said...

"Meghan's Absence" was scratched from the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. Track officials ran out of starting gates.

Balfegor said...

Re: Smilin' Jack:

I prefer the way Charlemagne did it. While being crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 A.D. he got tired of all the folderol, grabbed the crown out of the Pope’s hands, and placed it on his own head.

Wasn't that the Bonparte? Or did Emperor Charlemagne do it before him?

Mary Beth said...

King Charles could have picked any of his names - Charles Phillip Arthur George - I might have watched if he had picked King Arthur.

Narr said...

I believe Balfegor has it right--Charlemagne was a sincere Christian and respected the office and authority of the Pope; Bonaparte, well . . .

Vonnegan said...

On the subject of "special walls" - Aiden Hart is the Orthodox Christian iconographer who created the anointing screen. He made some large mosaics in our church and they are spectacular. I assume Charles did this as a nod to his father, who was originally Greek Orthodox. https://aidanharticons.com The ones from our church (St George) are prominently featured on Hart's "mosaics" page.

I didn't watch but I was interested in the pictures. Penny Mordaunt looked fantastic, and no one will ever ask her to arm wrestle, that's for sure. Catherine looked wonderful as well, but since when is that news?

We were in England at the same time as the Queen's Jubilee last year. I would have assumed they'd completely run out of bunting after that, but i guess they make a lot of it there.