ARTICLE
KING CHARLES III
THE ROYAL CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III AND CAMILLA
This historic event, the first coronation of a Canadian Head of State and Monarch in 7 decades, allowed communities to come together and highlight themes that both King Charles III and Canadians hold dear, including service, the environment and sustainability, and our nation’s diversity. May 6, 2023
The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, took place on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II.
The ceremony was structured around an Anglican service of Holy Communion. It included Charles taking an oath, being anointed with holy oil, and receiving the coronation regalia, emphasizing his spiritual role and secular responsibilities.[a] Representatives of the Church of England and the British royal family declared their allegiance to him, and people throughout the Commonwealth realms were invited to do so. Camilla was crowned in a shorter and simpler ceremony. After the service, members of the royal family travelled to Buckingham Palace in a state procession and appeared on the palace’s rear and front balconies. The service was altered from past British coronations to represent multiple faiths, cultures, and communities across the United Kingdom; it was shorter than Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and had a peak UK television audience of 20.4 million.
The coronation elicited both celebrations and protests in the United Kingdom, with surveys carried out in April 2023 suggesting that the British public was ambivalent towards the event and its funding. Celebrations included street parties, volunteering, special commemorative church services, and a concert at Windsor Castle on 7 May. The events in London and Windsor drew large crowds but were also protested against by republican groups. There were 52 people arrested on suspicion of offences related to protesting, drawing criticism from Human Rights Watch. The response in the other Commonwealth realms was similarly mixed; while there were many celebrations, some governments and indigenous groups took the opportunity to voice republican sentiments and call for reparatory justice.
Charles and Camilla’s coronation was the first of a British monarch in the 21st century and the 40th to be held at Westminster Abbey since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066.[1][b] WIKIPEDIA
On June 2, 1953, in Liverpool England – Paul Ygartua at eight years of age, clearly remembers to this date the pompous grandeur of the crowning of the young Queen Elizabeth ll – watching on a small black and white t.v. where the family, friends and neighbours all gathered around to see the crowning of Elizabeth – the longest reigning monarch in the UK.
Paul is of Basque and British Heritage and has always had an interest in the history of the world, and is especially fascinated by his own British and Basque Heritage.
“As an artist, it is very difficult to paint faces of Royalty due to the pompous ceremony and pompous outfits – distracting the viewer and notably in this rendering of King Charles lll in full military regalia. But, I thought it was important to create a royal status by introducing his medals and at the same time creating a realistic lifelike image – it was challenging, but I feel that I have captured the essence of the subject.”
Paul Ygartua
