Polls indicate that most Canadians consider the coronation of King Charles III something of a yawn and that they won't be climbing out of bed at an ungodly hour on Saturday to watch the ceremony. It will take place at Westminster Abbey, a suitable venue for the Defender of the Faith to receive his crown. This is, of course, the faith of the Church of England, which is Christian.
I appreciated Queen Elizabeth II because my late mother, a contemporary, adored her, so she must have been a good sort. One of the highlights of Mom's life was to be received by the Queen amongst a host of others. I certainly came to respect Elizabeth's commitment to public service even though I felt and still feel that monarchies in general make no sense and that the British monarchy represents colonialism and plunder. There is no way to defend this.
I'm not a fan of King Charles in particular for a number of reasons and yet I feel that his attempts to support a multi-cultural, multi-faith society should be lauded. This will be reflected in the coronation ceremony, as reported by NPR:
It will be a coronation of many faiths and many languages.
King Charles III, keen to show that he can be a unifying figure for everyone in the United Kingdom, will be crowned in a ceremony that will for the first time include the active participation of faiths other than the Church of England.
Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders will take part in various aspects of the coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury's office said Saturday, as it revealed details of a service it described as an act of Christian worship that will reflect contemporary society.
The ceremony also will include female bishops for the first time, as well as hymns and prayers sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, as well as English.
"The service contains new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society,'' Archbishop Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Church of England, said in a statement. "It is my prayer that all who share in this service, whether they are of faith or no faith, will find ancient wisdom and new hope that brings inspiration and joy."
I seem to be making a habit of saying positive things about Charles so I'll stop here.
I wonder, will the Stone of Destiny be swiped again after making its way to the Abbey from Scotland? Don't get me started about Queen Camilla...
2 comments:
Yes you are in the habit of saying nice things about Charles! His values, his environmental outlook and actions, his sensibilities around inclusion. I think his personal life around his marriage and divorce from Diana has caused many people to be unable to embrace him fully (maybe ever). Your thoughts? K
Asking for my thoughts may be dangerous Kathy!
Most marriage break-ups are complicated but the situation with Charles and Diana and Camilla seemed particularly ugly and destructive. For some it may simply have been the end of a fairy tale, but it was also soul-destroying for Diana. Even when they were together I had no interest in the perpetuation of the monarchy and what it represents. Remember when Charles and Diana and the kids came to Sudbury? I just couldn't get excited.
While Charles has interesting ideas on environmental issues, which I applaud, he is a billionaire who has a number of vast estates.This certainly makes it much more difficult to take him seriously.
The realization that almost every monarchy, anywhere, has depended on exploitation and colonial power is also deeply unsettling.
And last, but not least, a Christian cleric inviting people to say "God save the King! May the King live forever!" does seem a tad...blasphemous.
I will probably note other positive initiatives on Charles' part but I do feel its time for the monarchy to end.
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