The Coronation
The coronation of King Charles III is on 6 May 2023
by Brian Radcliffe
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To explore different opinions about King Charles III’s coronation.
Preparation and materials
- None required.
Assembly
- An occasion that none of us has ever experienced will be happening on 6 May: the coronation of a British monarch. In Westminster Abbey, at a ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Charles will be crowned with the seventeenth-century St Edward’s Crown.
Up and down the country, there will be events to mark the occasion: parties, pageants and meals, possibly with costumes and fireworks. For many, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, although Charles’ reign cannot last as long as his mother’s 70-year tenure. - The coronation is a symbolic ceremony: in fact, Charles ascended to the throne as soon as his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died, on 8 September 2022.
In addition, his accession to the throne will make little difference to our everyday lives. Parliament is where the laws of this country are debated and passed, ready for the monarch to provide assent. The King is the UK head of state, but his powers are symbolic and ceremonial, and he remains politically neutral.
So, let’s consider how different groups of people will view King Charles’ coronation on 6 May. - For many, the King’s coronation is a symbol of what makes us British. The country’s history, culture, traditions and Christian religion are all enshrined in the coronation.
The UK has had a monarchy for nearly a thousand years. Our sports teams stand to the sound of our national anthem, whose first line is ‘God save our gracious King’. National days of celebration and remembrance focus on the monarch. The armed forces pledge their loyalty to the monarch, and media interest in the monarchy knows no end. - For another group, however, the coronation of King Charles will symbolize the division between rich and poor; it emphasizes privilege and will be very expensive to stage. Some people would like to see the monarchy disbanded.
- Some, of course, will see the coronation as a great marketing opportunity. There will be flags, mugs, coins, T-shirts and many other souvenirs to buy. In addition, the travel and tourism industry will receive a boost, which will create an uplift for the overall UK economy.
- Some people point out that the coronation centres on London, the capital of England. They question whether people in other parts of the UK - especially those countries where the independence debate continues - may feel that it is not a reflection of the UK as a whole.
- Finally, there are those who have no interest in the coronation. They might feel that 6 May will be a good day to go for a long walk, do a few odd jobs or simply have a good read.
Time for reflection
St Paul gave an instruction to Christian believers in one of his letters (1 Timothy 2.1-2). He said that they were to pray for kings and all those in authority, so that they might live quiet, peaceful lives.
Whatever our beliefs about the role of the monarchy in the UK, we can have a positive attitude to Charles, wishing him the best and encouraging every initiative that he takes to improve our society.
Song/music
The national anthem, available at: https://youtu.be/0a5KcGHwnzA (1.15 minutes long)
Extension activities
If you are using this assembly before 6 May, invite the students to share how they intend to spend the day. Link these responses with the attitudes outlined above.
If you are using this assembly after 6 May, invite the students to share how they spent the day.
You may find it interesting to compare students’ intentions with what they actually did.
