A Guide to the Coronation

English historian Dr. Allan Barton has a video channel on YouTube,  entitled The Antiquary.  He has created some excellent videos explaining various aspects of the coronation ceremony, past and present, and I'll be posting more of those in the coming days.

But my fellow Americans, let us understand one thing from the outset:  there is no such word as coronated.  

However, the King will be crowned at his coronation on May 6th.  You got that?

It should also be understood that the coronation is a deeply serious and solemn religious service:  the monarch is anointed and consecrated, and in turn dedicates his life to the service of his people.  It bears no resemblance to the hoopla attendant on, say, crowning a Miss America or other temporary celebrity. 

King Charles will be the 40th monarch since William the Conqueror to be crowned in Westminster Abbey - a line of continuity reaching back a thousand years.  There is nothing wrong with that; we could use a little more continuity and dignity over here, in my view.

Here is a snippet from a recent BBC documentary with some scenes of the late beloved Queen's coronation in 1953, and her thoughts on what it meant.

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