Thoughts on the Coronation of King Charles III

KIng Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria.... by Van Dyke. Image: Public Domain

The forthcoming Coronation in London of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will make history in more ways than one. For this will be the first time in British history that a king called Charles will see his consort crowned.

Although Charles III is the third to rule with this name, neither of his predecessors called Charles held coronations for their wives. Both forewent and were barred from the ceremony for the same reason. Both Charles I and Charles II were married to Catholics and their wives weren't even allowed to take part in Anglican ceremonies.

In June 1625, just three months after he had succeeded his father as King, Charles I was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Watching, at a very discreet distance, was his new wife and uncrowned queen, Henrietta Maria of France.

The couple had been married by proxy the month before, but there was never a real chance of Queen Henrietta Maria being crowned. Anti-French sentiment ran high in England at the time, but more importantly, the new consort was a Catholic and was barred from Anglican ceremonies.

I read somewhere a suggestion that she might have been crowned by a French Catholic bishop but that was soon dismissed. Queen Henrietta Maria became the first queen consort to go without a coronation since Katherine Parr, almost a century earlier.

It was an unhappy start to an unhappy reign. Charles I ended up at war with Parliament. He was beheaded in 1649 and his throne abolished. His son and heir went into hiding and exile, but in 1660, the Restoration of the Monarchy put him on the throne as King Charles II.

Two years later he married, choosing as his bride Princess Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King Joao (John) IV Portugal- England's oldest diplomatic ally. The new queen was deeply religious and remained true to her Roman Catholic faith. So she too was barred from the Anglican coronation.

The Portuguese-born Queen Catherine proved far more popular than her mother in law, despite ongoing religious intolerance and hatred in England.

Despite winning many hearts, and being a figure who popularised in English society the great traditions of afternoon tea, marmalade and Port drinking, never won her rightful crown as her faith always barred her from a coronation.

The name 'Charles' hasn't been used by a monarch for almost 350 years. The accession of King Charles III on 8 September 2022 changed that and his Coronation planner for 6 May 2023, will alter another quirk of history.

For the first time, a King called Charles will see his consort crowned. Queen Camilla will make a history all of her own. She will, I believe, make a very good Queen (from what I have known, seen and encountered with her.)

Thank God my part of the world has moved on from those dark intolerant days. Let's hope in time all anti-Catholic laws and customs are removed in the UK, the other realms and territories overseas. In Ireland of course we bade farewell to the monarchic Institution long ago when we regained our Independence and full Sovereignty.

Nevertheless I think it's fair to say that the friendship that exists between the Irish state institutions and those represented by Buckingham Palace could not be better shape today. I don't believe it was by accident, that the President of Ireland was the first foreign head of state to greet the British monarchs just a couple of days after his accession.

As an Irishman born in Britain this is something I'm proud about having played my own very small part in this ongoing process of peace building between these islands I can also call home.