The British monarch Queen Elizabeth II’s death, in September 2022, shocked the world. After her death, King Charles III was the rightful heir to the throne of the British monarchy. Britain will officially crown the King along with the Queen of Consort, Queen Camilla. The coronation will take place on May 6th, 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
Britain proclaimed King Charles III as the new sovereign of the constitutional monarchy of Britain in September 2022. The Accession Council conducted the official proclamation at St. James Palace. The Clerk of Council read the proclamation aloud after the death announcement of Queen Elizabeth II. It was an important ritual before the coronation.Charles will take an official oath, and after the oath, Archbishop of Canterbury will anoint, bless, and consecrate him with a sacred mix oil. What is the anointing oil ceremony during the coronation?
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The Anointing Of Oil At King Charles III Ceremony Is Consecrated From Jerusalem
One of the important ceremonies during the coronation after the oath-taking is the anointing oil ceremony. It has a biblical significance. There are multiple instances in the Bible which mentions the anointing oil ceremony. The ceremony alludes to “rejoicing, prosperity, and celebration”.
[1 Samuel 10:1;16:12-13] states that Samuel, the prophet, poured oil on Israel’s first king, Saul, and the second king, David as well. The latter is a reference to the significance of the ceremony during the coronation of the new king.
Queen Elizabeth II insisted that the oil should consist of civets, orange flowers, ambergris, roses, jasmine, cinnamon, musk, and benzoin. The Archbishop of Canterbury insisted on using the oil consecrated from the olive oil extracted from Mount of Olives’ olives.
The Mount of Olives is in the east of Jerusalem’s Old City. The Patriarch of Jerusalem procured the olive oil from the groves on Mount Olives. The olive oil concentration process took place at Bethlem, Jesus’ birthplace. The Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem conducted the ceremony on March 3rd, 2023. They held the ceremony where Jesus was crucified i.e., The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.
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The Archbishop Of Canterbury Explained The Importance Of The Ceremony
During the coronation of the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury has been conducting the anointment ceremony since 1066. The current Archbishop, Justin Welby will practice the tradition for the new monarch. In a statement, Justin Welby explained the importance of the ceremony.
He said, “This demonstrates the deep historic link between the Coronation, the Bible, and the Holy Land. From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place.”
The Archbishop continued, “As we prepare to anoint The King and The Queen Consort, I pray that they would be guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.” They prepared the mix using sesame oil, benzoin, amber, neroli, jasmine, orange blossom, and amber. The oil will not include ambergris oil, which is procured from whale’s sperm.
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