King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, in a coronation ceremony steeped in ancient ritual and brimming with bling at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain.
In displays of royal power straight out of the Middle Ages, Charles was presented with an orb, a sword and scepter and had the solid gold, bejeweled St. Edward’s Crown placed atop his head as he sat upon the 700-year-old oak Coronation Chair.
In front of world leaders, foreign royals, British aristocrats and stars, Charles declared: “I come not to be served but to serve.” Inside the medieval abbey, trumpets sounded and the congregation of more than 2,000 shouted “God save the king!” Outside, thousands of troops, hundreds of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged.
It was the culmination of a seven-decade journey for the king from heir to monarch.
To the royal family and government, the occasion — code-named Operation Golden Orb — was a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world.
UK’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and his wife Valerie were invited to sleep at the royal residence of King Charles and his wife on the Friday night before the coronation. Since Clarence House is less than a mile from Westminister Abbey, Rabbi Mirvis and his wife were able to walk to the coronation from there.
Rabbi Mirvis released the following video on Motzei Shabbos:
To the crowds gathered under rainy skies — thousands of whom had camped overnight — it was a chance to be part of a historic occasion.
But to millions more, the day was greeted with a shrug, the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke largely gone.
And to a few, it was reason to protest. Hundreds who want to see Britain become a republic gathered to holler “ Not my king.” They see the monarchy as an institution that stands for privilege and inequality, in a country of deepening poverty and fraying social ties. A handful were arrested.
As the day began, the abbey buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colorful hats. Among the dignitaries and notables who streamed in were U.S. first lady Jill Biden, first lady Olena Zelenska of Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron, eight current and former British prime ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals, and celebrities including Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie.
During the traditional Anglican service slightly tweaked for modern times, Charles, clad in crimson and cream velvet and ermine-trimmed robes, swore on a Bible that he is a “true Protestant.”
But a preface was added to the coronation oath to say the Anglican church “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.” It was the first ceremony to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths, as well as the first in which female clergy took part.
Charles was anointed with oil from the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land — a part of the ceremony so sacred it was concealed behind screens — before being presented with the Sovereign’s Orb and other regalia.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby then placed the crown on Charles’ head, while he sat in the Coronation Chair — once gilded, now worn and etched with graffiti. Underneath the seat was a sacred slab known as the Stone of Scone, on which ancient Scottish kings were crowned.
Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, was also crowned.
For 1,000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in such grandiose ceremonies that confirm their right to rule. Charles was the 40th sovereign to be enthroned in the abbey — and, at 74, the oldest.
These days, the king no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.
The king does remain the U.K.’s head of state and a symbol of national identity — and Charles will have to work to bring together a multicultural nation and shore up support for the monarchy at at time when it is waning, especially among younger people.
While most Britons view the monarchy on a spectrum ranging from apathy to mild interest, some are fervently opposed to it. The anti-monarchy group Republic said several of its members, including its chief executive, were arrested as they arrived at a protest in central London.
Police had warned they would have a “low tolerance” for people seeking to disrupt the day, sparking criticism that they were clamping down on free speech. Human Rights Watch said the arrests were “something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London.”
The multimillion-pound cost of the all the pomp — the exact figure unknown — also rankled some amid a cost-of-living crisis that has meant many Britons are struggling to pay energy bills and buy food.
Charles has sought to lead a smaller, less expensive royal machine for the 21st century, and his was a shorter, smaller affair than his mother’s coronation.
The notoriously feuding royal family put on its own show of unity. Prince William, who is next in line to be king, his wife, Kate, and their three children were all in attendance. Towards the end of the ceremony, William knelt before his father and pledged loyalty to the king — before kissing him on the cheek.
Then Archbishop Welby invited everyone in the abbey to swear “true allegiance” to the monarch. He said people watching on television could pay homage, too — though that part of the ceremony was toned down after some criticized it as a tone-deaf effort to demand a public oath of allegiance for Charles.
William’s younger brother Prince Harry, who has publicly sparred with the family, arrived alone. His wife Meghan and their children remained at home in California, where the couple has lived since quitting as working royals in 2020.
As Charles and the key royals joined a magnificent military procession after the ceremony, Harry stood waiting outside the abbey until a car arrived to drive him away.
Large crowds cheered as Charles and Camilla rode in the Gold State Carriage from the abbey to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a procession of 4,000 troops and military bands playing jaunty tunes.
From the palace balcony, the king and queen waved to a sea of people outside, as the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, sped overhead, trailing red, white and blue plumes.
Julie Newman, a 77-year-old visitor from Canada who braved the rain and the crowds, said it was worth it.
“From what we could hear, it was awesome — but we’re ready to go back home and watch it all on the television,” she said.
(AP)
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25 Responses
a chief rabbi in westminster abbey? are you for real, rabbi?
i watched part of the ceremony in that church, and, man alive, it’s the most goyish thing i have ever seen. and the chief rabbi sat there? i’m still in shock
Shabbos in a church. And he’s proud of that and his “mesorah” to do so.
Hashem Yiracheim.
The Monarch is come a long way from
really, shame….poor fellow, I guess he had no choice….I do …bowing down to enemies
The Gemara in Brochos (58a) says that a person should make an effort to see Gentile kings. This is also in the Shulchan Orech. The coronation of the king was not a religious service because it was not held on Sunday. True, sitting in a church was problematic but to decline the personal invitation of the king because of Shabbos might have stirred up anti Semitism.
He’s admitting it in a way that sounds half sarcastic half sad, a “chieff” rabbi at the church on shabbos.. a real leader would have said, “her majesty” has to pick another day or I will have to deny your “thoughful” invitation… That was a weak guy .
Why does he feel the need to brag about it?
there are no words really.. and no excuse.. we are truly living in an insane world. we have forgotten who we are.. at least some of us.. Our main goal is to remember that we are yidden.. We have no kesher with these crazy chazir eaters even if they put on a crown on their stupid heads.. obviously.
extend our wishes.. to kingie charlie.. give me a bag I am going to be sick.. golus jews.. Hshem please help these miskenim!
Rabbi Sacks wasn’t much different….we would like our HISTORY returned thank you…a short reign would work
Therefore me as a religious jew, because I had pressure to go to my bosses wedding, will therefore now, not hesitate to go to the church for the wedding service and will hope I will also feel privileged as Rav Ephraim was.
What a CHILUL HASHEM IN PUBLIC !!!!!!!!
@yechiel: why are you watching a ceremony in a church?!
Stop the LH – PLEASE!
davidthekanoi – i wanted to watch a coronation. but when i heard all that goyish stuff, i immediately MUTED my computer. ok?
strresident – “The coronation of the king was not a religious service because it was not held on Sunday.” well, obviously you didnt watch it. sunday, shmunday, it was the MOST religious goyish service i have ever hear, but , like i said, i quickly MUTED my computer. (and closed my eyes, when some of them started crossing themselves) ok?
As sickening as it might be, this rabbi sent a warning message. We should see it as a distress signal. If jews don’t stand up right now, it might get too late. Each day, our strenght and our faith is getting tested.
And it’s not a random thing when he mentionned Herman Adler in 1902. What happened after that? A war. We are at war, we must ackownledge this fact.
Why is anyone judging Rabbi Mirvis? What would it signal if he snubbed the ceremony. Recall what happened in the story of Kamza and Bar Kamza when the rabbanim refused to accept a korban sent by the emperor. I am certain Rabbi Mirvis would have liked not to participate but sometimes you do what you have to do. Maybe the royals would understand, but the general populous may not and that could have caused an anti-semitic reaction.
What a bunch of jealous ignorant peasants. Chief Rabbi is 100% clear to do this as an advocate for the Jewish people of Briton.
נישט יידישקייט
King Charlie is not a real king, the British “monarchy” is a business and the “royal family” are simply figureheads with no real power. This is all “pageantry” as they themselves call this display of the “coronation”. Nothing would happen to the Yidden of England if Mirvis would send a nice congratulatory letter instead of attending services in a church on Shabbos. But to do that AND to gloat about doing it is absolutely horrendous.
AND btw, Westminster Abbey is a real church and the CEREMONIES in all Christian churches are just that, ceremonies, as they worship to their trinity getchkes in many kinds of “ceremonies”.
I feel I have to make a little clarity here:
As most of the commenters over here seem to be American and unfamiliar with British Jewry, and even those that are British no well that this so called “chief rabbi” has no kesher with the regular chareidi kehilos in the UK, and are therefor pretty clueless as to who he really is.
1) The idea of going to a church for a coronation is definitely not kosher/lechatchilah. Though, the policy of past chief rabbis in the UK was to attend only if personally invited by the relevant rising-to-throne member of the monarchy, so as to not bring shame and hurt, being the British representative of British Jewry.
what this “chief rabbi£ has done though, is (as i will explain in a minute) take it further. he relishes in it, so joyously trumping the fact that he can do such an abomination and still claim that it is a laudable act r”l.
2) To better understand who this rasha is, you have to take into account, that not long ago, when “rabbi” J. Dweck שר”י gave a speech lauding all the LGBTQ abominations, saying that what the Torah says in פ’ קדושים about these matters is not….. i don’t want to say (it is outright כפירה), this lowly “chief rabbi” lord malach Ha-Mirvis joined up with him and wrote a booklet saying how special these low-life’s are, and that our Holy Chachamim were as if ch”v themselves…… עפרא לפומיה!!
Since then, he has taken upon himself a self-appointed Jihad against the chareidi Tzibur here in the UK, by pushing the whole time for ‘furtherance’ ch”v of these matters in Judaism, sometimes serving as a moser, and generally being a מחטיא את הרבים for those that are ‘amcha yidden’ and don’t know better, thinking of him as a religous person. No chief Rabbi ever did what he did! When Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l once did something not ‘ois gehalten’, there was an uproar from the chareidi kehilah, after which he symbolically put on a rekel, and went to Rav Padwa to ask ‘mechilah’. He understood that he had stepped over the boundaries, not like this big ba’al gaava of a rasha!
The only place he has really a presence is within the groups of shuls known here in the UK as “United synagogue”, though in the more chareidi area’s they don’t fully go with him, due to his kefiros.
It is therefore outrageous that YWN even bring mention to him here, he is a KOIFER who Rabbanim from all over the world, USA, UK and Eretz Yisroel have all come out against him, some even bordering on cheramim (and no I am not talking about satmar etc, i am talking about the generally accepted Rabbanim).
wow he really is the cheif clown
Mirvis has little yiras shamayim and no respect for the Mesorah of klal Yisroel. He has said in the past that Yaakov Avinu, Dovid Hamelech and Yonah Hanavi had mental illnesses ר”ל. Rabbi Shternbuch שליט”א has condemned him in a letter dating 7 Av 5780 that he is not to be considered part of klal Yisroel. He has repeatedly walked into churches and mosques and made jokes about Judaism in front of christian audiences. May Hashem Yisborach grant him the opportunity that he will open his eyes and do Teshuva Shleimah.
A Rotten one.
Even a five-year-old Jewish kid would have known not to go to a church on Shabbos — and especially not to pray among non-Jewish clergy there. I doubt the chief rabbi’s presence will help Israel’s reputation among British politicians. They control what the king can say.