Victoria Jones/Press Association/AP |
King Charles III was presented with the historic document that officially records his accession and crowning on Wednesday, as the one-year anniversary of his coronation next week draws closer.
Charles became the British monarch on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022. His coronation was held eight months later on May 6, 2023 in an event unlike anything the nation had seen in seven decades.
The intricately presented and painstakingly crafted manuscript was brought to Buckingham Palace’s 1844 room and presented to the King and his wife, Queen Camilla, by its author, Antonia Romeo, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery.
Held within it is a detailed account of Charles’ accession, the meticulous planning of his coronation and a detailed rundown of all elements from the magnificent procession to deeply religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey. For the first time in 700 years, it was created on paper rather than the traditional animal skin vellum.
Originally written in Latin and French, the practice of making a handwritten official state record of the sovereign’s coronation goes back to Edward II and Queen Isabella in 1308. Most of the rolls these days are kept at the National Archive. The document moved to English in the 17th century, but that didn’t stop the King from making a little quip about the past while viewing it. “At least it’s in English,” Charles joked.
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Aaron Chown/Press Association/AP |
The monarch seemed to be thrilled with the creation and thanked calligrapher Stephanie von Werthern-Gill and heraldic artist Timothy Noad, who helped decorate it with national symbols of the United Kingdom and previously designed the King’s cypher. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am,” he added, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.
In another first, the 21-meter (69-foot) roll has been digitized for the public.
Charles and Camilla appeared delighted when shown the new website, where visitors can also watch video interviews with some of those who helped pull together the lavish occasion, including British lawmaker Penny Mordaunt, who went viral on the day as “the lady in blue” and Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, who’s responsible for orchestrating state events.
“Having it on the websites, it makes it more interesting for people,” the King remarked, according to PA Media.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who was also at the presentation of the roll, said: “The coronation marked a new chapter in our national story and it reflects the very best of our national traditions - which are admired the world over.”
He added that digitizing it would help bring “the tradition into the 21st century” and allow “as many people as possible the opportunity to see it.”
The King and Queen were also given the opportunity to view several other rolls created for his predecessors, including those of his late mother and Queen Victoria, among others.
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King Charles back in action. |
Charles, who is being treated for an unspecified cancer, returned to public duties on Tuesday with his first official engagement since his diagnosis after his doctors were said to have been “very encouraged” by his progress. The first fresh entry in his diary was a visit to a cancer treatment center in London. The visit was very much a continuation of his desire to raise awareness and encourage the public to seek advice if they notice any possible symptoms. He leaned on his own recent experiences when talking to medical teams, patients and their families. Find out more here.
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William visits suicide prevention center. |
The Prince of Wales continued engagements this week with a couple of events in the northeast of England. He visited James’ Place in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, touring the facility and sitting down to speak with staff and individuals supported by the organization. Since opening its doors in January, the Newcastle location has helped more than 140 men, while the organization has treated more than 2,300 men with thoughts of self-harm, according to Kensington Palace. The prince has longstanding ties to the charity, having previously opened its London location in 2022 and its first site in Liverpool in 2018. The organization was created by Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley in 2008 following the death of their son James.
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Ian Forsyth/Pool/AFP/Getty Images |
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Anatolii Stepanov/Pool/Getty Images
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The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022. Sophie, who is the wife of Prince Edward, King Charles’ youngest sibling, travelled to Ukraine on Monday to “show her solidarity with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and torture,” Buckingham Palace said. The duchess is a champion of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security Agenda. While in the country, Sophie also met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and first lady Olena Zelenska. Find out more about the unexpected trip here.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales/Kensington Palace/PA Wire |
A photograph of a beaming Princess Charlotte was released by the Prince and Princess of Wales to mark her ninth birthday on Thursday. This is the second instance where we’ve seen a shift in the release of the photograph from the Waleses. Previously, Kensington Palace would send the portrait out to media outlets under embargo so that the press could prepare for its release.
After the furor over Kate’s recent Mother’s Day photo, which was found to have been digitally altered, the palace’s release process has changed. Kensington Palace appears to be reclaiming some of the control and narrative by only posting to social accounts on the day, aware that any lack of honesty or sense of inauthenticity will spark all sorts of conspiracy theories.
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Joshua Sammer/Getty Images |
Prince Harry is going to be back in Britain next week! He’s popping over to celebrate a milestone anniversary of the Invictus Games, the biennial sporting competition he founded a decade ago. Harry is set to give a reading at a ceremony at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday to mark 10 years of the Invictus Games and its foundation, it was announced on Sunday. The last time the prince was back in his home country was in February, on a swift visit after his father’s cancer diagnosis was announced.
The next Invictus Games is set to be held next year in Vancouver and Whistler in Canada. The cities in contention for the 2027 games were revealed on Wednesday to be Birmingham in the United Kingdom and Washington DC, with a decision expected by the end of July.
Meanwhile, the prince’s office confirmed to CNN over the weekend that he and Meghan would travel to Nigeria in May. In a press release, the Nigerian Defense Headquarters expressed “honor and delight” over the upcoming trip. “During their stay in the country, they will be meeting with service members and will be hosted to arrays of cultural activities,” the press release said.
Read more on this story here.
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"Your stories and your experiences are vital tools as we seek to bring about change: to forge a world in which people, whoever and wherever they are, do not live in fear of being abused."
– Queen Camilla
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Queen Camilla hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday in recognition of those who support sexual assault survivors. The event also marked the return of Wash Bags Project, which she started in 2013 after hearing experiences of survivors during visits to Sexual Assault Referral Centers. The initiative supplies toiletries to people impacted by rape and sexual abuse. |
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