A new king for the 21st century: HRH King Charles III
Last Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of attending remotely the majestic and moving coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. Our host was the Consul General to New York and Trade Commissioner for North America, Emma Wade-Smith. She had invited 300 guests to Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall at 5:45 AM so that we could all be ready for the BBC’s live streaming of Westminster Abbey’s ceremony which began promptly at 6:00 AM.
As we sat there in our festive outfits and fanciful fascinators, I could not help but mull over in my head one thought: what if Queen Elizabeth had allowed her son to marry Camilla instead of making him hold out for the 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer?
The Camelot couple
Back then, a large portion of the world jubilantly watched Charles and Diana’s wedding believing that this was the royal match made in heaven. Nothing could have been further from the truth for this couple. Theirs was an unhappy marriage followed by a nasty divorce, Diana’s tragic death, and a family in emotional shambles.
But I am meandering. What I wanted to discuss was my reaction to the lavish, medieval ceremony with all its archaic rituals which surprisingly was counterbalanced with welcomed modern tweaks. To King Charles’ credit, he personally oversaw many of these innovative concepts. His goal was to make the coronation more contemporary, inclusive, and democratic and yes, shorter too. And indeed he did!
Despite the anti-monarchists and their “He’s not my King” chants, most critics worldwide gave King Charles’s 21st Century coronation an enthusiastic “thumbs up.”
New additions to a medieval ceremony
For example, female Bishops of the Church of England participated in the coronation. Leaders from the world’s other religions—Jewish, Muslin, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh—were included as well. Whereas Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was reserved mostly for aristocrats and heads of states, her son’s guestlist of 2,000 also included celebrities and ordinary people, especially those who had served the country in some meaningful capacity.
The selection of orchestral and choral music—a highlight for me—was surprisingly eclectic and stunningly beautiful. Throughout the ceremony, guests and viewers around the world were treated to a remarkable selection of music which respected tradition but also included just the right splash of modernity to keep it relevant.
Music for everyone
King Charles’ love of music was on full display with his personally curated choice of classical and contemporary music. Hymns were sung in Welsh, Scottish and Irish Gaelic as well as English. Several of the songs were commissioned by the King from such British composers such as Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Judith Weir, and Debbie Wiseman.
My favorite was the performance by the Ascension Choir which consisted of handpicked members from the Southeast England-based Christian gospel group Kingdom Choir. The octet, led by Abimbola Amoako-Gyampah, sang “Alleluia (O Sing Praises)” composed by Debbie Wisemen. Performing acapella, the group rocked the Abbey as they swayed to the music in their dazzling white tuxedos and gowns.
The unpredictable
If you recall, this was the same group which performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. However, it was the King, not Meghan, who proposed inviting Kingdom Choir to the wedding. As it turns out, Charles is a great fan of gospel music and insisted that the group return for his big day too.
The only awkward moment during the ceremony was the presence of Prince Harry and his disgraced uncle Prince Andrew. Both were given seats in the third row behind Prince William and his picture-perfect family. In fact, Harry’s view was almost completely blocked by his aunt Princess Anne’s towering red feathered hat! Further, neither Harry nor Andrew was invited to appear on the royal balcony at Buckingham Place after the coronation. It seems prime locations were reserved for “working royals” which excluded these two prominent members of the family.
A monopoly on staging grand events
Let’s face it, no one does pomp and ceremony like the Brits. Their command of pageantry for royal occasions, from weddings to funerals to coronations, cannot be surpassed, not even by Hollywood. What we saw on our three massive screens in New York City, thanks to the BBC, was a flawlessly choreographed performance. Not only did the coronation ceremony dazzle us with its diamond-studded crowns, orbs, and swords, but also with its spectacular parade of military might. Nineteen bands and 4,000 troops stretched for a full mile from the palace gates along the Mall. Throw in several golden carriages, hundreds of horses, and the Red Arrow acrobatic jets roaring through the air, and you have an amazing spectacle.
Working for their supper
Even though recent polls show that many Brits, particularly the young, find royalty irrelevant in today’s world, there is still a large contingency who respect the “firm,” or “Brand Monarchy,” as it is now called. For those of us who can count, it’s hard to ignore the evidence: the working royals pay their way!
The economic benefits generated by Brand Monarchy come at a very low cost to the British nation. Take for example the estimated £50-100 million cost of the coronation and royal concert which followed at Windsor Castle. We’ve learned from the UK Hospitality, a trade association for the hospitality industry, that the king’s coronation could bring a £350 million boost to the sector. You do the math.
Many people agree that the Monarchy is Britain’s national treasure, both symbolically and economically. According to David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, “Today, its universal appeal translates to the attraction of Brand Monarchy offering considerable commercial benefits to all businesses and institutions associated with it. Especially in the age of Brexit, Britain can rely on royal diplomacy to facilitate trade relations with the Commonwealth and the rest of the world.”
The crowning glory
Across the pond while watching the coronation in the luxurious comfort of David Geffen Hall, the American guests and British expiates nibbled on scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam while sipping on early morning flutes of Chapel Down. At the end, guests heard remarks from the British Consul General talking about the new King’s long-standing commitment to ecology, sustainability, and global warming. Do you recall when decades ago the world thought he was a bit wacko for doing so? Turns out, he was prescient.
We also learned about the Prince’s Trust. As Emma Wade-Smith explained, “the Prince’s Trust helps young people who have faced disadvantage and adversity to build a better future for themselves, through employment, education, and enterprise.“
The Prince’s Trust was founded in 1976 by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales. Today the charity supports 11- to 30-year-olds who are unemployed, struggling at school or face issues such as homelessness, poverty, or mental health problems. The trust has helped more than a million young people to date from 21 different countries, including the United States.
A king for the future
Who knows what type of world King Charles III will face during his reign? What we can all agree upon, however, is the fact that he’s had a long time to contemplate his priorities and determine how he would like to leave his mark on history. I wish him well.
As the resilient British citizens braved the rainy weather standing outdoors last Saturday, our group concluded our morning with one last sip of bubbly and a stunning performance by British opera star Katherine Jenkins who sang the British national anthem. It was impossible not to be swept up in the moment filled with best wishes for the king’s reign. And as an Anglophile—my mother was British, Irish, and Scottish—I gladly join the crowd with its “God save the King!”
Before signing off and heading out for a two-week culinary jaunt in Ireland and the UK, I’d like to extend a warm thank you to Paul Gauger, Executive Vice President of VisitBritain, for adding my name to the Lincoln Center guestlist.
Cheers everyone!