As I write, I am flipping back and forth to the coronation coverage. Right now, it's the slow process of a very lovely carriage pulled along by horses. And now they've arrived at Westminster Cathedral--back in a minute!
Ah the church bells! Ah, the elderly king and queen, gingerly exiting the carriage, with their long trains that must be carried by children. What do those children make of it? Ah, the next generation, looking so young by comparison, the son and wife, and their little children. How long before we watch his coronation?
It's hard not to think back to the wedding of Diana and Charles, which I might have watched in real time. We were on vacation at Myrtle Beach with extended family, and we had a very small black and white TV, which we would have only used to watch the wedding. I remember being mildly interested; it was a real life fairy tale, after all. But I do remember thinking about the difference in their ages, the fact that Diana was not much older than me, and shuddering a bit. Could they really love each other?
No, as it turns out, they did not.
I am watching this coverage on npr.com, which doesn't have commentary. In fact, I can hear what some of the ordinary people are saying. I'm not sure who is saying these things about Harry and whether or not he'll be here. Hmm. These official looking people? Someone standing near the person with the video camera? At this point, 6:04 a.m., we're still seeing shots of the outside of Westminster.
At 6:08, I have switched to a different site. It was clear that something was going on inside. I am thinking of the first King Charles, beheaded in a time of civil war. May this King Charles have a more peaceful reign.
It is interesting to watch this coronation, these oaths that Charles III is taking, just a day after finishing my Church History II class. We are seeing not only a king being sworn in, but the head of the Church of England.
I think of Charles, now so much older than he might have imagined he would be when he thought of what it would be like to take this throne, to rule in the ways that his ancestors did. In some ways, these days, his age might not matter. It's not like he's going to need to ride a horse to lead troops to battle. It's not like he gets to make the kinds of decisions upon which economies and empires turn.
I will not comment on the fact that the Gospel reading is from Luke, where Jesus returns to Nazareth and preaches out of the book of Isaiah (Luke 4). We end at the part where Jesus says the Gospel is fulfilled. I didn't think we would cover the part where the hometown crowd wants to throw Jesus over a cliff--and we did not.
I do like this sermon, about service, about the "regalia" that Jesus wore--well done, Archbishop.
I am now watching the various regalia being presented, spurs and a sword, along with words about what the king must do, protecting the kingdom, and the poor. Very interesting to hear these words surrounded by all these treasures, with so much expense going to this coronation, this upkeep of the royal family.
I am now watching the oldest son assisting with the re-robing process. Is it strange to be any of the other family members? It's weird to think about how little in our society depends on birth order anymore. But line of succession does.
This is a very long ceremony. I'm a bit bored. I have packing to do. And yet, at the same time, I'm impressed by the symbolism of it all. I'm trying to avoid the voice of my inner 19 year old who is screaming about hypocrisy--yes, yes, we know.
Finally a crown for the man's head!
I do like these closing benedictions from a variety of religious traditions, all Christian. They even let a woman deliver one of them. It would have been cool to have benedictions from other faiths, but I am not in charge of this service.
I don't like the Archbishop of Canterbury swearing allegiance. My hope, of course, is that if the demands of empire conflict with the demands of God, the Archbishop would choose wisely. I will not be swearing homage. I am a member of the break away colonies, after all.
And now the queen has a crown. She has smoothed hair out of her eyes, a refreshingly human touch. As she moves to the throne and sits, she's got a shocked look, and every so often she smiles. As far as I can tell, King Charles has yet to smile. It's hard not to think of hostage videos. It's hard not to think of Shakespeare quotes about heads and crowns.
The music has been glorious, as I expected. There is congregational singing, and as the camera scans the assembly, I'm interested to see who is singing and who is not. As with most congregations, the choir carries the day.
The king and queen come back out, with no crowns. I imagine those crowns have been whisked back to wherever they are kept safe. Poor crowns, which so rarely see the light of day.
They aren't going to try to commune everyone, are they? Or maybe this service has no eucharist? I've lost track of what I'm seeing. Boy, I change internet tabs for one minute . . .
And we're singing, and singing, and singing. It really is beautiful music, though. Just not sure where we are in terms of this ceremony. Almost done? The concert portion? Is this the gift that the choristers bring? The way they pledge allegiance to their newly crowned king?
It looks like we may finally be at the point of a recessional. People are lined up, robes resplendent. I must look for ways to use the word "resplendent" more often. And they're singing "God Save the King," and heading down an aisle. The crown (a newscaster tells us it is a different crown, an imperial state crown) is on his head; women are curtsying, some of them but not all. King Charles looks tired, unimpressed, still no smiles.
I, too, am tired. So much pomp and spectacle. I have been thinking it was my only chance to see a coronation of an English monarch, but Charles III is in his mid-70's. It's possible I might have another chance.
I wonder what will be happening at that point in history?
No comments:
Post a Comment