Well, there you have it. Charles III is officially the king of the United Kingdom, to the excitement of a few and the chagrin of all of us who have watched a few hours of absolute anti-television: the ceremony was intended to be the most modern Coronation in history but, beyond the historical importance (which it has) has shown that the perfection measured to perfection and the classicism almost typical of ‘Game of Thrones’, today, is as exciting as watching paint drying.
Everything went well
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was an event remembered by all Londoners since 1953. It is clear: not only was it the 1950s and, in general, there was much more belief in the British Royal Family, but also Elizabeth II was loved by the population. She was 26 years old and was a revolution for the stagnant British monarchy. However, in 2023, we know that, in their archaic traditions, everything was more of the same.
And it does not seem that Charles III is going to move to modernize the institution in the least: watching the Coronation has been like looking through a crack to the past, that in which there were lords, subjects and vassals, the Church still had magical power and the kings were anointed with divine oil by the hands of the Bishop of Canterbury. In an age of social networks, artificial intelligence and the future in the present, eating the ecclesiastical ceremony has been like enduring the longest (and most luxurious) wedding in the world. One of those in which you end up asking yourself “Well, what’s there to eat after all this?
In the end, the historical anachronism is the only thing that has been of any interest: the giant sword, the golden orb, the scepters, the kneeling, the “Hail to the king”. For a monarch who only has a 49% approval rating, this ostentation of power and wealth, no matter how much he insists on saying that it is an austere ceremony, cannot be good.
What’s next?
There were many who, between memes and news, have taken the opportunity to point out a reality: the kings who would have really been laureates were others. The only way to turn this blunder into a really interesting initiative for citizens would have been to anoint William and Kate, the golden couple of the British monarchy, while they still have years ahead of them in which they can evolve an institution that has been stranded in the past.
Charles and Camilla are not liked by an English society that has had to see them go through numerous scandals, from the famous Tampax conversation (if you do not know what we mean, Google it, you will not regret it) to everything related to a Lady Di who has been more present today in the conversations than the queen herself. They don’t even know it, and maybe only Harry has realized it: the current British monarchy is a show… that Charles has not known how to put on.
The Coronation of 2023 will go down in history for its historical significance, yes, but not for the mark it leaves on jaded citizens still recovering from the combo of Brexit, the pandemic, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and the passing of the Queen Mother. The moment when the bishop has asked people from home to shout cheers to the king and kneel to show respect and vassalage, I couldn’t help a chuckle: the 16th century forcing its way into the 21st century. Pure modern life.
