The Uluru Statement with accompanying documents

This is the PDF of the Uluru Statement with accompanying documentation obtained under Freedom of Information.

(When loaded click the popout sign in the right hand corner.)

 

 

Rule of Law Video on the Voice Referendum

Below is a YouTube video produced by The Rule of Law Education Centre on 'The Constitution and the Upcoming Referendum.'

 

The ABC Coronation Republic Broadcast

Below are copies of the communications between the Australian Monarchist League and the Chair of the ABC, Ms Ita Buttrose. 

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The ABC - Correspondence with the Chair,

The ABC Coronation Republic Broadcast

Volunteering for the AML Office

 

THIS IS FOR SYDNEY RESIDENTS - VOLUNTEER GROUPS FOR OTHER STATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

AML has a new office and we need people to help man it as well as assist in the preliminaries of our campaign against a republic.

If you live in Sydney and can volunteer or to offer your services in other ways, it would be appreciated if you would complete the survey below.

Thank you

Regarding the Departure of Stan Grant

Stan Grant’s Departure from the ABC

Racism in all its forms is to be abhorred and condemned. So it is with any attack on Stan Grant based on the grounds of his race.
The condemnation rightly directed at Stan Grant for abusing his privileged position as an ABC employee to hijack the coverage of the historic coronation broadcast nevertheless stands.

Australians were rightly appalled at his commandeering of the occasion of the coronation of the King of Australia for his gratuitous and outrageously jaundiced monologues seeking to lay the blame for every perceivable injustice at the feet of the Crown which should somehow be held responsible for events over two centuries ago.

Viewers of the ABC were rightly expecting their tax payer funded national broadcaster to provide an unbiased factual broadcast explaining the rich history of the coronation parts of which date back one thousand years. All the commercial stations did so as did the ABC’s equivalent in the BBC. Why couldn’t the ABC?

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Address to the Victorian Parliament

 

Statement On The Coronation Of King Charles III
by
Beverley McArthur MP

The opportunity to speak in the Victorian Parliament about the Coronation of King Charles III was important.

The coronation assembled a diversity of people and places from across the globe. Leaders and volunteers were equals in the observance of a service of solemnity and celebration.

The coronation marks the crowning of our Head of State. Our parliament has affirmed its support of the King and in so doing, the success of our existing constitutional arrangements.

Constitutional monarchy works. It survives and thrives not just here but across the world – and not just in times of peace and plenty but under stresses of economic crises, war and emergencies which cause many other forms of constitution to collapse or to morph into totalitarian rule, despotism and dictatorship.

Of course, it would never happen here, especially in Victoria.

New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and others support a constitutional monarchy. They work very well.

It works not just because the monarch sits above democracy, or overrides it, but because an external figurehead provides a safeguard and a defensive mechanism which tempers the excesses of ego and demands for short-term expediency which electoral politics create. It represents stability and guards against the excesses of individual power which have led to the downfall of so many previously legitimate governments.

It is almost a paradox.

It is in the lack of direct executive power that our ceremonial head of state strengthens our constitution. Parliament retains and remains the ultimate power with our faith placed in the collective wisdom of elected MPs. Our system does not invest itself in the individual ego of an elected head of state.

Naturally, the most likely types wanting that power, the recognition, are politicians. Can you imagine President Rudd, or President Turnbull?

Our current appointed Governors and Governors-General understand their roles of service. They are from diverse backgrounds, far more so than Prime Ministers and elected Presidents. In Victoria, for example, the last three holders of the office have been immigrants and children of immigrants.

In our Constitutional Monarchy, no individual is granted a position which undermines the legitimacy of Parliament and those directly elected by the people.

We should be proud of King Charles and our constitutional monarchy because it works. We are an independent, sovereign, successful nation and we owe the bulk of that to constitutional monarchy.

We have more to do as a nation, and no system is perfect. But we would be wrong to say our success isn’t extraordinary.

Half of our current population was born overseas or has an overseas-born parent. We are defined not by race, religion or culture but by shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and equality of opportunity – a fair go. Some days we are better at it than others.

Our constitutional monarchy works in an Australian way, born overseas but forged locally to fit like a national glove. This successful, stable nation has not evolved by chance or mistake; it has evolved precisely because of our existing system. It is not perfect – but it is frankly speaking – pretty bloody good.

King Charles will be a great King. He has learned from perhaps the greatest Queen. Her dedication was superlative.

This is a King who loves Australia – was schooled here, has been her 16 times and even wanted to buy land here – a decision rejected in case it caused envy in other Commonwealth countries.

King Charles will be a great representative of a great system.

Long live the King.

 

 

 

Addresses to the Parliaments

 

Australian Addresses to the Federal & State Parliaments

Here you will find a number of Addresses made in the Federal and State parliaments congratulating Charles III on his coronation as the King of Australia.

The Victorian Parliament

Monarchists Pursue ABC Through FOI

The Australian Monarchist League has made a formal FOI request under the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act (1982) (FOI Act) which provides a right to request access to certain documents held by the ABC in regard to its pre-Coronation broadcast. Details of the League’s request are included hereunder.

Former Senator, the Hon. Eric Abetz, now chairman of the AML No Republic campaign, has stated, “The outpouring of public outrage at the hi-jacking of the coronation by the ABC, which was completely out of step with every other broadcaster including the BBC, requires a full disclosure as to how this pitiful turn of events was allowed to eventuate at the taxpayer-funded national broadcaster.

“This freedom of information request will expose the twisted thinking and those responsible for this unprecedented and unprincipled takeover of what should have been a factual commentary on an exceptionally historic occasion. The commandeering of the broadcast into a monologue of everything that might be wrong with our great country and then depositing it all at the feet of our constitutional monarchy was both blatantly absurd and an abuse of the occasion.

“Any delay or obfuscation by the ABC hierarchy relating to this request for transparency will be met with similar public outrage and do even more reputational damage to the taxpayer-funded broadcaster.”

END

Read more

Paying for an AML Event

Petition to the ABC over its Coronation Program Attack on the King & The Crown

 

ABC CALLED UPON TO APOLOGISE TO AUSTRALIANS FOR ITS BIASED COVERAGE OF THE CORONATION 

This is a petition to the Board and Management of the ABC calling upon them to apologise for its biased coverage of the coronation of King Charles III with a demand that such hi-jacking of a significant historical event never be allowed to occur again.

‘The historic and momentous occasion of the crowning of Australia’s King was not an opportunity for elements within the ABC to pursue their pet topics and tortured view of history without even trying to provide a semblance of balance. The taxpayer deserved better as did the reputation of the ABC that has a strict charter by which to abide which was flagrantly disregarded,’ said AML Campaign Chair, Eric Abetz.

‘Nothing less than a full independent inquiry into the circumstances of this highly inappropriate hi-jacking of the broadcasting of the coronation is required. This was history in the making. History was unfolding before our eyes with a gathering of world leaders second to none. Instead of celebrating the occasion and informing viewers of who was arriving and their position and the traditions associated with the various elements of the coronation viewers were subjected to a diatribe of monologues by ABC personnel peddling their pet subjects backing each other’s views. Knowing there would be a huge audience for the coronation it appears the occasion was deliberately used to pursue an agenda to denigrate the constitutional monarchy which has served Australia so exceptionally well for well over a century.’

‘The universal feedback received has been that the ABC has done itself irreparable damage but some of its tattered reputation might be salvageable with an unequivocal apology and inquiry to fully expose the circumstances which allowed for this significant occasion to be so derailed,’ Mr Abetz said.

We appeal to anyone who was outraged by the ABC coverage of the Coronation to please sign the petition below which will be sent to the Chairman and Board of the ABC in the form of a public letter.

To the Chairman and Board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
700 Harris St, Ultimo NSW 2007

We the undersigned call upon the Board and Management of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to:

1. Apologise to the taxpayers and people of Australia for the manner in which the coverage of the coronation of Australia’s King Charles III was presented;
2. Acknowledge that the coverage presented was in clear breach of the ABC’s own editorial standards which require independence and integrity together with impartiality;
3. Acknowledge that the coverage was not fair and honest in its dealings on the occasion of the coronation, also in breach of its editorial policies;
4. Acknowledge that the behaviours outlined above have substantially undermined the trust the viewing public may have had in their taxpayer funded national broadcaster;
5. Discipline and counsel those ABC staff members responsible for this outstandingly bad decision to hi-jack such a momentous and historic occasion; and
6. Ensure that such an egregious abuse will not be repeated by holding an independent Inquiry.

Monarchists condemn NSW Premier

Monarchists condemn NSW Premier for not lighting up the Opera House for Coronation

Monarchists from around the State who voted Labor, now regret doing so in view of the Premier’s decision, supposedly on the basis of cost, to cancel the lighting of the Opera House to commemorate the coronation of the King of Australia, who is also separately King of New South Wales and the other five Australian States.

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Monarchists Accuse Republicans of Unacceptable Tactics and Stunts

Monarchists Accuse Republicans of Unacceptable Tactics and Stunts
REF: ARM push for King Charles III to formally apologise for acts of genocide & colonisation by Royal family

Read more

ABC CORONATION PANEL BLATANTLY STACKED

ABC CORONATION PANEL BLATANTLY STACKED Australia’s leading member-based monarchist organisation has slammed the decision of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to give pride of place to republican activists and include just two monarchists on its live coronation speaking panel of nine, claiming the move is nothing short of un-Australian. Read more

Coronation Church Services

 

 

This is the Prayer Card produced by Cardinal Nichol which has been distributed to every Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales

 

CORONATION CHURCH SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA

Below are services we have been notified of or are otherwise aware

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

CHURCH: St. Paul’s Manuka South Canberra, corner Captain Cook Cr and Canberra Avenue, Griffith, ACT
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 5.00 p.m.
DETAIL: Choral Evensong to celebrate the Coronation featuring coronation music

CHURCH: St John’s Anglican Church, Reid, 2612
DATE: Sunday 7 May
TIME: 5pm
DETAIL: A service of choral evensong

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NEW SOUTH WALES

CHURCH: St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 10.30 a.m.
DETAIL: Choral Matins for Coronation of King Charles III
LIVESTREAM: https://youtube.com/live/D2QeVok_lXI?feature=share

CHURCH: Christ Church St. Laurence, Railway Square, Sydney
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 6.30 p.m.
DETAIL: Solemn Evensong & Te Deum in Thanksgiving for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in the presence of the Lieutenant Governor
LIVESTREAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnZ48OC0Z8o

CHURCH: St. Saviour’s Cathedral, Goulburn
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 4.00 p.m.
DETAIL: Evensong for Coronation of King Charles III

CHURCH: St. Alban’s Cathedral, Griffith, NSW
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 6.00 p.m.
DETAIL: A Service of Evensong to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III followed by a festive supper in the Hall

CHURCH: Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 6.00 p.m.
DETAIL: Sung Evensong reflecting the King’s Coronation.

CHURCH: St John the Evangelist, Carthage Street, East Tamworth, NSW
DATE: Saturday, 6th May
TIME: 5.00 pm AEST
DETAIL: Sung Evensong to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.

CHURCH: Christ Church Cathedral, Grafton
DATE: Saturday, May 6th, 2023
TIME: at 5 p.m.
DETAIL: Civic service to mark the Coronation of King Charles III

CHURCH: St. Mark’s Church, Hunter’s Hill (8 a.m.) and All Saints’ Church, Hunters
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
DETAIL: Holy Communion with Prayers of Thanksgiving for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

 

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QUEENSLAND

CHURCH: St. John’s Cathedral, Brisbane
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 5 p.m.
DETAIL: A Service of Evensong to mark the Coronation of His Majesty Charles III King of Australia followed by light refreshments.
LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/149104967823758
LIVESTREAM: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNK4UfKhyzHdskN-s_Q9e4Q?fbclid=IwAR2PPrbV_S18mhkx0gpYxE8ZnIwyda5oja5A69xlO60-6kxLRbYkbLjy9IE

CHURCH: St. James’ Cathedral, Townsville
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 6 p.m.
DETAIL: Festive Evensong with Choir and Chamber Ensemble

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TASMANIA

CHURCH: St. George’s Church, Battery Point, Hobart
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 10 a.m.
DETAIL: Service of celebration and prayer for the coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Consort Camilla with morning tea to follow

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VICTORIA

CHURCH: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne City
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 4 p.m.
DETAIL: Special Service to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.
LINK: https://cathedral.org.au/2023/04/18/special-service-to-mark-the-coronation-of-king-charles-iii/

CHURCH: Christ Church, 22 Grey Street, Hamilton
DATE: Saturday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 10.30 a.m.
DETAIL: Mass to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III

CHURCH: All Saints’ Church, 2 Chapel Street, East St Kilda
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 5 p.m.
DETAIL: Coronation Thanksgiving Service of Evensong followed by Champagne Reception
LINK: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1025948&

CHURCH: St. Andrew’s Church, corner of New Street and St. Andrew’s Street, Brighton
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: 10 a.m.
DETAIL: Coronation Mass

CHURCH: Grace Chapel, 86-88 Archies Creek Road, Archies Creek
DATE: Saturday 6 May 2023
TIME: 10am
DETAIL: Coronation Service 10 am. Devonshire Tea to follow

CHURCH: St Pauls East Kew Parish Hall at 63 Windella Avenue East Kew

DATE: Sunday May 7th, 2023
TIME: 2-4pm
DETAIL: To honour and mark the occasion of HM King Charles Coronation will host a community “High Tea” to encourage people to come together to mark this historic and important occasion.

CHURCH: RAFT Anglican Church, 131 Taylors Lane, Rowville, VIC, 3178
DATE: Sunday 7 May
TIME: 8:30 am & 10:30 am
DETAIL: https://www.raftchurch.org.au, [email protected] or (03) 9764 2573

CHURCH: Ss Johns' Anglican Church, corner of Pollack & Hesse streets, Colac
DATE: Sunday 7 May 2023.
TIME:  11 AM
DETAIL: Service of holy Communion with prayers for the Coronation of King Charles III. followed by champagne morning tea. RSVP: [email protected]

CHURCH: Holy Trinity Balaclava and Elwood, 175-177 Chapel Street, St Kilda 3182
DATE: Saturday May 6
TIME: TBA
DETAIL: Pimms and Hymns’ singalong in the church including “favourite” hymns of members of the Royal FamilyWe’ll then gather at a big screen in our adjacent tenanted hall which operates as Trinity St Kilda to watch together - cover charge to manage our costs and add to our #openthedoors restoration fund for our very old church doors.

CHURCH: Holy Trinity Balaclava and Elwood, 175-177 Chapel Street, St Kilda 3182
DATE: Sunday 7 May
TIME: 10.30 am
DETAIL: Sung Eucharist
CHURCH: Trinity College Chapel, 100 Royal Parade, Parkville DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 5 p.m.
DETAIL: Coronation Evensong sung by the Choirs of Trinity College Chapel and St. Andrew’s, Brighton

CHURCH: Holy Trinity Church, 49 High Street, Ararat
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 9.30 a.m.
DETAIL: Holy Communion followed by Royal Morning Tea (10.45 a.m.)

CHURCH: Cathedral Church of Christ the King, Ballarat
DATE: Sunday, April 30th, 2023 (passed)
TIME: at 5 p.m.
DETAIL: Coronation Evensong

CHURCH: Christ Church, Castlemaine
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 5.00 p.m.
DETAIL: Choral Evensong with music reflecting Coronation

CHURCH: St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Bendigo
DATE: Saturday, May 27th, 2023
TIME: at 5.00 p.m.
DETAIL: A special service commemorating the Coronation of King Charles III. The organist and choir from Trinity College Melbourne will be the visiting musicians, and the preacher will be Reverend Bob Darrenbecher.

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

CHURCH: St. George’s Cathedral, Perth
DATE: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
TIME: at 5 p.m.
DETAIL: Festal Choral Evensong to mark the Coronation followed by Champagne Reception
LINK: https://www.perth.anglican.org/news-and-events/events/coronation-evensong

CHURCH: St. Boniface Cathedral, Bunbury
DATE: Friday, May 5th, 2023
TIME: at 5.30 p.m.
DETAIL: Prayer Vigil ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III

 

 

Thanks to Jeffery Fong for compiling this list

The Coronation of Our Kings

 

EDITORIAL

It was actually before I was born that Prince Charles indirectly affected my life. He came into this world 2½ months before me and my parents had decided that if I was a boy, I would be named Charles but as there would be so many babies named after the Prince, they instead decided to call me Philip. Not, I would mention, after the Duke of Edinburgh.

Fast forward forty or so years to when I became involved in the monarchy-republic debate. It was after this time that Prince Charles developed the monicker for me of ‘the endangered species’ and every time he met me thereafter out came “Ahh, the endangered species”, although who was actually endangered is left to one’s imagination.

Prince Charles did not accompany his parents on any of their visits until 1970. However, in 1966 he attended Victoria’s Geelong Grammar School, including its rural campus Timbertop, for schooling. He had earlier attended his father’s schools of Cheam and Gordonstoun and apparently was not happy at either. However, at Geelong he found that he was welcomed as an ordinary student and not bullied because of his position, as occurred in Britain. He also made lasting friends including the teacher in whose charge he was, Michael Collins Persse, otherwise affectionately called ‘Colly’. Michael became a mentor to Charles until he died in 2018. Similarly, he had become a friend and mentor to me over the years and I can well understand why Charles misses his gentle counsel.

Now, that young boy who learned leadership qualities during his short time in Australia, crowned Prince of Wales, aged 20 in 1969 (although he had been created Prince of Wales aged 9 in 1958) is now King of the United Kingdom and his Realms, including Australia, with his coronation to occur on Saturday, the 6th of May 2023.

The Coronation of the Sovereigns of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the other Realms has over the past thousand years and more been a distinctly Christian ceremony. The church and the monarchy become irretrievably linked through the ceremonies and particularly the anointing and the oaths that are administered and taken.

In Britain, there has never been a secular crowning as occurs in most European monarchies nowadays. That is because European monarchies are generally subject to the State whereas the British monarchy is subject solely to God and the people.

Of course, those who are not religious or may belong to non-Christian religions, may object but without a coronation according to the traditional rites, there can be no King. It should be remembered that neither the rites nor oaths made nor anything else can ever restrict the King from being a dutiful sovereign over all of his people, whatever their race or religion. All are equal under the Crown.

In fact, the oaths that the King will swear at his coronation will bind him forever thereafter to perform his duty and to always look to the well-being of the people and never to himself.

We saw this in action with her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and we will see it in action with her son King Charles III.

Being King is no easy task, nor is it any fun, for it is a lifetime of servitude to duty and we can only pray that Charles will be able to live up to his mother’s awesome example and bear the enormous burden of kingship with his Queen by his side.

May God bless Charles, King of Australia.

Philip Benwell
National Chair
Australian Monarchist League

---

THE CORONATION 

INTRODUCTION:

Whilst, throughout history, there have been coronations of kings for thousands of years, the Christian Coronation of the English, and since 1707 the British, Sovereigns is looked upon as something very special, creating a communion between the Monarch and God, the Church and the People.

The words of Dr Cosmo Lang then Archbishop of York at the coronation of King George V on 22 June 1911 express this sentiment very clearly. He said "The King comes not alone to his hallowing. He bears his people with him. For the national life, as well as for its representative, this is a day of consecration ....".

The first recorded Coronation of an English monarch dates back to AD 973 when King Edgar was crowned at Bath by Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The ceremony, however, is known to date far beyond that and, of course, has its foundation in the coronation services of Biblical times.

The essence of those early Saxon coronation ceremonies have run like an everlasting thread through all subsequent coronations and will form the basis of the coronation of King Charles III.

Coronations over the past five hundred years have been based on the fourteenth century Liber Regalis currently held in the Library of Westminster Abbey. It contains six crucial segments:

# the Recognition,
# the Oath,
# the Anointing,
# the Investiture and Crowning,
# the Enthronement
# and the Homage.

Whilst each coronation has been modernised to a certain extent, as will this coronation be, they have all been based on Liber Regalis.

The coronations of Saxon kings were held in different parts of the Kingdom, until Harold I whose coronation is the first recorded one to have taken place in the Abbey. Since then, all 33 kings and 6 Queens who were crowned since William the Conqueror in 1066, were crowned at Westminster Abbey. (The Queens Regnant who were crowned were Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Ann I, Victoria I and Elizabeth II. The monarchs who were not crowned were: Edward V, Jane I and Edward VIII).

Few people are aware that as well as having descended from the William the Conqueror, King Charles is also descended from the Saxon Harold both through his daughter Gytha whose descendant was Queen Philippa the wife of Edward the third as well through the ancestry of His great- grandmother Queen Mary.

THE RECOGNITION

MURAL OF THE CROWNING OF KING RICHARD II IN 1377 The mural can be seen in Westminster Abbey

However, from the earliest days of English history, the crowning of a monarch has been rather an occasion of sacrifice for, from Saxon times and before, the King was brought forward and shown to his people as their leader and to whom he must devote the rest of his life for their protection and well-being. Despite the thinking of earlier kings, the recognition was never meant to be a matter of formal empowerment.

The Recognition forms the first part of the coronation service and dates from Saxon times where the Sovereign stands in the centre of Westminster Abbey, in the very space designed for this very purpose by the last King of Alfred's Saxon line, Edward the Confessor, and then shows himself, or herself, 'unto the people' to the East, the South, the West and the North.

In the words of the service of the last coronation in 1953, of Her late Majesty, the Archbishop proclaimed on each occasion "Sirs, I here present unto you Queen Elizabeth, your undoubted Queen. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your Homage and Service. Are you willing to do the same?" to the shouted response "God Save Queen Elizabeth".

The recognition is completed by a tremendous fanfare of trumpets at which time the items of the regalia are handed over by their bearers to the Dean of Westminster who then lays them on the alter.

THE OATH

Since the time of William the Conqueror and before, monarchs of England have always sworn an Oath at their Coronations to uphold the Law. The Treaties of Liberty, including Magna Carta, confirmed the Saxon tradition that no one, not even the King, was above the Law.

During discussions in Parliament regarding the Coronation of William IV, who, due to his age at 65, did not want to go to the expense of one, it was made clear that if there was no coronation there could be no Oath and if there was no Oath then there could be no King!

From Isaiah is taken the dictum: "Behold a king shall reign in justice, and princes shall rule in judgment. The prince will devise such things as are worthy of a prince, and he shall stand above all rulers".

The essence of autocratic rule which was inbred into the Norman dynasty and encouraged by the then feudal supremacy of the Pope to whom English Kings owed spiritual and temporal fealty was often at odds with the Saxon English tradition of all being equal under the Law and those kings who flouted the law were usually summarily dealt with.

The Oath taken by our Monarchs at their Coronations has changed over time as will the Oath to be sworn by the King. However, since the Glorious Revolution of 1688 the Oath has incorporated two main pledges. A vow to rule according to Law and a vow to protect the Church of England of which the Monarch is the Supreme Governor.

At the late Queen’s first Christmas broadcast in 1952 she said “At my Coronation next June I shall dedicate myself anew to your service. I shall do so in the presence of a great congregation, drawn from every part of the Commonwealth and Empire.”

It was thus, kneeling at the Alter steps with Her right hand on the Holy gospel, that Her Majesty sealed Her solemn oath with the words “The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God”

It is expected that the King will do likewise.

Under the Crown which 15 Realms now share, the sovereignty of each Kingdom must always be supreme and this can only be accomplished if the sovereign is subservient only to the People and to the Parliaments elected by the people and to no outside Authority.

During his coronation, the King will swear to uphold the Law. His Oath will bind him to a lifetime of service. This is the strength of our Parliamentary Democracy and our Constitutional Monarchy.

THE ANOINTING

The anointing is the central act of the religious ceremony and includes the Blessing and Consecration.

Whilst the earliest account of an anointing was a letter written in the fifteenth Century BC from King Ramman-Nisan to the Pharaoh of Egypt, it is well known that the anointing of Kings goes much further back into the distant past.

However the incorporation of the anointing ceremony of English kings was introduced by St Augustine in the 6th century AD. It is known (from the Book of Kings) that in (around 1015 BCE) "Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king" and this has been sung since the first recorded coronation of King Edgar in AD 973 but is likely that it had been chanted at previous ceremonies for several hundreds of years before. The famous setting by Handel was first used at the Coronation of George II in 1727.

A vial of sacred oil was brought across from the Holy Land to be used at the Coronation of Edward 11 in 1307 and at subsequent coronations until its contents were exhausted some two hundred and fifty years later at the Coronation of Elizabeth the First in 1558.

Since that time the oil used at the anointing of British Sovereigns has been very specially prepared and blessed in Jerusalem. The formula of the oil is secret but it is known to include oils of orange flowers, roses, cinnamon, jasmine, musk and ambergris. King Charles has required that no animals should suffer to provide the oil to be used to anoint him. Earlier oils used different parts of animals who were slaughtered for that purpose.

When the late Queen was anointed with Holy Oil she had said that it imbued her with a conviction of something irrevocable and that she felt that she had to do everything within her power to maintain the gift of royal privilege and obligation bestowed upon her. Let us hope and pray that the King is instilled with the same conviction.

THE INVESTITURE AND CROWNING, THE ENTHRONEMENT
AND THE HOMAGE

Having been anointed unto God the King will then be confirmed with actual sovereignty and visibly endowed with all the symbolic powers of Authority, by the placing on his head the St Edward’s Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury as he sits on King Edward's chair and it is at this time that His subjects acclaim him with trumpets sounding, and the guns on Tower Hill firing a salute and all those in the abbey crying “God save the King”

Indeed the Coronation leaves few unaffected by the religious significance of the consecration of our new King. As Archbishop Lang said in 1937: “the coronation service is from beginning to end the most solemn religious act”.

Whilst the Coronation is essentially an occasion of tremendous spiritual meaning, it also has a deeply historical significance going back through the centuries of English history, not only with the Regalia, from the two Crowns (St. Edward's and the Imperial State Crown) to the bracelet originally worn by Charles 11 as a material symbol of God's protection, but also with regard to the officials.

The Lord High Steward of the Coronation is based on the 'standard' of Saxon times and the Lord Great Chamberlain originated with the Saxon 'bower theigns'.

At the coronation of Richard the first in 1189 the Bishop of Durham and the Bishop of Bath and Wells stood to the right and left of the King and so it was at the Coronation of our late Queen that the then Lord Bishop of Durham and the Bishop of Bath and Wells occupied exactly the same positions.

Prior to Edward the Confessor, kings of England were buried wearing their crowns, however Edward was not and his crown and his other regalia originally formed the Crown Jewels of England and were used in future coronations until the reign of Charles I, after which they were broken up by the Commonwealth Parliament.

However, Edward's sapphire together with the Balas ruby of the Black Prince survived and are now incorporated into the Imperial State Crown as are four pearls which belonged to Elizabeth I.

The Sapphire of St. Edward was originally incorporated into the ring worn during his coronation in 1042 and is the oldest stone in the Crown Jewels.

The 'Balas' ruby is actually a 170 carat spinel and was named after the 'Balas' mines along the Afghanistan border. It was presented to the Black Prince (so called because of his black armour) by King Pedro of Castille in 1367.

The Republican Parliament of 1643 which in their declaration that: "Royalty is useless, burdensome and dangerous for England" could well have been talking about themselves as they destroyed, melted down or sold much of the Royal Regalia, including the seven hundred year old gold filigree Crown of Edward the Confessor and, as legend has it, the 9th century coronation robe of Wiglaf of Mercia and of even more historical importance, the Crown of Alfred the Great who was the last King be to crowned with a ceremonial helmet. The coronation of His son, Edward the Elder in 900 is believed to be the first where a formal crown was used.

The remnants of the ancient regalia were sold for the incredibly low sum of £2,647.18s.4d. Some items, including the ruby which had been purchased by royalist sympathisers for £15, were later restored to the Crown. The ruby is today considered to be the most famous and priceless gemstone in what is today the world's most famous gem collection.

The oldest complete piece of regalia still used is the twin bowl Anointing Spoon (pictured left) dating from the 12th Century. Made of silver gilt and set with four freshwater pearls it, together with the Ampulla (the vessel to hold the Oil) are the only known relics to have escaped the Cromwellian purge. Parts of the Ampulla are thought to have been made during the Byzantium era.

The only reason why the Coronation Chair, built by Edward III in 1296 at a cost of 100 shillings to contain the Stone of Destiny, survived is because Cromwell had it moved to Westminster Hall for his own Coronation as Lord Protector of England.

The usage of the Coronation Robes descends from Saxon coronations and are similar to those worn at the earlier enthronements of the Christian Byzantium Emperors, a tradition which has come down to us through the ages via the teachings of such missionaries as St. Augustine.

However, in the coronation of King Charles III there will be a number of modernisations and it is mooted that the King will not be dressed in robes but will wear a military uniform. Similarly, the peers attending will not be dressed in their robes and coronets, but simply in business suits. The length of the Coronation Service is also expected to be greatly shortened. Many feel that this will be too great a change, but others welcome a more modern affair.

Whatever the case, the coronation of the King will be a splendid and memorable affair. One that will be watched potentially by billions around the world.

We should not forget that everything King Charles does will be to prepare a smoother journey for the new Prince of Wales as he trains to eventually take over as King.

May God bless King Charles and Queen Camilla. May they serve the people as the Queen had so served over many years.

Philip Benwell
April 2023

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MUSIC AT THE CORONATION

THE Coronation Service is the centrepiece of a new reign, and a great occasion of festivity and celebration with pageantry, ceremony and music. While the Coronation of Charles III and Queen Camilla will, in a novel innovation, incorporate music and musicians from outside the Church of England, I hope that it will be no different to more recent coronations in splendour and appropriateness in respect to Divine Service.

The choice of anthems and settings for the Coronation Service has evolved over time, reflecting changing musical tastes and the personal preferences of individual monarchs. Certain monarchs have perhaps approached the Coronation with less musical zeal than others, such as Victoria for whose coronation only one new piece of music was written under the direction of the musician-in-chief, Sir George Smart.
Charles, by comparison, is well-known for his vigorous and forthright support and patronage of the arts and it is no surprise that His Majesty has personally commissioned twelve new pieces for his Coronation, and “shaped and selected the musical programme for the Service.” Perhaps had Victoria taken such an active role, Her Majesty’s coronation would have produced more notable works than a single anthem by William Knyvett, “This is the day the Lord hath made”.

In addition to new pieces, there are always existing pieces which are chosen for parts of the Service. Some of these pieces have become so popular over the years that they have been repeated in later coronations.

One of the most famous anthems performed at the Coronation Service is the anthem, “Zadok the Priest”, sung at the Anointing. This piece was composed by George Frederic Handel for the Coronation of King George II in 1727 and has been sung at every Coronation since. The text of “Zadok the Priest” is taken from the Book of Kings, and has been used at coronations since mediaeval times. It tells of the anointing of Solomon by the eponymous Zadok the priest, with the subsequent acclamations by the people of their king. The piece is part of Handel’s “Coronation Anthems”, which also include popular and well-known anthems such as “The King shall rejoice”, “Let thy hand be strengthened” and “My heart is inditing”.

Another popular anthem sung at the Coronation service is “I was glad” by Sir Charles Hubert Parry. This piece was written for the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, replacing Atwood’s setting used at the Coronation of Victoria, and has been performed at every Coronation since. The text is taken from Psalm 122 and is believed to be a reflection by King David on the joy felt when invited to go up to Jerusalem upon a pilgrimage. At the Coronation, it is used upon the entrance of the King into the Abbey, the veritable house of the Lord. Parry’s setting incorporates the traditional “Vivats”. These are sung by the King’s Scholars of Westminster School, despite having had their legal claim so to do rejected by the Court of Claims before the late Queen’s coronation.

The settings of the ordinary texts of the holy Communion has frequently changed from reign to reign, and it is likely that this Coronation will be no different. The Credo and Sanctus from Vaughan Williams's 1921 Mass in G minor was sung at the Coronation of Elizabeth II, along with Sir Charles Villiers Stanford’s Gloria, which was first composed for the Coronation of George VI. It appears that the Ten Commandments ceased to be used after the Coronation of Victoria, whereat a setting by Smart was sung. At the Coronation of Edward VII, the Commandments were omitted entirely, and not replaced by the Kyrie which later reappeared at the coronation of Elizabeth II being only said, not sung. By the Palace’s mention of William Byrd’s music being used again, it may seem like it will be his setting of the Credo and Sanctus that will be used for Charles III, having been used previously at the Coronation of George VI.

The great Te Deum has taken various positions within the Coronation Service, William Walton’s setting for the Coronation of Elizabeth II, Vaughan Williams's setting for the Coronation of George VI and Parry’s setting for the Coronation of George V were sung as the finale, before the Recess, while Stanford’s Te Deum was sung immediately before the enthronement and Homage at the Coronation of Edward VII.

It is likely that a new setting of the Te Deum will be composed for Charles III.

Hymns, other than the Veni Creator Spiritus have not traditionally formed part of the Coronation Service proper although they are recorded as having been sung beforehand OR although it is recorded that they were sung beforehand during the various processions around the Abbey.

At the Coronation of Elizabeth II, for the first time a congregational hymn was sung—“All people that on earth do dwell”. The memorable setting of the “Old 100th” by Vaughan Williams is a triumph of twentieth century sacred music. It may be likely that at the upcoming Coronation more hymns will be included, although such may seem to conflict with the purported desire to shorten the length of the Service.
The new music announced for the Coronation of Charles III includes at least one anthem by Lord Lloyd-Webber, as well as orchestral and other choral works. There are several novel choices that have also been announced.

The King has made an interesting choice by incorporating Greek Orthodox music into the service which will be sung by The Byzantine Chant Ensemble as well as including choir girls from Methodist College, Belfast, a “handpicked gospel choir”, who presumably will sing music in the gospel style and a portion of the service in Welsh, which is spoken in parts of the Principality. It remains to be seen how these innovations will be received; however, with the solid backbone of traditional English church music and tasteful new pieces, it seems that Charles’ coronation will indeed be a musical, as well as sacred, national occasion not to be missed.

Jeffrey Fong (AML Melbourne)

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‘A Sign of Royal Majesty’: The Symbology of Five Tangible Elements of the Coronation Ceremony
by
Scott Coleman, AML Canberra.

As the time draws nearer for the Coronation of our King, His Majesty Charles III, I have in this article called to mind five tangible elements from ceremonies in Westminster Abbey from centuries past to the present, which evoke for us the historical and spiritual underpinnings of the Coronation of a new Monarch.

The Coronation Chair

This sturdy oaken chair dates back to 1296, when it was commissioned by King Edward I to hold the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, which was brought to England from Scotland. Legend has it that the stone was used as a pillow by Jacob in the Bible, and later brought to Scotland where it was used in the coronation of Scottish kings. Edward I brought the stone to England in 1296, and it has been used in every coronation since.

St. Edward's Crown

St. Edward’s Crown is one of the most striking symbols of royal authority. The crown, structured in gold, was made in 1661 for the coronation of King Charles II.

Since then, it has been used to crown five further monarchs: King James II (1685), King William III (1689), King George V (1911), King George VI (1937), and Queen Elizabeth II (1953).

King Charles III will be the seventh to wear this historic piece. The crown is decorated with over 400 precious stones, including diamonds, rubies, and sapphires and is adorned with fleurs-de-lis. The fleurs-de-lis, a French monarchical symbol, represent purity and the Trinity. They were incorporated into the design of the crown during Charles II’s reign. Intending to symbolise the ties between the English and the French crowns, the fleurs-de-lis were incorporated into the design of the crown.

In 1953, the crown was remodelled to accommodate the smaller head of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This involved removing some of the precious stones and reduced the weight of the crown from 4 pounds 12 ounces to 4 pounds 4 ounces.

St. Edward's Crown is generally only worn during the coronation ceremony and is otherwise kept in the Tower of London.

The Anointing Oil

The anointing oil, also known as Chrism, is a mixture of olive oil, rose oil, sesame, jasmine, cinnamon and orange blossom, and it is used to anoint the monarch during the coronation ceremony. His Majesty’s head will be anointed in the shape of a cross, and then the oil will be spread over his forehead, hands, and feet.

Anointing has vivid biblical origins; in the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. 1 Samuel 10 (KJV):

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

Buckingham Palace said in a statement on 3rd March 2023: “The Chrism oil which will be used to anoint His Majesty The King on 6th May 2023 has been consecrated in Jerusalem today, Friday 3rd March 2023.”The ceremony to mix the oil took place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and was consecrated by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, the Most Reverend Hosam Naoum. The oil was derived from groves on the Mount of Olives, one of which was at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene, the burial place of the King’s paternal grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece.

Coronation Regalia

From top: Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Robe; Supertunica, Stole and Spurs

Receive this Imperial Robe,
and the Lord your God endue you with knowledge and wisdom,
with majesty and with power from on high:
the Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness,
and with the garments of salvation. Amen.
The Archbishop of Canterbury during the 1953 Coronation Ceremony

Dr David J Crankshaw, a lecturer in the History of Early Modern Christianity at King’s College London, as quoted by the Telegraph:

“Just as with so much of the service, the robes take their place and importance from the Liber Regalis [the 14th century manual outlining the order in which certain proceedings should take place in British coronations]. The vesting with the Colobium Sindonis and Supertunica have their origins in this text. These are the robes with the longest tradition and therefore of most importance to be retained within the ceremony.”

A robe and stole are generally worn by the monarch during the coronation ceremony. The Robe Royal has traditionally been a silk robe lined with ermine and decorated with gold embroidery and worn over the simple linen garment known as the colobium sindonis. The Royal Collection Trust describes the garment as "a simple white linen dress with no sleeves, wide arm openings and a plain collar closing with a single button, intended to represent a priest's, alb". The crimson of the robe represents the blood of Christ, while the ermine lining symbolises the monarch's power and authority. More specifically, the white fur is said to represent purity, with it being said of the ermine creature that “potius mori quam foedari”: they would rather die than be defiled.

From the Romanov coronation robes and the 1762 coronation train of Catherine the Great, which was ermine trimmed and gold embroidered velvet and required 6 chambermaids to help navigate throughout the ceremony, to the Coronation of Emperor Napoléon I. Ermine has been an opulent synonym for royalty and the wealthy since the mid twelfth century, confirmed by contemporary mentions testifying its status. One later example is the 1762 coronation of Catherine the Great where it was said that her ermine trimmed, gold embroidered velvet train, required 6 chambermaids to help carry it throughout the long ceremony. The Stole Royal is a garment hung behind the neck, made of silk and also decorated with gold embroidery. It is reminiscent of priestly authority. It remains to be seen what attire the King will choose to wear to the coronation ceremony, with a potential for his military service to inspire a uniform rather than robes.

The Two Sceptres

The sceptre has its origins in ancient Egypt, where pharaohs carried a staff or rod. The use of sceptres was also common in ancient Greece and Rome, and the tradition was later adopted in Europe.

There are two sceptres used in the coronation ceremony, to represent temporal and spiritual authority: the sceptre with the cross and the sceptre with the dove. The sceptre with the cross is a symbol of the monarch's temporal power and is surmounted by a cross, while the sceptre with the dove is an image of the monarch's spiritual power and is surmounted by a dove.

During the coronation ceremony, the monarch is given the sceptre with the cross immediately after the anointing, and is then handed the sceptre with the dove prior to being crowned with the St. Edward's Crown.

The Biblical Accounts of Coronation and Anointing

The most prominent coronations or anointings feature the prophets Samuel and Nathan anointing David and Solomon king, respectively (although Samuel earlier anointed Saul ruler of Israel).

The enigmatic name of Zadok, one of the high priests at Solomon's anointing and the name we hear in the famous coronation anthem, appears as part of the David narrative in the First Book of Kings, 1:39-40:

And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

The Book of Chronicles records the coronation of the young child Jehoash in the doorway of the Temple in Jerusalem. Many of the elements seen in the modern coronation, including the King being led in a procession, the King having a crown placed upon his head by a high priest, and the anointing are detailed in these Books.

Following the coronation, the people "clapped their hands" and shouted "God save the King" as trumpets blew, music played, and hymns of praise were sung. Similar scenes are expected once King Charles III, newly crowned, meets his people as he proceeds through the streets of London following the ceremony.

Rachel Bailes (AML Melbourne)

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Australians in London

Coronations are the most important day in the life of every sovereign, as it is upon that day that they are crowned, consecrated and dedicated to the service of their peoples. Since 1902, distinguished Australians have attended these most sacred and spectacular of royal ceremonies, and surviving photographs and mementos of those events help illustrate the grandeur of the coronations they witnessed.

Edmund Barton was the first of Australia's Prime Ministers to represent the new Commonwealth of Australia at the Coronation of their sovereign. After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 just six weeks into the life of the new nation, King Edward VII ascended the throne. The King’s coronation was set for June 1902 but four days before his crowning, however, the King fell dangerously ill, requiring an urgent operation to remove his appendix. The ceremony was postponed, but by August Edward VII was sufficiently recovered for his coronation to proceed. Edmund Barton and his wife Jeanie were principal guests at the many public functions and dinners in London to mark the first coronation for over 60 years. Edward VII was King at the time of the first opening of the new Federal Parliament in 1901, and knew that Barton was deserving of a reward for his crucial role as an advocate for Federation. Barton had declined a knighthood on three separate occasions over the previous decade, but when faced with the prospect of refusing one from the King in person, he relented; Edward VII invested Sir Edmund a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) at Buckingham Palace on 8 August 1902. ¹
[Image alongside].

When it came to the Coronation of King George V a decade later, not only was Prime Minister Andrew Fisher invited, but a parliamentary delegation accompanied him to London, made up of 12 Members and 6 Senators selected by Parliament from both parties. ² The Australian contingent was welcomed by the former Prime Minister Sir George Reid, then serving as High Commissioner in London, who took great delight in hosting his compatriots. [Image alongside]

Whereas Fisher had an abhorrence for decorations (later declining the French Légion d'honneur after The Great War), Reid had no qualms about accepting honours; George V promoted him to GCMG in his Coronation Honours List. Fisher, begrudgingly, did accept being appointed to the Privy Council - a rarity for a Labor man. Whilst Queen Victoria never saw the vast reaches of the Empire over which she reigned, the new King and Queen had; travelling to many countries including India, South Africa and Australia (in 1901) before coming to the throne. Thus, they had first-hand experience of the peoples they served. Reid later wrote of their Coronation;

Westminster Abbey never contained a fuller representation of the public men of the Dominions… than that which filled it to witness the enthronement of King George V and Queen Mary. The wonderfully elaborate ritual and the ancient ceremonies were a glorious puzzle to Colonial eyes. What an auspicious Coronation this, when for the first time in the history of the world a newly crowned Emperor and his Empress had visited all parts of an Empire which marches with the sun. ³

Australia's only Prime Minister from the State of Tasmania, Joseph Lyons, was a participant in a succession of momentous royal events during his years in office, notably the Silver Jubilee of George V, the abdication of Edward VIII and coronation of George VI. Lyons and his wife Enid attended the celebrations of George V's 25th anniversary on the throne in 1935, staying with the King and Queen Mary at Windsor Castle during their visit. Two years later, they returned to London for the coronation of his son, King George VI in May 1937. Lyons took part in the King’s procession, walking up the aisle of Westminster Abbey looking resplendent in his glittering embroidered uniform of a Privy Counsellor, with a court sword at his side. The following day, Prime Minister Lyons reflected of the event;

In collecting one's thoughts, which is difficult after such a stupendous occasion, nothing stands out more than the feeling that the whole empire consecrated itself behind the young King and Queen, determined to inaugurate a wonderful reign... I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime. ⁴

Received with as great acclaim as her husband, Enid Lyons was admired wherever she travelled during their overseas sojourn. She was deeply moved by the beauty of the Coronation service, and it left a lasting impression upon her;

It was a majestic ceremony. I doubt whether it will be possible to ever see anything like it again. The music throughout was superb, particularly when the national anthem was played. I am really unable to remember anything so thrilling and beautiful. ⁴

In his Coronation Honours List, George VI created Enid Lyons a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for her public service to Australia, the robes and insignia of which are displayed at the home of the Lyons family in Devonport, Home Hill. [Image alongside]

At the coronation banquet at Buckingham Palace two days later, Enid Lyons dined at the King's table, with the Crown Prince of Sweden and the Earl of Athlone seated on either side of her. Dame Enid would later serve as Australia's first female Member of the House of Representatives and Member of the Cabinet, and was a guest at the 1953 Coronation.


On 2 June 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in a magnificent and moving service at Westminster Abbey, the form and order of which had changed little for almost a thousand years. Before a congregation of more than 8000 people the young Queen was consecrated to her role as sovereign. Her Coronation was the zenith of modern monarchy: an incredible spectacle of pomp and pageantry. Whilst coronations had traditionally been exclusive occasions, with only a select number of people witnessing the event, that of Elizabeth II was seen by millions across the globe thanks to the wonders of technicolour film and the recent phenomenon of television. Many Australians, from Victoria Cross recipients to politicians and diplomats, had travelled to London to attend the ceremony, including the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies. Ever a student of history, Menzies recommended that the ancient practice of presenting Armills (bracelets) to the sovereign, by then long in abeyance, be revived. The Queen approved of the idea and a new set of Armills - the bracelets of sincerity and wisdom - were presented to The Queen as a sign of her bond with the peoples of the Commonwealth.

Menzies’ invitation to the service is held by the National Library of Australia [Image alongside].

Also witness to the ceremony were (Sir) Alick Downer and his wife Mary, who brought a pair of Coronation Chairs back from London which had been used in the Abbey, placing them in the Chapel at Arbury Park, their property in the Adelaide Hills. ⁵ Lady Mary Downer later loaned the chairs to an exhibition to mark Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. ⁶

The Coronation Dress worn by Elizabeth II would prove to be one of the most iconic and lavishly decorated dresses of the twentieth century, and included in its design was a subtle nod to Australia.

The dress was created by royal couturier Norman Hartnell, who at The Queen’s request incorporated the national floral emblems of the Commonwealth of Nations in the decoration, seen in this rare embroidery sample given by Hartnell to his assistant in 1953.  

The national emblems of the Commonwealth countries embroidered upon the dress included the wattle of Australia, the New Zealand fern, the maple leaf of Canada, South Africa’s protea, a lotus flower for India, another lotus flower for Ceylon, and wheat, cotton and jute for Pakistan.

Complementing these were the floral emblems of the United Kingdom: the Tudor rose of England, the Scots thistle, the Welsh leek and the shamrock of Ireland.³ Hartnell’s embroiderers took nine weeks and 3,000 hours to complete the dress. ²

The Queen later wore the shimmering gown when she Opened Parliament in Canberra on 15 February 1954, the first reigning monarch ever to do so. [Image alongside].

Cecil Beaton’s iconic official portraits of the royal family taken in 1953 captured the regal splendour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation, with the young Prince Charles (now Charles III) and Princess Anne pictured here with The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace after the service. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh used this image on their 1953 Christmas card. [Image below].

One can only hope that the coronation of King Charles III in May will be as grand, moving and joyous an occasion as the coronations of the past were for those Australians in London who witnessed them.

Scott Coleman (AML Canberra)

References:
1. ‘Star of the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George awarded to Sir Edmund Barton #2013-0006-1’, Museum of Australian Democracy, Canberra, Museum of Australian Democracy, 2013, https://collection.moadoph.gov.au/objects/2013-0006-1/, (accessed 23 Mar 2023)
2. Kate Cumming, ‘Royalty and Australian Society’, National Archives of Australia, Canberra, National Archives of Australia, 1998, p. 36, https://www.naa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-08/research-guide-royalty-and-australian-society.pdf, (accessed 24 Mar 2023).
3. G.Reid, My Reminiscences, Cassel and Company, Ltd., London, United Kingdom, 1917, p. 292.
4. ‘Mr and Dame Enid Lyons. Impressions of Coronation Ceremony’, Townsville Daily Bulletin, 14 May 1937, p. 7.
5. ‘How they live: the house that Mr. Downer built’, The Australian Women’s Weekly, 23 Jul 1958, p. 33.
6. A. Higgins, ‘Lady Downer has best seat in the house’, Sunday Mail (South Australia), 2 Jun 2012, https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/lady-downer-has-best-seat-in-house/news-story/2e11bbcb3054c3a044e7cb7058e9099b, (accessed 24 Mar 2023).
7. M. Pick, 2007, BEDAZZLED! Norman Hartnell: Sixty Years of Glamour and Fashion, Pointed Leaf Press, New York, USA, 2007, p. 158.
Images:
Figure `1: Courtesy of MoAD, Canberra
Figures 3 & 4: Courtesy of the National Library of Australia
Figures 2, 5 & 6: Courtesy of a private collection, Canberra

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THE CROWN AS A SYMBOL

On 6 May 2023, His Majesty King Charles III will be crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury with St Edward’s Crown. Some of us may have seen that crown in real life while visiting the Tower of London, where it is usually on display. Most of us will see it on television or in a newspaper as the Coronation is broadcast and reported on. But for most of us, it is not an object that we see every day.

Artistic representations of crowns, on the other hand, are something that we see around us in our everyday life. They are the instantly-recognisable symbol of government authority. In this article, I propose to explore where they come from, how they are used, and how they are useful.

The use of the crown as a symbol in this way has its origins in heraldry, and it is still almost (but not quite) always in the context of heraldry that we see a crown used. In an heraldic achievement, perhaps the most recognisable manifestation of heraldry, are combined recognisable elements, most commonly a shield (or escutcheon), some kind of headwear such as a helmet or crown on top, animal or human supporters on each side, a motto at the foot, and sometimes other elements. The combined effect, of course, is a physical impossibility, even to the point of ridiculousness, but the art of heraldry tricks you into seeing something depicted that your imagination tells you could be real.

Heraldry, then, contains both elements of truth, and also elements of fiction. This is reflected in the depictions of the crowns we see around us in everyday life. Although many heraldic crowns are depictions of a real, physical crown, this is not necessarily the case. The Kingdom of Belgium has never had a physical crown, although a depiction of one is used there heraldically.

The artistic representations of crowns that are and have been used in Australia (and other Commonwealth Realms) have a long and varied history. For heraldic purposes, it is convenient to start the story with Henry VIII. He is documented to have had a (physical) golden crown which either he or his father Henry VII had commissioned. This crown is known as the “Tudor Crown”. By the reign of Charles I, an artistic representation of this crown was being used heraldically. Different versions of this crown have featured repeatedly in heraldry ever since.

Charles I’s heraldic Tudor Crown
Image © User:Sodacan/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-3.0

The physical Tudor Crown itself was, together with the other English regalia then extant (including the original St Edward’s Crown), destroyed shortly after the execution of Charles I by being broken up and its materials sold off.

Following the Restoration, Charles II commenced using heraldically an artistic depiction of the new St Edward’s Crown that had been made for him.

St Edward’s Crown
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/royal-symbols-titles/royal-crown-cypher.html

This was the crown that was used heraldically up to and including the reign of Queen Victoria. Following Queen Victoria’s becoming Empress of India in 1876, a new style of heraldic crown was invented to signify her new imperial status. This new heraldic crown was not modelled on any actual physical crown, but it bore a resemblance to the “Tudor Crown” of Charles I, and is therefore conventionally referred to by that name.

The depiction of the new Tudor Crown varied greatly during Victoria’s reign and was standardised by Edward VII. This new Tudor Crown can be seen on the old Victoria Police pith helmet depicted below.

 

Images © International Military Antiques, Inc ima-usa.com

Upon Elizabeth II’s accession, she commenced using the St Edward’s Crown heraldically in lieu of the Tudor Crown.

I speculate that Her late Majesty made this decision with the fact in mind that the Tudor Crown had been brought into use following Victoria becoming Empress of India, a title which the Sovereign had ceased to hold by 1952.

Regardless of whether I am correct about that, King Charles III reverted to using the Tudor Crown upon His Majesty’s accession, as depicted in his Royal Cypher:

https://www.royal.uk/his-majesty-kings-cypher

Despite Elizabeth II being the only Sovereign since Victoria to use the St Edward’s Crown heraldically, the length of her reign has meant that this is the only artistic depiction of a crown most of us remember being used in Australia or the Commonwealth.

Perhaps the most commonly-seen representation of crowns in Australia is that appearing on the coats of arms of our police forces. Crowns also feature in the emblems of the three branches of our armed forces.

Although crowns do feature in the Australian coat of arms by reason of their being part of the state badges of Victoria and Queensland, the achievement is crested by the Commonwealth seven-pointed star instead of bearing a crown.

Many government buildings, particularly those constructed prior to Federation, bear the Royal Arms (and the crown with them) as a prominent architectural feature. Examples in Melbourne include the Treasury Place Government Offices, Old Customs House, and the former Royal Mint. Following Federation, the Commonwealth and the states were gradually granted coats of arms of their own, following which those coats of arms were used instead of the Royal Arms. Three of the state coats of arms include a crown (Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland), and crowns therefore continue to be used as a part of those arms. Three state Supreme Courts (Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia) continue to use the Royal Arms as their emblem to this day.

One of my favourite architectural manifestations of crowns (unusually, not appearing in an heraldic context) are the delightfully eccentric crowned lampposts which are a feature of the Victorian Parliament House. They are a more flamboyant version of the more restrained crowned lampposts seen outside the Westminster Houses of Parliament in London.

Crowns have been, but are no longer, used by our postal services, both as an architectural feature on the top of some of our earlier cast-iron postboxes, and by use as part of the Royal Cypher. The Royal Cypher used to be regularly installed on our post offices, and in many cases Elizabeth II’s Cypher remains on current and former post offices. In the case of postboxes, unlike, for example, England, the Royal Cypher ceased being incorporated in the cast-iron design in Australia, and was replaced here with a two-dimensional depiction printed or painted on the postbox. I recall seeing, as late as the early 2000s, a faded Royal Cypher of Elizabeth II on the Australia Post postbox in Mount Egerton, Victoria. Writing this article has made me wonder if it is still there.

I have a childhood recollection of seeing that my parents’ passports bore a crown above the Australian coat of arms and feeling jealous that my newer passport did not. The crown was a feature of Australian passports only for two decades, between 1964 and 1984.

After this review of how the crown is actually used, then, the question arises – is it useful? What is there to recommend its continued use? Or its abolition? Can it be replaced?

A crown is an instantly-recognisable symbol of authority. When you see someone wearing a cap or a badge with a crown on it, you know instantly that that person is exercising the authority of the state. In this, it cannot be replaced in my view with any other symbol that would have the same effect. We might try to replace it with the seven-pointed Commonwealth Star, but stars are not symbols of authority. We might try to replace it with a kangaroo. But kangaroos are not symbols of authority. These symbols might acquire that status with time and usage, as the American bald eagle arguably has in the United States. But, like the bald eagle, there is something these symbols lack.

Because in these post-mediaeval times, crowns have acquired a symbolism beyond mere authority. They also remind us of the spirit of public service embodied in the person of the King. Eagles do not serve the public. Kangaroos and stars do not serve the public. The symbol of the crown acts as an exhortation to those who exercise the power of the Crown to follow the King’s personal example of devotion to public service in carrying out their tasks. And apart from exhortation, there is also comfort for the Crown’s servants, and the Crown’s subjects, in this. The King, like every one of us, is a human being. He has failings (some of them well documented) and can only do his best. He also has human feelings, and can choose to exercise his prerogative of mercy. The crown is a very human symbol, and not a symbol derived from the harsh, wild, unforgiving world of nature.

Samuel McMahon is a solicitor living and working in Melbourne.

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The Liturgy

 

The Coronation

 

 

 

 

 

The King Comes to His Crowning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you will find information on the Coronation, the timing of the Procession and Crowning, in Australian Eastern Standard Time, together with the Liturgy and other information.

6pm AEST	Congregation to be seated inside the Abbey.
6:30 - 7.45pm	Heads of state, overseas government representatives, Government ministers, First Ministers, former PMs, foreign royals and members of the royal family arrive.
6:45pm	The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry begin to gather ready for the procession from Buckingham Palace.
7:20pm	The King and Queen Consort’s procession sets off from the Palace.
7:53pm	The King and Queen Consort arrive at Westminster Abbey.
8pm	The King and Queen enter the Abbey through the Great West Door and the service begins.
9pm	The King is crowned. The Archbishop of Canterbury places the St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head. Trumpets will sound and gun salutes will be fired across the UK.
10pm	The service ends and the newly crowned King and Queen begin their coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach.
10:33pm	Charles and Camilla are expected to enter Buckingham Palace through the Centre Arch.
10:45pm	The King and Queen Consort receive a royal salute from the military in the Palace gardens
11:15pm	The King, Queen Consort and members of the royal family appear on the Palace balcony to watch the flypast.

Click on the title below to see:

The Liturgy - Order of the Service of the Coronation

The Coronation of Our Kings

Coronation Church Services in Australia