From snipers to undercover officers, British security forces are preparing for the biggest event since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

Members of royal houses, foreign dignitaries and large crowds will gather for the coronation of King Charles III. The authorities worked day and night to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Preparations for the coronation ceremony, code-named Operation Golden Globe, began immediately after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, but plans have been in the making for decades and regularly revised.

Charles III will become the oldest crowned king of the British monarchy.

Plans for Operation “Golden Ball”

Much of Operation Golden Globe will be similar to previous security plans, including plans for the Queen’s funeral and the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

“None of this was put together in just a few weeks or the last couple of months. These plans will be supplemented with contingency plans and hypotheticals: “What will we do if this happens? What are we going to do if it doesn’t happen?” Simon Morgan, an officer who was engaged in the personal protection of Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family, told the British press.

He said officers would be prepared for potential threats, from royal stalkers to international terror groups and criminal gangs.

Environmental activists and anti-monarchists are also being targeted. Followers of the “Not My King” movement have made their presence felt at most of King Charles’s public appearances. Environmental groups such as Just Stop Oil have also pledged to “step up their campaigns”. They will try to use the world’s media, because it’s obviously a global event, to support their cause, Morgan said.

Criminals will also look to take advantage of this event, from pickpockets to organized networks.

What is coronation?

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London.

During the ceremony, the King will be crowned together with Camilla, the Queen Consort.

Coronation is both a symbolic religious ceremony in which the sovereign is crowned and the physical act of placing the crown on the monarch’s head. It officially establishes the monarch’s role as head of the Church of England.

However, in order to become a king, a monarch does not have to be crowned.

Edward VIII ruled without a coronation, and Charles automatically became king after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Differences from Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 ceremony

Coronations remained unchanged for hundreds of years. The British ceremony is the only event of its kind left in Europe.

However, Charles III’s coronation ceremony is likely to be shorter and smaller than Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, with a wider range of religions.

Queen Elizabeth II traveled both to Westminster Abbey and back to Buckingham Palace in the 260-year-old Gold State Coach, decorated in gold but lacking in comfort.

On the return journey, Charles and Camilla will use only traditional carriage.

During the trip to Westminster Abbey, they decided on a modern “Diamond Jubilee State Coach”, equipped with shock absorbers and air conditioning.

In addition, Charles and Camilla will travel a much shorter route (two kilometers each way) compared to Queen Elizabeth II’s seven kilometer route, which took two hours.

Compared to the 29,000 members of the armed forces present in 1953, the return procession to Buckingham Palace will be less imposing.

The royal couple will be accompanied by almost 4,000 soldiers, including musicians.

What happens during the service at the abbey?

There are several stages of the ceremony:

Recognition: As he sits next to the 700-year-old coronation chair, the monarch is introduced to the audience by the Archbishop of Canterbury. They shout: “God save the king!”

Oath: The sovereign swears to uphold the law and the Church of England

Anointing: The Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the king’s arms, chest and head with holy oil made from a secret recipe known to contain amber, orange blossom, roses, jasmine and cinnamon. The butter created for Charles will not contain ingredients of animal origin

Investment: Objects are presented to the sovereign, including the Royal Globe, symbolizing religious and moral authority; Scepter, a symbol of power; and the Sovereign’s Scepter, a golden rod topped by a white dove, a symbol of justice and mercy. Finally, the archbishop places the Crown of St. Edward on the king’s head

Enthronement: The king leaves the coronation chair and sits on the throne. People kneel before the monarch to pay their respects.

The queen consort will follow a similar ritual and be crowned.

Symbolic objects of the coronation ceremony

Crown it is studded with 2,901 precious stones, including the Cullinan II Diamond, the St. Edward Sapphire, the Stewart Sapphire and the Black Prince Ruby.

In the cross of the crown is an octagonal sapphire, the sapphire of St. Edward, whose history is older than any other gem in the royal collection.

The crown, which is the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels, was removed from the Tower of London last December to allow for the necessary changes in preparation for today’s ceremony.

Sovereign globe it was created for the coronation of Charles II in 1661. The globe is a 16.5 cm diameter gold sphere with a band of pearls and precious stones in the center. Amethyst on the globe. The globe is a religious symbol and symbolizes the monarch’s role as defender of the faith as head of the Church of England.

Royal scepter it is 92 centimeters long and topped with the Cullinan I diamond.

Greek choir and gospel choir

Orthodox Greeks will sing for the first time at a coronation in honor of Charles III’s father, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99. Born in Corfu, he was a member of the Greek royal family.

The Byzantine Singing Ensemble was created especially for this occasion under the leadership of Orthodox music teacher Oleksandr Lingas.

The Ascension Choir will also be the first gospel choir to perform at the coronation, signaling the new king’s commitment to modernity.

How much will the coronation ceremony cost?

Unlike royal weddings, coronation ceremonies are paid for with public funds.

Neither Downing Street nor Buckingham Palace have confirmed the exact cost of the coronation, although British media have suggested the ceremonies will cost between £50m and £100m, roughly double the cost of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.

According to some rumors, “Operation Golden Ball” could cost around 100 million pounds. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was the most expensive ceremony ever held by a monarchy at the time, costing £1.57 million, or the equivalent of £56 million today, according to the New York Times. This time around, the higher price tag is being pushed to a security need that wouldn’t have been such a big concern a decade ago. Charles’ grandfather, George VI, was crowned at a cost of £454,000 in 1937, which would be £24.8 million today.

The oldest crowned royal couple

The last time a King and Queen was crowned was on May 12, 1937, when George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth (known as the Queen Mother) took the throne after his brother Edward VIII abdicated to marry American Wallis Simpson. . Their daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, was an 11-year-old princess at the time.

Age is also a notable difference between King Charles III and his predecessors. Charles is 74, and Camilla is 75. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was only 27 years old. On the day of their coronation, her father George VI was only 41 and the Queen Mother was 36.

But the “promise of youth” will be presented at the coronation in 2023 by Charles’ eldest son William, the next in line Prince of Wales, who will be the only one allowed to kneel before his father and – He kissed her on the right cheek during the ceremony, reports the Sunday Times.

Sources: Time, BBC, Wales Online, AFP, Agerpres