Latest news with #coronation
The National
20 hours ago
- General
- The National
Best photos of June 3: Drought in Qamishli to de-mining in Raqqa
Royal purification The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India. The crown Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair. The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command. The audience On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence. The procession The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city. Meet the people On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How Queen Elizabeth II clashed with Prince Philip over the televising of her coronation
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip clashed over plans to televise her coronation, a royal insider has revealed. While the black and white footage was grainy, the BBC 's live broadcast was an incredible feat which took months of preparation and attracted 27million viewers. But if the Queen's original wish had been honoured, it would not have been televised. This position was supported by the then-prime minister Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother but there remained one vocal supporter of opening up Westminster Abbey to the cameras - Prince Philip. Philip and Elizabeth butted heads over the issue, according to royal author Andrew Morton. He wrote: 'On this crucial matter she butted heads with her husband, who chaired the coronation committee. 'He wanted to let daylight in on the magic, believing that televising the ceremony would make the monarchy relevant to a new generation and herald a new, dynamic Elizabethan Age.' But Philip was overruled and it was announced that the coronation would not be broadcast. However, 'people power' convinced the Queen to U-turn. Morton, in his book Elizabeth & Margaret, added: 'For once people power - with the eager support of of the television manufacturers - won the day. 'Ministers and MPs were overwhelmed with an avalanche of mail protesting against the decision to keep the cameras out of the abbey.' Royal commentator Alexander Larman wrote in his book Power and Glory: 'So overwhelming and consistent was the outcry, ably communicated to their elected representatives, that in October 1952, it was stated that in view of the "serious public disappointment", the sacred event would need to be broadcast live.' By then Elizabeth had a change of heart and said: 'All her subjects should have an opportunity of seeing [the coronation].' Preparations took on a new life after this decision, with TV stations needing to be built across the country to ensure all could watch the historic occasion. The Duke of Edinburgh kneels in front of the Queen. The BBC's live broadcast was an incredible feat which took months of preparation Plans were even made to show the event in France for the Duke and Duchess of WIndsor's benefit, according to Hugo Vickers in his book Coronation: The Crowning of Elizabeth II. Westminster Abbey also had to be kitted out with all the latest technology. This included four cameras mounted across the ceiling and 26 microphones placed close to the throne. John Snagge was given the role of commentating for BBC Home Service radio, while RIchard Dimbleby led the TV coverage. According to Vickers, concerns about the logistics of the broadcast continued to be raised. 'Snagge was worried about what he would do if the Queen fainted under the heavy robes and hot lights or if a peer carrying the regalia should fall over,' he wrote. In the end, the coronation went off without a hitch. Churches installed their own TVs so congregations across the country could 'surround the Queen with their prayers'. For royals fans across the pond, recordings of the coronation were flown in bombers to Canada and the United States. The coronation brought to the throne a picture of youth, hope, innocence and beauty in one compelling mix. Upwards of 45,000 troops from 50 countries lined the four-mile procession route, designed so three million spectators could witness the New Elizabethan age's dawn. Some 8,000 guests crammed into Westminster Abbey, falling into silence as Elizabeth gave her Coronation Oath. On The Mall, a million spectators cheered themselves hoarse when she stepped on to the Buckingham Palace balcony. All this for one modest, 25-year-old woman. Even today, despite King Charles's historic coronation two years ago, it remains a high point - a piece of magic which could never be replicated. The renowned author Dame Rebecca West was overawed by the spectacle, describing Elizabeth as 'the emblem of the state, the symbol of our national life, the guardian of our self-respect'. Writer Nancy Mitford put it more jauntily: 'How much NICER to have a young queen than that very dull old man!' While the nation celebrated with thousands of street parties, in the ancient walls of Westminster Abbey an act of immense sobriety was taking place. 'She was consecrated,' said Canon John Andrew, the senior chaplain, 'and that makes her Queen. It is the most solemn thing that has ever happened in her life. She cannot abdicate. She is there until death.' And many who witnessed the broadcast view the coronation as one of the most memorable days in their own lives.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Revealed: How Queen Elizabeth II was persuaded into making historic decision before being crowned
It was one of the most iconic moments in television history that very nearly didn't even make it to the small screen. Today is the 72nd anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II which made history when it became the first time the ceremony was broadcast live.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
King Charles gifted Rolls-Royce for coronation, official register reveals
King Charles III received a Rolls-Royce as a coronation gift, an official register has Palace has released records listing the official gifts received by members of the Royal Family from 2020 to Rolls Royce Cullinan Series II motor car was given by the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. It is thought to be worth at least £300,000, and will be used on official occasions and not for personal use. Other gifts on the list also included a feather crown from Amazonian Indigenous leaders, two gold Blue Peter badges and a tea set from Smythson of Bond Street. In April 2023, just before his coronation, the King received two gold Blue Peter badges, one each for himself and received the famous badges for their environmental work, support for young people through the Prince's Trust, now the King's Trust, and work highlighting the importance of literacy and reading from a young age the coronation itself, alongside the Rolls-Royce, the Bahraini king gave Charles a decorative clock. Meanwhile, former President of the United States Joe Biden gave Charles a leather folder containing printed letters between Elizabeth II and President Dwight Eisenhower inviting him to the United Kingdom, with a photograph of the list also includes gifts presented to other members of the royal family including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the late Queen Elizabeth her Platinum Jubilee, the late queen was gifted two lamp-posts which would stand outside the Houses of Parliament in the form of bronze sculptures of heraldic beasts and a Cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope gifts can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property. The royals do not pay tax on cannot be sold or exchanged - though perishable official gifts with a value less than £150 can be given to charity or staff - and eventually become part of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust for successors and the the palace releases records listing the official gifts received by members of the royal family annually, however due to delays caused by the Covid pandemic, death of Elizabeth II and the coronation this is the first time a list has been published in the King's reign. Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Rolls-Royce and feather crown among King Charles's coronation gifts
King Charles received coronation gifts ranging from a luxury Rolls-Royce to a feather crown and two hand-woven coconut leaf hats, according to an official register. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II, thought to be worth at least £300,000, was given by the king of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. As an official gift to Charles as head of state, the car will become part of the Royal Mews to be used on official occasions and not private use, sources indicated. The Bahraini king also handed over a decorative clock. The feather crown was a present from Amazonian Indigenous leaders, and the traditional South Pacific coconut leaf hats were from the president of the Marshall Islands. There were plenty of trees, too, from tree saplings given by the Swedish royal family to a Tirolean pine tree from the Austrian president. Other coronation gifts included a table with decorative drawer and a model ship from the emir of Kuwait; a decorative pot from the sultan of Brunei; and from the then US president, Joe Biden, a leather folder containing printed letters between Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower inviting him to the UK, with a photograph of the visit. The late Queen Elizabeth received a trio of brooches among other gifts for her platinum jubilee; a white gold, platinum and diamond brooch from the Goldsmiths' Company, a diamond and platinum brooch from the Freemasons, and a platinum pearl and diamond brooch from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. The jewellery will become part of the royal collection and may be worn by other members of the royal family. Two lamp-posts outside the Houses of Parliament in the form of bronze sculptures of heraldic beasts were presented by both houses for the jubilee. China's president, Xi Jinping, sent a large cloisonné ornament in the design of a zun, a wine vessel used in ancient Chinese rituals, with motifs and patterns symbolising royalty and good fortune. The Royal Australian Air Force in 2021 sent the queen a practical gift of six dog jackets of varying sizes. Joe and Jill Biden, on the occasion of having tea at Windsor Castle, contributed an engraved specially commissioned Tiffany sterling silver box and a floral brooch. Gifts received by Queen Camilla included lapis lazuli gemstones from the former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, and a brooch from the crown prince of Kuwait. This is the first official gifts register to be published in the king's reign and dates back to 2020. Normally the list is published on the royal family website annually, but the Covid pandemic, the death of the late queen, and the coronation led to delays. Gifts cannot be sold or exchanged and eventually become part of the royal collection, which is held in trust for successors and the nation.
