Coronation

Introduction to Coronation

Coronation, ceremony having as its central act the placing of a crown on the head of a monarch. The ceremony usually combines civil and religious aspects. The custom of anointing the newly crowned monarch originated in Europe during the Middle Ages and was probably derived from Old Testament references to the anointing of the kings of Israel (see 1 Kings 1:39). In the coronation of the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, the pope himself officiated.

An example of historical coronations, and probably the most elaborate of surviving coronations in the Western world, is that of the monarch of England. The archbishop of Canterbury, highest official of the Church of England, presides over the ceremony in Westminster Abbey in London. During part of the ceremony the monarch occupies a special coronation chair containing the Stone of Scone (see Scone). The coronation is divided into five sections: first, the entry, recognition by the people that the ceremony is to continue, and administration of the royal oath; second, the consecration of the new monarch by anointing; third, the investiture with the robes and crown; fourth, the enthronement and the paying of homage to the monarch by spiritual and temporal authorities; and fifth, the service of Holy Communion.

Many contemporary European monarchs have been crowned without elaborate ceremony, as for instance, in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. King Baudouin of Belgium and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands were never actually crowned.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Coronation in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Coronation