The Crowning of a King

 

This morning, May 6, A.D. 2023, many witnessed the coronation of England’s King Charles III. As a devoted admirer of English history, the coronation this morning was something I had been anticipated for months, since the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II. I was up at four this morning to turn on the tv (or should I say the “telly”) to watch the procession to Westminster Abbey before the coronation began. I have been talking to many of my friends and coworkers in the past week asking if they were planning to watch the broadcast as it went out live. Often, I was met with the same question: “Why do you care? It doesn’t effect you.” It is true, as an American citizen, the rule of King Charles does not have any sway over my daily life, but I would contend that it also does not mean I should disregard the coronation for a number of reasons.

    Firstly, America was settled largely by the English and is built on English tradition. Our ideas of liberty, freedom from tyranny, religious freedom, and even our language come from the legacy and traditions attained from the struggles of the English people. The people who first settled out country very strongly expressed their desire to maintain English principles and laws, and as their new country developed it maintained many of the core beliefs brought to it by the English. The coronation of King Charles reminds us of where our society came from. It teaches us to honour and be grateful for those who came before us.

Secondly, the coronation displays to the watching world the beauty of tradition, ceremony, and respect. American society has no equivalent to the English monarchy in terms of grand ceremony and tradition. A society with a well placed tradition of ceremony promotes virtues such as duty, honour, dignity, and respect. The king when he is crowned is being shown honour as the leader of the people. The people fill the streets to cheer as he passed by. This is a show of respect. He in return should exhibit honourable qualities. He must act as one worthy of respect: he must act with dignity. There are rules he must follow, and the people expect him to follow them. Our society does not have an idea of what this kind of dignity and respect are. We do not have a tradition that teaches us how to carry ourselves and treat each other with respect. We are accustomed to seeing our political leaders yelling over each other in public. While England may have its own political issues, it has endured much longer than ours, and this is due in large part to its understanding of respecting toward its leaders and past.

Thirdly, and most importantly, for those of us who profess Christ as our king, I would argue that the coronation is a helpful reminder of what we do each and every Lord’s Day. In worship we are gathering together before our the King of all kings, and we kneel before his throne. This idea was one that used to be understood by most people centuries ago, because they had a king and understood what it meant to submit to and honour a king. There is a sense of gravitas we do not understand without a monarch to pay allegiance to. Very few places have kings today, and England serves as one of the only reminders of kingly leadership. This is in fact what kings are for, and the Archbishop of Canterbury reminded King Charles of this during his coronation. They lead the people into worship.

Lastly, the king in being crowned is also supposed to present an image of the work Christ did for his people. To be crowned the king must leave his palace, lay aside his kingly robe, and submit himself to serve others. After this is done, he may put on his new robes and receive his crown. The coronation is a tradition begun by people who had a deep conviction to worship and honour God, and they understood their own earthly king to be but a mortal reflection of their true king Christ. He also, like Christ, is directed to give glory back to God. During the coronation service, which is a worship service, the king is seated forward with the congregation. He has power and authority, but his orientation recognizes that those things ultimately belong to God. The king is seen as a fellow man who must submit to his heavenly king like any other man, and he is called to lead his people in worship by his example. 

For these reasons, among others, I believe the coronation of King Charles today is still a noteworthy event for those of us who are not English citizens. Not only is it an historical event to remember, but it is a monument to a way of living that should not be forgotten. While in the vast majority of countries these traditions have disappeared, England remains a place where these traditions can still be seen. They serve as a reminder to the rest of the world of how we ought to conduct ourselves, and they serve as an even more important reminder to the church of how it ought to conduct itself in reverent worship to its lord and king. If the marvelous display this morning is a fitting display for Charles III as king of England, what a grander display we ought to give to Jesus Christ the king of heaven and earth.