The Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II

Apr 23, 2020 | The ceremony of the Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II took place in May 1896 in Moscow. The ceremonies began on Thursday, May 9, with the Imperial Procession into the city from the Petrovsky Palace. The Emperor went on horseback, followed by two golden carriages, containing the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna in the first, and the young Tsarina in the second. May 10 and II were days of ceremonial receptions. On May 12, Trinity Sunday, the Banner of State was consecrated with the Imperial Regalia that was delivered from the Armory to the Throne Hall of the Kremlin Palace. May 14, saw the Coronation itself with the procession to the Assumption Cathedral under a baldachin.

This video is an excerpt from a special edition entitled "In the Path of Love and Blood", featuring 30 minutes of high-quality newsreel footage from the Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive (RGAKFD) and photographs from the Russian State Archives (GARF). The total runtime is 40 mins.

The Guardian View on Coronation Day: A Mix of Serious and Absurd

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The crowning of King Charles III was rooted in Britain’s past but disconnected from its future

King Charles III and Queen Camilla. ‘It bears repeating that there was no constitutional need for the coronation.’ Photograph: Shutterstock
For many, the coronation of King Charles III was another great British occasion in a seamless tradition. That was the way the ever respectful broadcasters mostly saw it. For others, though, the coronation was either an affront to the way we live now or, perhaps in most cases, just an irrelevance. Most people had other things to do with their time than watch the events in Westminster Abbey and the streets of London.

True, the crowds in the Mall on Saturday represent something real about modern Britain. But they are only one part of the weekend story. Other parts matter too. In Glasgow and Cardiff there were demonstrations under Not My King banners. At Anfield, Liverpool football supporters drowned out the national anthem that was being played to mark the occasion. » | Editorial | Sunday, May 7, 2023

ALSO READ:

Protesters in handcuffs and nonstop bling: this coronation has been an embarrassment: Other European royals would never have risked a display on this scale. From the much-mocked pledge of allegiance onwards, Charles’s gamble has gone terribly wrong »

Are we supposed to believe in the 'Divine Right of Kings'? Isn't that what that anointing oil was all about? If we are, count me out! I could never believe in that! Surely, one would have to have lost one's marbles to believe in such an absurd notion. – © Mark Alexander

Après l'extravagance pour la famille royale, la pénurie pour les paysans ! – © Mark Alexander

Royal Drama at Sydney Opera House after Refusal to Light Up Sails for King’s Coronation

THE GUARDIAN: Government argues the financial burden would have been significant if the projection had gone ahead

The government of New South Wales has said it costs up to $100,000 to light up sails of the Sydney Opera House, as it defends scrapping plans to do so for the coronation. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters
A decision to scrap plans to light the sails of the Sydney Opera House in honour of the coronation of King Charles has been defended by the premier of the state of New South Wales, Chris Minns.

The famous sails of the Opera House are often lit for major events in Australia, including for a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II after she died and a controversial projection promoting a horse race.

But Saturday’s coronation did not make the cut, with the recently elected Labor government in the state reversing its predecessor’s decision to do so. » | Jordyn Beazley | Monday, May 8, 2023

King’s Coronation: Royal Family Appear on Buckingham Palace Balcony - BBC News

May 6, 2023 | The newly-crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla have emerged onto Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to crowds gathered along The Mall in central London. They were joined by members of the Royal Family, including Prince William, Kate and their children. Some of Queen Camilla's grandchildren were also present on the balcony, but there was no sign of Prince Harry.

Michael Lambert's Viewpoint: Unlimited Police Power to Stop & Search

May, 7 2023

Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?

THE NEW YORK TIMES: On Saturday, Charles finally became the focal figure of the long-running royal TV drama — if only for a day.

The coronation of King Charles III mixed traditional pageantry with modern touches. | Andrew Testa for The New York Times
It is always a challenge to introduce a major cast change in a long-running serial. Saturday morning, in a special episode with elements of “The Crown” and “Succession,” King Charles III finally became the focal figure of the royal ensemble — if only for a day.

The coronation of a British ruler is, of course, a political ritual and a religious ceremony. But it is also, as the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 established, a TV show. It’s an anachronistic assertion of divine right retooled to recognize that, in the electronic era, even hereditary rulers have to argue their relevance.

Charles’s coronation was a full-color spectacle, showing off the peacocked glory of British tradition and the bells and whistles of 21st-century TV. Britain brought out its finest garments, its finest relics, its finest rain. The networks took in all the splendor they could capture on camera; there were even graphics offering an X-ray of Westminster Abbey. The term “fairy tale” was deployed more than once.
But fairy tales have messages. This one had many: To convey continuity while styling the monarchy as modern, to reframe the narratives around the royal family and to introduce Charles not just as a leader but as a lead. » | James Poniewozik | Saturday, May 6, 2023

LIRE AUSSI :

Au Royaume-Uni, le couronnement de Charles III, un héritage millénaire à l’épreuve d’une société multiculturelle et sécularisée : La cérémonie religieuse est prévue samedi dans l’abbaye de Westminster. Pour la première fois, des femmes, évêques, prendront part à la liturgie, et les dignitaires portant les insignes royaux refléteront la diversité d’origines des Britanniques. »

LESEN SIE AUCH:

Der König wirkte geradezu fragil: Melancholie und festliche Nachdenklichkeit an einem verregneten Krönungstag: König Charles III. gibt sich gemessen. Der Gottesdienst aber enthält zahlreiche Gesten, die seinen Willen zeigen, ein moderner Monarch zu sein. »

Prince Harry Leaves Alone After Attending Coronation

The Duke of Sussex has attended his father's Coronation, sitting two rows from his brother at Westminster Abbey.
Read the BBC article here.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Once Close, William and Harry Are Now Rows Apart: The sons of King Charles III did not appear to interact during their father’s coronation. »

LESEN SIE AUCH:

Ein Zurück wird es für Harry nicht geben: Es war ein kurzes Gastspiel von Prinz Harry, das umso genauer beäugt wurde und schnell endete: Harry ist bereits auf dem Weg zurück zu seiner Familie. Inzwischen wird er auch nicht mehr gebraucht. »

Viel Geld möge Prinz Harry schon haben, aber die Zugehörigkeit der königlichen Familie ist ihm verloren gegangen. Und das ist eine Tragödie. Meines Erachtens, ein Weg zurück scheint es ihm nicht zu geben. Sein zu Hause hat er für seine Familie und sich in Kalifornien gemacht; und, wie es nun aussieht, in Kalifornien werden er und seine Familie auch bleiben müssen. Leider hat Prinz Harry sein Nest beschmutzt. Die alten Zeiten scheinen unwiederbringlich vorbei zu sein. – © Mark Alexander

How King Charles III’s Coronation Will Stand Apart From Others

The new monarch will debut his modern take on the centuries-old ceremony, which is expected to be quite different from Queen Elizabeth’s groundbreaking coronation 70 years ago. | By Chevaz Clarke and Meg Felling•May 4, 2023

Inside King Charles III’s Coronation Coaches

The king and his queen consort will ride in two royal carriages, including one that Queen Elizabeth described as “horrible.” They feature pieces of British history and modern conveniences like air-conditioning. | By Shawn Paik•May 5, 2023

A Look at the British Monarchy's Popularity ahead of King Charles' Coronation

May 4, 2023 | The new king inherited the crown at a time when support for the monarchy was as low as it had ever been—a decline that has been accelerated in part by the downfall of Charles’s brother Prince Andrew over sexual assault allegations stemming from his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as by the damaging revelations made in Prince Harry’s unsparing memoir, Spare.

I should like to remind my followers and visitors that I do not post articles, videos and documentaries because they reflect my personal views; rather, I post them because I find their content interesting and, in some way, relevant. I also try hard to be balanced. My own personal views can be deduced and concluded only from the comments I make or from something I myself write. – Mark

The Coronation: King Charles's Finances Unpacked

May 4, 2023 \ King Charles III is estimated to have around £600m in private wealth. In the lead-up to his coronation, The Economist explores where Britain's royal family actually gets its money from.

Defender of All Faiths? Coronation Puts Focus on King Charles’s Beliefs

THE GUARDIAN: The crowning ceremony will be a deeply Christian affair. Will it be at odds with king’s desire to reflect UK’s religious diversity?

King Charles III with the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who said the coronation was ‘first and foremost an act of Christian worship’. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA
In 1953, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, the UK was predominantly Christian, with Sunday church attendance the norm, children taught to say their prayers at bedtime and vicars regarded with unquestioning deference.

Opinion polls in the 1950s and 1960s asking people to name their religion found that between 86% and 91% gave a Christian denomination.

Seventy years on, as King Charles III prepares for his coronation on 6 May, the picture is rather different. The 2021 census found that for the first time, a minority of people in England and Wales described themselves as Christian, with those saying they had no religion gaining ground. Attendance at Sunday services at Anglican churches in England hit an all-time low (bar the pandemic year of 2020) in 2021, at 509,000 people, or less than 1% of the population. » | Harriet Sherwood | Thursday, May 4, 2023

ALSO READ:

UK Jews ‘will be lining streets’ on coronation day, says chief rabbi: Ephraim Mirvis pays tribute to king ‘who respects other faiths’ »

The Coronation of King Charles: Everything You Need to Know

May 3, 2023 | The coronation of King Charles III is coming up on 6 May. Charles is trying to strike a balance between tradition and modernity. Although the coronation process has remained unchanged for 1000 years, King Charles is planning some changes. For example, fewer guests will be invited and male guests are to appear in suits rather than pompous coronation robes. The invitation also refers to the coronation of "Queen Camilla", which is unusual for a monarch's wife, as the correct name would be "Queen Consort". At the ceremony in Westminster Abbey, Charles will accept the traditional St. Edward's Crown. After the coronation, the royals will make a traditional appearance at Buckingham Palace. It is already clear that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be present on the balcony.

Republic of Canada? Poll Suggests It's Time to Ditch the Monarchy

Apr 25, 2023 | King Charles’s coronation is set for May 6, but a new Angus Reid survey suggests many Canadians aren’t keen on keeping the monarchy.

King Charles: Public Invited to Swear Allegiance to King during Coronation – BBC News

Apr 30, 2023 | People watching the Coronation will be invited to join a "chorus of millions" to swear allegiance to King Charles and his heirs, organisers said. The public pledge is one of several striking changes to the ancient ceremony revealed on Saturday. In a coronation full of firsts, female clergy will play a prominent role, and the king himself will pray out loud. The Christian service will also see religious leaders from other faiths have an active part for the first time.

It is rather surprising that they forgot to insist on the plebs having to tug on their forelocks. – © Mark Alexander

Brits Ask: Is Charles My King or #NotMyKing? | Focus on Europe

Apr 30, 2023 | Ahead of King Charles' coronation, Britain's Republicans are calling for the end of the monarchy. But most Britons prefer the status quo, even if the new King is not as popular as the late Queen.

Many in U.K. Greet King Charles’s Coronation With a ‘Take It or Leave It’ Shrug

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Images of the new king may be blanketing Britain, but many in the country are more focused on navigating a cost-of-living crisis than celebrating a dysfunctional royal family.

King Charles III and the queen consort, Camilla, attending a ceremony on Thursday at Buckingham Palace in London. | Pool photo by Stefan Rousseau
When King Charles III is crowned on Saturday, he will undergo a ritual so rare in modern British history that it last occurred 70 years ago, roughly the wait between sightings of Halley’s comet. And yet the coronation has yet to capture the imagination of a Britain preoccupied by other concerns.

Images of the new king — in chocolate, in Legos and in wax — are popping up in bakeries, toy stores and at Madame Tussauds wax museum. Ancient relics of coronation, like the Scottish stone of destiny, are being delivered to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony. Charles and his queen consort, Camilla, are rehearsing every step of the service in a specially staged room at Buckingham Palace.

But in a recent poll of 3,070 adults in Britain by the market research firm YouGov, 64 percent of respondents said they had little or no interest in the coronation. Only a third said they were strongly or fairly interested in it. Among those aged 18 to 24, the number voicing little or no interest rose to 75 percent. » | Mark Landler, Reporting from London | Sunday, April 30, 2023

King Charles’ Horse Drawn Golden Coronation Carriage with Air Conditioning

Apr 10, 2023

Prince Harry to Attend King Charles' Coronation while Meghan Will Stay in California

Extra Bank Holiday for Coronation of King Charles III Set for 8 May 2023

THE GUARDIAN: Extra bank holiday will follow king’s coronation two days earlier on Saturday 6 May

King Charles III will be crowned in Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/PA
The government has announced an additional bank holiday to mark the coronation of King Charles III next year.

Downing Street said the UK-wide holiday will fall on Monday 8 May after the coronation at Westminster Abbey two days earlier.

Rishi Sunak said the day would be an opportunity for families and communities across the country to come together to celebrate. » | Sophie Zeldin-O'Neill | Sunday, November 6, 2022