On December 25, 1066, the first English coronation took place, crowning William the Conqueror as King. Over the course of 950 more years in England’s history, all the ceremonies have taken place at Westminster Abbey since William the Conqueror's coronation. Some interesting incidents have happened in lieu of coronations, like the boy king, Edward V, being murdered in the Tower of London before he could be crowned and Edward VIII abdicating the throne 11 months after succeeding his father. William III and Mary II were the only joint monarchs, whereas George IV didn’t allow his own wife in to witness the coronation.
Naturally, there has to be plenty of things to be excited and proud about as a British citizen. The United Kingdom is the only superpower that still has a monarchy, and while the crown has not retained the same amount of power it previously had, it is still one of the few sovereign countries that preserves its rich history in terms of continuing to have a monarchy. The sovereign stands as a human representative of national unity and pride. Specifically for Queen Elizabeth II, her reign gave her citizens a sense of stability, security, and continuity. That being said, not everyone feels overwhelming happiness about the upcoming coronation of King Charles III. Why is that?
The coronation of King Charles III is just another reminder to many people, such as Stan Grant, an aboriginal Wiradjuri man, of their rights continuously being trampled on. He says:
Wars were fought in this land now called Australia where Aboriginal people were massacred. Martial law was declared on my people, the Wiradjuri nation, during the 1820’s in what was referred to as an ‘exterminating war.’ The survivors were locked away on segregated missions and reserves. Every movement was monitored, curfews imposed, civil liberties denied. Our languages were silenced, my father saw his grandfather jailed for speaking our language to him in the main street of our hometown. Our culture was smashed, children were forcibly removed from families in what has become known as the ‘stolen generations.’ Aboriginal people were commonly excluded from public places – hotels, swimming pools, cinemas. My people faced being erased from the earth. Indeed the common phrase during colonial Australia was to ‘smooth the dying pillow’ for a race of people on the brink of extinction. When I was born in 1963, I – like all First Nations people – was not counted in the census. We were not included among other Australians. That would not change until 1967.
Amidst the cost-of-living crisis in the U.K., many Britons don’t believe the coronation should be funded by the government. The coronation is expected to cost several millions of dollars, but the budget has not been revealed to the public. Sky News reports, “The late Elizabeth II's coronation cost £912,000 in 1953 - £20.5m in today's money - while the King's grandfather George VI was crowned at a cost of £454,000 in 1937 - worth £24.8m in 2023 and the most expensive coronation of the last 300 years.” On top of this, King Charles III’s approval ratings are not high. Global News reports, “More than half of those polled, 60% oppose Charles as King and all that entails, including singing ‘God Save the King' at official ceremonies and putting his face on the currency.”
Something that catches the eye and weighs heavily both literally and figuratively are the jewels that are a part of the coronation. All the jewels that King Charles III is scheduled to wear or hold start with the Cullinan I diamond that weighs 530.2 carats. It is the world’s largest cut white diamond and symbolizes the monarch’s power and responsibilities. When St. Edward’s Crown is placed on King Charles III's head, he will physically be able to feel his responsibilities, as the crown is made with solid gold and adorned with 444 gemstones, including garnets, rubies, sapphires, and tourmalines. If you thought that was enough, the Queen Consort, Camilla, will most likely be wearing a ring that has several diamonds and a pinkish-red ruby. The King will wear “the wedding ring of England” that symbolizes his commitment to the Church of England. It is a sapphire ring which represents the Scottish flag, with baguette cut rubies that represent St. George (for England). He will also wear his signet ring, which dates back 175 years. Where do these jewels come from?
Although different British media would like to paint the picture that these jewels were simply “acquired,” they don’t tell the actual story as to how the royals truly gained possession. One story tells that the 170-carat Black Prince Ruby was taken by Peter of Castile after he stabbed the ruler of Grenada as he was surrendering, thus giving the ruby the name “Black Prince.” Historic Royal Palaces, a website that tells the history and stories of different Crown jewels says about the infamous Kohinoor, “The Koh-i-Nûr diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. Originating from the Golconda mines in central southern India, the diamond has had a turbulent history. A symbol of conquest, the Koh-i-Nûr has had many previous owners including Mughal Emperors, Shahs of Iran, Emirs of Afghanistan, and Sikh Maharajas. The East India Company took the jewel from a deposed ten-year-old Maharaja Duleep Singh in 1849, as a condition of the Treaty of Lahore. This marked the end of the Anglo-Sikh Wars in the Punjab, in present day northern India and eastern Pakistan. The Treaty specified that the jewel be surrendered to Queen Victoria.” To the British royals, these jewels represent the wealth and power that is spread across many nations. However, for the nations from which these many jewels were stolen, they are being stripped of their ancient history and origins. As you can see, The Kohinoor diamond holds a significant meaning in the Mughal Emperors, Shahs of Iran, Emirs of Afghanistan, and Sikh Maharajas, depicting its importance and symbolism throughout powerful kingdoms and ancient times.
The sovereign, in representing his or her country, is supposed to hold politicians and democratic politics alike to a higher moral standard. He or she is supposed to, “save us from extremism and the righteous fundamentalism of those who believe only in their beliefs.” The divine right of kings says the monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving their right to rule directly from God. In this convoluted mixture of bridging extremism by right of God, monarch after monarch in British history, whether by their own hand or by their own permissiveness, nearly without exception, have taken the free choice bestowed by God upon all humans for the sole purpose of expanding and retaining their power. Not only does the coronation and King Charles III himself remind people of priceless jewels that reveal the richness hidden within their raped lands; it also reminds them of the uniqueness, brilliance, and independence of their stories and cultures that continue to be ripped off the back of a lorry, or stolen, with each new royal taking their place in history.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.