Coronation Symbols - Part One

The greatest assets of the monarchy are its history and symbolism, which create a sense of pride and chronicle of the past that are unparalleled. Nowhere is this more apparent then in the Coronation Ceremony itself. This week I watched the old black and white newsreels of the Coronation of George VI on May 12, 1937 as well as the ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II that was held on June 2, 1953. It is amazing to me that one of the few differences I noted was in the film itself - with the 1953 version being in color - not the service that dates back hundreds of years. As the Queen's Golden Jubilee weekend is quickly approaching, I thought I would share some of the symbols of the Coronation Ceremony to show the depth of the history that is embedded in the rich tapestry of the heritage of monarchy.

The Coronation itself takes place in Westminster Abbey, which was specially designed with the ceremony in mind. It has a large theatre (or platform) at its center. The altar, choir stalls and seating are strategically placed around its perimeter. At the center of the theatre sits King Edward's Chair more commonly known as the Coronation Chair. King Edward's Chair dates back to 1308 when it was used for the Coronation of Edward II. It is a wooden chair beneath whose seat rests the Stone of Scone that was captured by Edward in 1296. This reddish-grey sandstone is legendary, as it was believed to be the one upon which the biblical Jacob's head lay while he dreamt his famous dream. It has since been proven that this is not the case, but the history of the capture of the stone and its encasement in this ancient chair seems magical enough nearly seven centuries later.

The service itself is religious based, as it is believed that the power of the sovereign comes directly from the Almighty. This was why Charles I has such a difficult time with his trial, he couldn't fathom the people thinking they had the authority to sit in judgment of him as he believed he answered to God alone. Thus many aspects of the ceremony emulate religious rites. For example, the Anointing of the Sovereign is modeled after the biblical anointing of David by Samuel. Today I'm going to stop myself from digressing into the ceremony and stick with the symbolism and symbols such as the clothing.

In the case of Queen Elizabeth II, the sovereign arrived in the Abbey wearing her coronation gown designed by. Norman Hartnell the man who had been dressing she and her mother for many years. The gown with its heart shaped bodice showed off HM's lovely figure as well as the many thousands of beads and pearls that were all applied by hand to its full skirt. The design of the embroidery and beadwork represented each of the Commonwealth nations. There was the Tudor rose for England, the thistle for Scotland, the leek for Wales, the shamrock for Ireland, the maple leaf for Canada, the wattle flower for Australia, the protea for South Africa, India and Ceylon were represented by two types of the lotus, New Zealand was represented by a fern and for Pakistan there was wheat, cotton and jute. The rich colors, fine threads and shimmering beadwork made this dress worthy of its regal wearer as was the crimson and ermine she was cloaked in upon her arrival. As the ceremony progresses, she removes her crimson robe. After she has taken her oath she puts on a sleeveless white garment called the "Colobium Sindonis" and then the Dalmatic or Supertunica along with the Imperial Mantle or Pallium Regale and stole.

Queen Elizabeth II wore the Supertunica that was made for the coronation of her grandfather, George V, and also worn by her father, George VI. Weighing 23 pounds when worn with the mantle, its threads are made of gold. Designed after a Roman Consul's dress robe, the Supertunica is housed, along with the crowns other jewels, at the Tower of London. The Queen's stole was a gift from some of the Commonwealth nations to symbolize their recognition of her as their sovereign. It contains many of the patterns that were incorporated into the design of her dress by Mr. Hartnell.

The oldest ceremonial piece is the only piece of regalia to survive Oliver Cromwell, who had many of the crown jewels melted down, is the Anointing Spoon. The 10½-inch spoon, which is believed to date back as far as 1199, was purchased for 16s. by Clement Kynnersley, a Yeoman of the Removing Wardrobe to Charles I, who was happy to present it to Charles II upon his restoration. Part of the Ampulla and Spoon, which are key elements in the anointing, the spoon has been reguilded twice and four small pearls have been added to the stem, but it remains otherwise as it was back in the twelfth century when it was created. The Ampulla was made in 1661 for the Coronation of Charles II and the anointing oil comes out onto the spoon through a hole in the beak of the eagle - the form of the Ampulla. It is easy to see why it is sometimes referred to as the Golden Eagle.

The sword also plays a symbolic role in coronation service. There are five swords used during the Coronation Ceremony. There are three Swords of Justice: The Sword of Mercy, the Sword of Spiritual Justice and the Sword of Temporal Justice. Curtana is the Sword of Mercy and has a dull end representing the belief 'mercy is better than revenge'. The Great Sword of State is 47½ inches in length and it represents sovereign power and authority. The last sword in the ceremony is the Jeweled State Sword, which dates back to the coronation of George IV and is otherwise known as the 'Sword of Offering'. This sword is also known as the sovereign's personal sword. The Archbishop of Cantebury delivers this sword to the sovereign. The sovereign then lays the sword at the altar as an offering where it is next redeemed for 100 shillings by the peer who carries the Sword of State in the procession. The redeemer of the sword has the privilege of holding upright for the remainder of the service.

As you can see, I've not even gotten to the most famous of the symbols and yet there is much history with each of these pieces. I'll look forward to supplementing this article not only with the remainder of the symbols, but with and outline of the ceremony itself.