Australians will be asked to swear an oath of allegiance to King Charles III on his coronation day from their homes or workplaces.
In a controversial new addition to the old ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury will call on the public in the UK and ‘other wealthy’ to take the vow in what has been dubbed the Homage of the People.
This will replace the earlier Homage of Peers, which for centuries expected dukes, the highest hereditary title of nobility in the UK, to swear allegiance to the Crown.
The coronation will take place in Westminster Abbey, with around 2,000 people attending the once-in-a-generation event, on May 6.
“I call upon all persons of goodwill in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other realms and territories, to pay homage, in heart and soul, to their undisputed king, defender of all, ‘ the Archbishop of Canterbury will say.
The audience is then asked to say, “I swear that I will give true allegiance to Your Majesty and to your heirs and successors according to law.” So help me God’.
The coronation of King Charles III (pictured with Camilla, queen consort) will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 and will include a moment when the public is asked to make a pledge
The archbishop then says ‘God save The King’ to which the audience is asked to respond: ‘God save King Charles, long live King Charles, may the king live forever.’
The change has drawn criticism in the UK, with Cambridge professor Priyamvada Gopal likening it to ‘peasants’ being asked to swear allegiance to the rule of wealth.
Professor Gopal offered her her take on the pledge in a scathing Twitter post on Sunday.
“I swear to be loyal to Rule by Wealth, and to all who profit and siphon money from the common good, by law or not,” she wrote.
“Getting the masses to swear allegiance to one of the world’s richest men, even as they continue to be impoverished daily by profiteers, is really all the explanation you need about Britain’s decline.”
Others disapproved of the coronation ceremony, which will be a display of extravagance with many items of the crown jewels, as “tone-deaf” as the majority of people are struggling financially with the rising cost of living.
A spokesman for Lambeth Palace, the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the Homage of the People was “exciting”.
“That’s something that we can share because of the advancements in technology, so not just the people in the abbey, but people who are online, on television, who listen and who come together in parks, at big screens and churches,” they said. said.
“Our hope is at that point, when the archbishop invites people to join in, that people wherever they are, watching television at home alone at home, will say it out loud – this feeling of a big cry around the nation and around the world of support for the King.’
A Briton said on Twitter that they were ‘surprised’ that Charles’ advisers thought this was a good idea.
“This could end very badly for the monarchy if all men would but keep silent (the pledge)… it is a recipe for humiliation for him.”
Another asked whether replacing the Homage of Peers with the Homage of the People was considered a “democratic” shift.
“Can they (the monarchy) get more contact?” they said.
The Homage of Peers was removed from the ceremony, among other things, to shorten the duration to two hours
St Edward’s Crown (pictured) will be placed on Charles’ head during the coronation
Thousands of people are expected on the streets of the Mall (pictured) to watch the processions between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey
‘In a democracy it is the head of state who has to swear allegiance to us. This is an insulting and tone-deaf gesture that despises the people,” British anti-monarchy group Republic said.
Before the Homage of the People, the Archbishop of Canterbury will pay tribute as a representative of the Church of England, followed by the Prince of Wales, who will perform the only Homage of Royal Blood.
Just as his grandfather Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, did for his wife Elizabeth II at her coronation, William will kneel before the monarch, place his hands between his father’s and vow to be his ‘ruler of life and limb’.
He will say: ‘I, William, Prince of Wales, promise you my loyalty and faith and truth I will shew you, as your vassal of life and limb. So help me God.’
The symbolic act means that the heir to the throne, as the king’s ‘fief’, has a mutual obligation towards the monarch.
In the past, other royal dukes would pay homage, but this time, with only William joining the royal family, the controversial dukes of Sussex and York no longer have to take on this role.
Removing the tributes from hereditary colleagues also has the benefit of helping to reduce the duration of the service, which is now two hours instead of about three as at the late Queen’s coronation.
In other firsts, the service at Westminster Abbey will also include other languages associated with the British Isles – a prayer in Welsh and a hymn in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.
Female bishops will also be able to participate.