Faith Elements of King Charles’s Coronation – Called to Serve

The coronation theme, "Called to Serve" is itself a Biblical reference to Jesus' teaching that the first shall be last, and the greatest among you shall be the servant of all.

Included in the role of the monarch of England is the leader of the Church of England. Therefore, the presentation of the Bible has deep meaning and a reminder of the responsibility before God to lead with justice and righteousness.

“The Bible which will be presented to His Majesty The King is a reminder that Scripture is not just at the heart of the responsibilities he undertakes at the Coronation, but at the heart of Christian life,” the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said in a statement.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby led the coronation announcing that it is Jesus who is King of Kings.

“We are here to crown a king, and we crown a king to serve”, Archbishop Justin said. “What is given today is for the gain of all. For Jesus Christ announced a Kingdom in which the poor and oppressed are freed from the chains of injustice. The blind see. The bruised and broken-hearted are healed.

“That Kingdom sets the aims of all righteous government, all authority. And the Kingdom also sets the means of all government and authority. For Jesus doesn’t grasp power or hold onto status.

“The King of Kings, Jesus Christ, was anointed not to be served, but to serve. He creates the unchangeable law of good authority that with the privilege of power comes the duty to serve.

“Service is love in action. We see active love in our care for the most vulnerable, the way we nurture and encourage the young, in the conservation of the natural world. We have seen those priorities in the life of duty lived by our King.”

The Anglican Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop John McDowell, Primate of All Ireland, presented the Orb to Archbishop Justin, who placed it in the King’s right hand. “Receive this Orb, set under the Cross, and remember always the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.”

The Orb was made in the 1600s and represents the Sovereign’s power, symbolizing the world under the cross of Christ. The Orb is split into three sections with bands of jewels for each of the three continents that were thought to exist when it was made.

King Charles vocally affirmed his loyalty to the “Protestant reformed religion,” and declared himself a “faithful Protestant,” pledging to secure “the Protestant succession,” as supreme governor of the legally established Church of England.

A glove and ring were presented, after which the Archbishop of Wales, Bishop of Bangor Archbishop Andy John, and the Primus of Scotland, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness, Bishop Mark Strange, presented the Sceptre and Rod to Archbishop Justin, who gave them to the King, who said to King Charles: “Receive the Royal Sceptre, the ensign of kingly power and justice; and the Rod of equity and mercy, a symbol of covenant and peace. May the Spirit of the Lord which anointed Jesus at his baptism, so anoint you this day, that you might exercise authority with wisdom, and direct your counsels with grace; that by your service and ministry to all your people, justice and mercy may be seen in all the earth: through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

The Sceptre with the Cross represents the Sovereign’s temporal power and authority. It is associated with good governance, which is to be exercised wisely. The Sceptre with Dove, traditionally known as ‘the Rod of Equity and Mercy’, represents the Sovereign’s spiritual role, with the enamelled dove with outspread wings representing the Holy Spirit, and the Monarch’s pastoral care for the People.”

Leaders from other Christian Churches in the UK, including Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria’s Archbishop of London and Co-Chair of the official Anglican-Oriental Orthodox International Commission (AOOIC); and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, joined the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, in praying a blessing over the newly-crowned King.

The holy oil is made from crushed olives on the Mount of Olives and perfumed with essential oils of sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, amber, and orange blossom. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, led the service for the consecration of the oil in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, assisted by the Most Reverend.

“Since beginning the planning for the Coronation, my desire has been for a new Coronation Oil to be produced using olive oil from the Mount of Olives,” the Archbishop of Canterbury said in a statement. “This demonstrates the deep historic link between the Coronation, the Bible, and the Holy Land. From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place. As we prepare to anoint the King and the Queen Consort, I pray that they would be guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.”