On Saturday 6th May I had the great honour of attending the Coronation of His Majesty The King in Westminster Abbey.
This once in a lifetime occasion marked the investiture of His Majesty as Sovereign of the United Kingdom and the other Realms and Territories of which he is also the head of state, following his accession to the throne after the demise of the late Queen in September 2022. The last coronation of a British monarch was that for Her Late Majesty in 1953, 70 years ago.
The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All-England, of which the King is the supreme governor.
The coronation service began with the King swearing an oath to uphold the law and the Church followed by an anointing with holy oil, the investiture with regalia and the crowning. After the King’s crowning, the Queen Consort was crowned as the Queen of the United Kingdom. The service then ended with a procession by the monarch who came onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
I was very honoured to be one of around 2,300 guests to attend the ceremony inside Westminster Abbey, with attendees ranging from senior parliamentarians, a large number of foreign heads of state, dignitaries, members of the royal household, prominent community leaders and renowned public figures.
Meanwhile in Northampton over the Coronation period I also attended a number of local events celebrating the Coronation. This included a service of Choral Evensong at All Saints Church in Northampton in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire and a full congregation of local people. I also attended a Big Community Lunch at Weston Favell Parish Hall in Booth Lane South.
I was presented to the King and Queen at a reception during their visit to Parliament on the 2nd May and attended a coronation celebration organised by the Prince’s Trust, a wonderful charity founded by the King in 1976 when he was the Prince of Wales which helps disadvantaged young people access education, training and employment opportunities. They have now helped over one million young people since their foundation.
The Coronation of a monarch is an event steeped in tradition, some of which dates back over a thousand years. Having also been honoured to attend the State Funeral last year of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, of blessed and glorious memory, I was deeply honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to attend this historic Coronation.
(Photo: Michael Ellis MP, front row right, bowing to His Majesty at the Coronation of The King in Westminster Abbey. Photo courtesy and copyright © BBC)