Diversity and Inclusion on Display at King Charles III’s Coronation
Buckingham Palace has announced that the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on May 6 will be marked by a procession of flag-bearers, headed by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty. The United Kingdom’s flag will be carried by a high-ranking Royal Air Force (RAF) cadet. The event will be a showcase of diversity and inclusion with Indian-origin peers representing the Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim faiths, handing over key elements of the royal regalia to the new king.
The faith representatives will be leading the first processions into Westminster Abbey followed by representatives from His Majesty’s Realms, and the flags of each Realm will be carried by national representatives accompanied by the Governors-General and Prime Ministers. The chosen faith representatives will be presenting the regalia, such as the Sovereign’s Ring, the Coronation Glove, the Armills or a pair of bracelets, and the Robe Royal to the new King and Queen on the day. Baroness Gillian Merron, who is Jewish, will carry the Robe Royal to the King.
The ceremony will be directed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Reverend Justin Welby, and will also include representatives from Orders of Chivalry, the military, and wider public life.
Those who have been chosen to undertake these roles have been selected to “recognize, thank and represent the nation due to their significant service”.
The Coronation ceremony marks a historic event for Britain, with the last ceremony held 70 years ago when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned monarch in 1953. This year’s ceremony will include gilded horse-drawn carriages, thousands of military personnel, and a long weekend of celebrations involving a gala concert, street parties, and pomp and pageantry.
Baroness Floella Benjamin, a Trinidad and Tobago-born former children’s TV presenter, expressed her honor and privilege to be part of the historic Coronation ceremony, “To be selected to carry the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove, which represents spirituality, equity, and mercy, is for me very symbolic as it’s everything I stand for and sends out a clear message that diversity and inclusion are being embraced.” The King’s Champion on the day will be a farmer named Francis Dymoke, whose family has held the title since the Middle Ages, in a ceremony steeped in royal tradition dating back to the 11th century.
Re-reported from the story originally published in NDTV
