King Charles Is Anointed Behind Screen in Only Moment You Won't See of Coronation
The Archbishop of Canterbury anointed the King behind a special screen in a moment considered so sacred, it's kept private
All eyes are on King Charles on his coronation day, but the cameras didn't capture one holy moment.
Before the King, 74, was crowned in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, he was anointed with Chrism oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the church service. The curtain was held up by service personnel from the Regiments of the Household Division.
Continuing tradition, this "most solemn and personal of moments" was concealed behind a special screen, Buckingham Palace said. "It has historically been regarded as a moment between the Sovereign and God, with a screen or canopy in place given the sanctity of the Anointing," courtiers explained.
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During the anointing, the Archbishop of Canterbury poured holy oil blessed in Jerusalem from the Ampulla onto the Coronation Spoon. He then anointed the King by placing the oil onto his hands, chest and head. It's the only part of the historic ceremony that has never been witnessed by guests or televised.
King Charles personally chose the design of the anointing screen, which was inspired by the stained-glass Sanctuary Window in the Chapel Royal and created by the Royal School of Needlework with help from other expert craftspeople. It was a gift from the City of London Corporation and City Livery Companies.
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"It is an absolute honor to work on the Anointing Screen for the coronation of His Majesty The King," Anne Butcher, head of studio and standards at the prestigious school tells PEOPLE. "The project is a collaboration of specialists in traditional crafts, from those just starting to learn to others with many years of dedicated experience."
The shade depicts a tree representing the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth, their names on leaves. The King's cypher is rooted at the base of the tree above a quote from Julian of Norwich, a Christian writer of the Middle Ages — "All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well."
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Just as at his mother Queen Elizabeth's crowning ceremony 70 years ago, the sacred moment was kept private.
In 1953, Queen Elizabeth was anointed during her crowning ceremony beneath a canopy of gold cloth held up by four Knights of the Garter.
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