On May 6, 2023, King Charles III was crowned the king of England at Westminster Abbey in a more modernized coronation service. The inclusivity of many differing peoples in the service  is one that has never been seen before in England.

While planning the event, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office described wanting to make the coronation “an act of Christian worship that will reflect modern society.” To achieve their goal, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh religious leaders were invited to have some role in the coronation. Additionally, female bishops have taken part in a royal coronation for the first time ever recorded. When describing the changes in the coronation, Archbishop Justin Welby declared that “the service contains new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society.” 

King Charles felt prompted to show that the English monarchy is still relevant in a nation that is more diverse now than it was when Queen Elizabeth was crowned 70 years prior. While all of these modern inclusions have been added into the ceremony, it was still imperative that more of the historic traditions that have been used for centuries to coronate other kings and queens were to be used. 

Explaining the historical significance of the coronation, Ms. Gross, an AP World history teacher, explains that the coronation “is historically significant in many ways.  Charles III coronation is the only second coronation of a British monarch that has ever been televised.  The first being the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.  England is also the only European monarchy that is publicly crowned their monarch.”

Knowledgeable of the complex history of England, Ms. Gross states “I think that the newer elements need to be incorporated to modernize the ceremony which is hundreds of years old.”

Amin Jurabekzoda, a sophomore at Briar Woods, shares his thoughts on the coronation, giving a complex analysis of the situation. He says “today there’s a lot of people who are against the monarchy and don’t want their taxpayer money to be used on such lavish expenditures. So I think this will mark a new era, in general, for British history because this tradition is meeting the new age in which people are harboring their own opinions and are more critical of the ruling authority than they were before. And to be quite frank, these changes that are occurring in the ceremony, such as different religious leaders and female bishops being added for the first time, are designed to cater to this growing majority of people that oppose the monarchy” 

As usual, the royal family becomes a spectacle in the eyes of people across the world. Their actions are always a trending topic in a society revolving around pop culture. With billions of people having their eyes on the monarchy, it was made a point to make this a British coronation unlike any other that’s been seen before. The public response to these changes in the ceremony have been overwhelmingly positive, as this new inclusion of people from all walks of life greatly appeals to the masses.