The last King Charles was crowned in 1661. Samuel Pepys attended the ceremony. He was captivated by ‘the sight of all these glorious things… sure never to see the like again in this world’. He later became so merry, he told his diary, that ‘my head began to turne and I to vomitt…Thus did the day end, with joy everywhere’.
We live in a more decorous age, but I think Pepys imbibed the right spirit. The coming coronation of King Charles III should be joyful too. The paradox is that joy will not be achieved unless the ceremony is solemn and magnificent.
Early signs give slight cause for concern. On Tuesday last week, the coronation was announced for 6 May, half the traditional time gap. This creates rush, empowering organisers who need to execute practical plans fast, at the expense of careful thought about what the coronation really is.
The coronation is the great state occasion.
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