Briton’s have, for the first time ever, been asked to actively participate in today’s Coronation of King Charles III.
During the official crowning ceremony, royalists have been invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch.
The announcement has attracted mixed reviews, with anti-monarchy campaign group Republic branding it ‘an offensive and tone deaf gesture’.
However, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols has dubbed the pledge will be ‘remarkable’ and ‘lovely’.
So, if you’re keen to pledge your allegiance today, what do you actually need to say?
Here’s what you need to know.
What do you say to pledge allegiance to the King?
During the coronation ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury will ask Britons to say: ‘I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.‘
After this, there will be a fanfare, and then the Archbishop will say: ‘God Save The King’.
The nation will then be asked to respond with: ‘God Save King Charles. Long Live King Charles. May The King live forever.’
The pledge, called the Homage of the People, will replace the Homage of the Peers, in which a long line of hereditary peers knelt before the King and pledged their allegiance.
Palace officials are reportedly furious about Archbishop Welby’s ‘off-piste’ decision on the oath, and are concerned that the criticism surrounding it will cast a shadow over the ceremony.
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The historic Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla will take place in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
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Princess Diana’s former private secretary Patrick Jephson is one of many people to criticise the oath, calling it ‘unbritish’ and ‘divisive’.
Due to the criticism, Lambeth Palace has had to confirm that taking part in the oath is an ‘invitation’ not a command.
What will happen during the coronation ceremony?
There are several different stages:
A spokesperson added that people might join in if it feels right for them, as they would take part in the national anthem.
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