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DEFENCE FORCE personnel and police officers from British overseas territories in the Caribbean will be taking part in the King’s Coronation ceremony tomorrow (May 6) which has been described as the most diverse royal coronation in British history.
They will join nearly 4,000 military marching troops taking part in the Coronation procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
The Royal Anguilla Police Force will send representatives to Coronation Procession. And members of the Royal Montserrat Defence Force (RMDF) will represent the island.
The RMDF team, which includes lieutenant colonel Alvin Ryan, Captain Colin Fergus, Private Princess Hixon and Sergeant Deverson Semper, arrived in the UK earlier this week.
Their involvement comes after King Charles pledged to put diversity at the heart of the historic event.
Observers have highlighted the new king’s determination to show that the 1,000-year-old monarchy is still relevant in a country that is much more diverse than it was when his mother was crowned 70 years ago.
Several leading Black Britons will also have key roles to play in the ceremony. Baroness Floella Benjamin, the former children’s television presenter and now Liberal Democrat peer, will carry part of the King’s regalia, the Sceptre with the Dove, to the altar praised King Charles for sending “a clear message” about embracing diversity and inclusion in his coronation.
Historic
Earlier this week she told The Telegraph that she felt “honoured and privileged 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 is being embraced,” she said.
Britain’s most decorated nurse, Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, will carry the King’s Orb and Baroness Valerie Amos, the first black woman to serve as a Cabinet minister, will take part in the recognition of His Majesty.
The Bishop of Dover, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, one of the UK’s most senior clerics, will play a leading role in the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey.
In a historic departure from tradition, King Charles will become the first monarch to pray aloud during the Coronation ceremony.
Although a Christian ceremony the momentous event will witness active participation from leading figures from other faiths as part of a commitment to inclusivity.
Legacy
Senior figures from the Jewish faith will be joined by Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus who will all be involved in the presentation of the Coronation Regalia.
Speaking about what she hoped would be the legacy of a diverse Coronation ceremony Hudson-Wilkin told The Voice: “I hope the legacy will be a lasting one that looks to the future of what kind of a people and nation we want to be as a diverse society where we respect one another and care about each other irrespective of colour, culture or creed.”
Among those who will be present at the ceremony is former president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA) president Franstine Jones. She said that being invited to the King’s coronation is the “biggest recognition” of her work to ensure diversity.
Jones, now CEO of BInspyre and an equality, diversity and inclusion consultant, is among the over 450 British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients who will be at Westminster Abbey tomorrow.
She told the PA news agency: “I feel so honoured to get an invitation, it came right out of the blue and I’m really looking forward to it
“The letter said it’s from the honours office and I thought, ‘OK, what’s this about?’ And then I thought, ‘oh my lord, I’ve got an invitation, out of the millions of people, I am one of the lucky ones who’s going to have the opportunity to go to the coronation.’”
A set of four stamps reflecting subjects close to the heart of King Charles III, such as diversity and the Commonwealth, has been unveiled to mark the 74-year-old monarch’s Coronation on Saturday.
Royal Mail said the stamps illustrate the Coronation ceremony as well as some of the causes Charles has dedicated his years of public service to such as cultural diversity and community; the global ties of the Commonwealth, which he now leads; and sustainability and biodiversity.
A set of four stamps has been unveiled by the Royal Mail to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.
The stamps reflect issues close to the heart of the 74-year-old monarch, such as diversity, the Commonwealth, sustainability, and biodiversity. They depict the Coronation ceremony itself, as well as the issues he is passionate about.
The ‘Diversity and Community’ stamp was carefully designed to reflect the multiculturalism and religious tolerance that are now integral parts of modern Britain.
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