Photo by Chris Boland
Phil and I are quite opposite in some ways. Today was a good example. I watched the Coronation of King Charles for most of the day and Phil watched the rugby.
I wasn’t born when Queen Elizabeth was crowned in June 1953, nearly 70 years ago. There are not that many adults still alive who can say they were there to witness it. I wanted to be able to say, of this coronation, ‘I was there.’ Well, I was in Portugal but I was there watching it on TV live so, in my mind, I was there.
The British do pomp and pageantry like no one else, in my humble opinion. The scale of the organisation and the execution of it was staggering. It was the merging of ancient, centuries old traditions with some recognition of the changed times we live in now. Whatever beliefs – about religion or royalty – people may have, there was a powerful sense of coming together. Community. Connection.
Just a few of the aspects that will stick in my mind from today…in no particular order:
The military musicians on horses. Some of the horses were especially lively. How did the musicians manage to hold an instrument with both hands, still play the tune while their mouthpieces must have been jostling around from the horse’s movements and control the horse without the use of reins or their hands – and not lose their balance? Amazing.
Kate. Princess of Wales. How did she look so calm whilst having the eyes of the world on her, wearing all that regalia and having Prince Louis next to her, knowing how wriggly and impish he can be? He’s not much different to any five year old really but most don’t have to ‘behave’ with millions of people watching. I noticed Louis wasn’t there for all of it, but he did manage incredibly well for a lot of the main ceremony and then reappeared towards the end.
King Charles. The moment just after he had been anointed in private. He appeared without all the regalia, with just a loose shirt (and trousers). All the detail had been stripped away. He looked vulnerable as he knelt. It was very moving.
Happy and glorious. Those were the words on Admiralty Arch. The King and Queen and all the military and people marching passed under the arch and these words which are taken from the national anthem. It struck me those words are the perfect goal for life – Happy and Glorious. Everything else is just detail.
I’m glad I was there to witness this historic occasion, even if it was just on TV.
To learn how to live a happy and glorious life, take a look at our This One Thing workshop series that starts 5 June 2023.
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