Opinion King Charles’ coronation: The public won the day

The coronation itself takes place inside the Westminster Abbey but the march up to there has a military precision. There were troops of various sorts, some soldiers, other policemen, representatives of legions, horse guards — parking themselves at various points along the road the coronation carriage was going to come. We could shelter under umbrellas but the poor soldiers and the police had to take the rain as it came, without flinching.

It is a Christian ceremony. This is not a secular state; at best, perhaps a secular society. It has to be. After all, it has a history of 1,247 years from 1066 onwards, except for the 10 or so years in the 1650s when Oliver Cromwell was Protector after Charles the First had been summarily executed in Whitehall. Even that was a religious quarrel between different sects of Christianity.

Yet the world has changed and Britain even more so. The ceremony was ecumenical as lay representatives of other religions — Hindu, Sikh , Judaism (members of the House of Lords) — were paraded. There were more women this time than would have been seen on earlier occasions. The country has also become multiracial during the last 60-odd years I have lived here. We have a Prime Minister of Hindu faith but a third-generation British citizen. Rishi Sunak had a walk-on part reading, from the Bible.

Along the way, the United Kingdom has transformed itself into a multinational kingdom. It now boasts being a collection of four nations — English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish. Flags of the various nationalities duly flew around. The ancient throne used since the early 14th-century days of Edward I has a large piece of Scottish Stone (schoon) on which the king can rest his feet. There was also prominence given to the Commonwealth with members of the various armies and leaders of the Commonwealth. (India had sent its Vice President )

Westminster Abbey has a marvellous structure with high ceilings, high walls which give a beautiful resonance to the singing of the hymns by choirs which feature a range of voices from those of school children to senior professional singers. The music adds its own magic. When the choirs broke out in Handel’s great piece on Zadok, it was dramatic.

Before the coronation, there was a slightly anxious debate in the newspapers as to whether a monarchy was still relevant in modern days. There is a small but determined Republican minority. There was some anxiety whether they would interrupt the march of the carriage to the Abbey. Similar fear was expressed about the likely protest by militant climate change movements such as the Extinction Rebellion. Maybe, some people thought, there would be objections, not so much to him but to his queen. Many thought Camilla has been cast as a villain in stories about Diana, the princess whom Charles divorced. But ultimately, it was the public, passionate about the spectacle, which won the day. Along the mall stretching from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square, families had parked themselves for the last two to three days. They were prepared, come rain or shine, waiting for scores of hours to get a glimpse of their new king and queen.

The essence of a monarchy is the guarantee of continuity. The idea of taking grandson George who will be the next Prince of Wales in the carriage gave the assurance that the next two generations are there. After the event, there was an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the entire family, three generations in all. The large crowd gathered outside got a just reward for its waiting.

As someone once said about the future of the monarchy , there will ultimately only be five kings left — of the English, of Spade, Hearts, Diamond and Club.

The writer is an economist and member of the UK’s House of Lords