The cloth screen to be used for the most sacred part of the religious ceremony at the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May will have strong Commonwealth symbolism with each of the member-country names, including India, sewn into the fabric, Buckingham Palace has revealed.
The “anointing screen” was unveiled this weekend to show a central design of a tree with branches filled with 56 leaves representing the Commonwealth nations, which the palace said is reflective of the 74-year-old monarch’s “deep affection” for the organisation.
The anointing, historically regarded as a moment between the Sovereign and God with a screen or canopy in place given its sanctity, takes place before the crowning of a British monarch.
“Each and every element of the design has been specifically chosen to symbolise aspects of this historic Coronation and the Commonwealth, from the birds that symbolise the joy and interaction among members of a community living in harmony, to the rejoicing angels and the dove that represents the Holy Spirit,” said Aidan Hart, the Designer and Iconographer behind the project.
During the anointing ceremony, the Dean of Westminster pours holy oil from the Ampulla into the Coronation Spoon, and the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the Sovereign on the hands, chest and head.