7 Christian elements to look for in King Charles III’s coronation ceremony

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor
Thursday, May 04, 2023

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby poses with the Coronation Bible, a specially commissioned Bible which will be used during the Coronation Service when The king takes the Coronation Oath in Lambeth Palace in London on April 20, 2023. Four copies of the Coronation Bible have been made. Following the Coronation, the Bible used in the service will be kept in the Lambeth Palace Library. Three identical copies have been produced: one will be given to The king as a personal copy, and the other two will be placed in the archives of Westminster Abbey and Oxford University Press respectively. | DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images

3. Special edition Bible

Since the joint coronation of William III and Mary II in 1689, a special edition of the Bible has been created for each coronation. It's used when the monarch takes their oaths.

For King Charles, a new edition of the King James Version of the Bible has been crafted, bound in red leather and adorned with gold leaf. The royal coat of arms is encircled by a ring of crowns and foliage, symbolizing the king’s passion for nature.

The Bible used in Elizabeth II’s coronation was also bound in red leather, but embellished with multiple EIIRs — her emblem.

According to The Telegraph, as the Bible was presented to Elizabeth II, she was told: “Here is Wisdom; this is the royal law; these are the lively oracles of God.”

On the use of the Bible during the coronation service, The Church of England says, “This service is full of Scripture. This presentation, and the beautiful language which accompanies it, is a reminder that careful and prayerful attention to the Bible is at the heart of Christian worship and devotion, as well as being the historical foundation of so much of Britain's culture and ethics.”