Who says the monarchy is out of date? Who says it is a remnant of our feudal past? Who says it’s obvious that an elected ruler, constitutional or actually ruling, is the only way to govern? You might think that any right-thinking person would be Republican, which seeks to dismantle the monarchy. After all, it is the Indian way of running the country. India is rightly proud of its electoral system. It will soon be 80 long years since Indians gave themselves a Constitution. India can take pride in the many elections it has held.
Britain's King Charles III with the St Edward's Crown on his head. (AFP)
On Saturday, Britain witnessed the coronation of its constitutional king, who, at the age of 73, is the oldest British king ever to be crowned. He was crowned in the place where kings and queens have been crowned for 1,000 years. During the long decades that Charles had to wait before the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the crown on his head, it was often suggested that Queen Elizabeth should abdicate or retire, and give Charles a chance. But she went on till the end of her life, and the outpouring of grief in the public mourning that followed her death showed what a meaningful life it had been to so many people.
One of the problems elected rulers face is that they have to make all sorts of promises that are political and eventually damage their credibility. In contrast, Charles just had to say, “I come here to serve rather than to be served.” That was the theme of the magnificent service in which he was crowned. The coronation service was an Anglican or Church of England service of Holy Communion celebrated by the head of that church, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Throughout the service, two bishops, of Durham and Bath and Wells, stood by him. They were there to make sure that the monarch committed himself to the Anglican form of Protestant Christianity. But representatives of several different Christian churches were there. This included the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, a reminder of how King Henry VIII broke with the Pope in the 16th century because the head of the Roman Catholic church would not allow divorce.
During his life, Charles saw the pain and suffering his aunt, Princess Margaret, went through because she was not allowed to marry a divorced man. Both Charles and his wife are divorced. This was one of several changes in public opinion that were reflected in the service. Another was the recognition that Britain is now a multifaith society. The Prime Minister, who read the first section of the New Testament, has publicly proclaimed that he is a Hindu. The head of the Scottish Nationalist Party is a Muslim. A Sikh was one of the people who made a symbolic presentation to the King, and there was a Sikh singing in the choir wearing a turban, in the same robes as all the other members. Here I think lies the genius of the British crown: The ability to move with the times, while at the same time, not being swept away by them. Britain is not a church-going country now. In my local Anglican church in London, when I am there, we are lucky to get a congregation of much more than 30. They say only one per cent of the population are regular Anglican worshippers, yet the oath of the coronation committed Charles to Anglicanism.
And what about the military spectacle that accompanied the royal couple and some members of their family home to Buckingham Palace? I was proud that the regiment I served in during my national service was prominent in the ceremony, both on horseback and on foot. When I served in it, the regiment was called the Royals. Now it’s the Blues and Royals. All three services took part in the procession and saluted their monarch when they reached the palace. The services today are much reduced in size. Their weaponry is different, but they still realise the importance of the royalty, and their importance to the King.
In summation, my answer to the Republicans is to elect your rulers but respect the King who showed that he has moved with the times, evident by the congregation of people who attended his coronation. They have made a mark in their lifetime, thereby moving away from the dignitaries of the past.
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