British ambassador who released details of King Charles’ coronation | Metropolises

For nearly seven decades since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953, the British — and the world — have been preparing to see Charles don the sash, be crowned, and be made official as King of England and its constituent nations. to the Commonwealth. A grand ceremony will take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London.

With one name on the list of selected guests at the ceremony, Mr British Ambassador to Brazil Stephanie Al-KhaqProceed with the event In the logo.

Before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and landing in the English capital, he spoke to the diplomat. Column Claudia Meirelles At the Coronation of King Charles III. He has worked directly with members of the Royal Family such as the King, Queen Camilla and Prince Harry. Stephanie gave details of the festival which promises to attract attention from around the world.

“I’m going there because it’s been 70 years without a coronation. It’s going to be a very important moment”, emphasizes the ambassador, who speaks impeccable Portuguese. Within the specifics of the ceremony, Stephanie Charles shared about uniting the traditional side, but “bringing elements towards the future”. According to the press, there will be 2,000 guests at the stuffed ceremony.

A close welcome

According to the ambassador, the schedule for the coronation begins the night before the religious rites. On Friday (5/5), Charles and Camilla will host a prestigious reception at Buckingham Palace, the seat of the monarchy. The couple will receive guests. The list includes royalty and heads of state from other countries, 100 of which have already been confirmed. Such is the case of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT).

“This [recepção] It was the night before the coronation. The celebrations at Buckingham Palace are spectacular. I was there at the reception for the Queen’s funeral,” says Stephanie Al-Khaq. He adds: “The king called the religious leaders, the people, for example, from stability and philanthropy. Something very important. [ele] Show some diversity.”

carriages

In the conversation, the diplomat pointed out the important parts of the coronation ceremony. According to the ambassador, Charles will leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey by carriage. Following tradition, the monarch will be carried in a vehicle previously used by her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. Once the relic arrives at the temple, the clergy of the Church of England will begin the rites. “Charles will come in and do all the formal elements”, he points out.

Stephanie pointed out that the carriage was created for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, in 2012 to celebrate Charles’ mother’s 60-year reign. The monarch will travel in another vehicle to return to Buckingham Palace. “The return carriage, it’s very old”, he muses.

Personal commitment

One of the most important moments of the coronation ceremony is when the king must remove all vestments and symbols of wealth to take the divine oath. “He must pledge before God to protect the church [Anglicana]. First, he makes this agreement with the church and then with the people of the United Kingdom. “Charles is king of other territories, so let’s look at these elements too”, he enumerates.

Few people attend this part of the coronation ceremony, which is very intimate and personal. After giving his word, the sovereign changes the symbols of majesty. The religious celebration will be conducted under the present leadership Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Anglican Communion. The UK ambassador met the senior bishop at a training course on negotiating countries: “I like him very much. He is a wonderful person and experienced in this area.

It is believed that the task of crowning Charles will fall to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The main jewel of British royalty, the Crown of St. More than 400 precious stones were placed on Edward, the king’s head. Weighing in at 2.23 kg, the king will only be with the majestic companion for a short time. The ornament is 30 centimeters tall. The throne on which the sovereign sits is more than 700 years old.

Selected themes and unreleased songs

Two other topics addressed by Stephanie refer to the duration of the ceremony and the procedure ordered by the king. “It will have contributions from many religions and will be slightly different from the Queen’s coronation,” he insists. The diplomat commented that Charles wanted to combine four themes and make them very clear in the details of the event: “He introduces the elements and brings youth, community, diversity and sustainability”.

At Charles’ request, there will be new songs for the coronation, and Stephanie Al-Khaq notes specifically for the event: “The King asked me to compose 12 new songs to be sung and presented during the ceremony”. According to the ambassador, the monarch will pay some tribute to the late patriarch, Prince Philip: “His father is from Greece. He wants to do something in Greek music.

Possible visit of the King to Brazil

According to the diplomat, Charles did not abandon a coronation that was different in many respects. During his time as prince, he addressed issues such as climate, biodiversity and the situation of indigenous peoples, the Yanomami. “In fact, the king will put this on the event because he cares a lot about the people”, he asserts. Stephanie recalled that the Commander of the Throne was impressed by his visits to Brazil.

The sovereign was on green-yellow soil four times in 1978, 1991, 2002 and 2009. During his Brazilian tours, the monarch spoke to traditional communities about ways to protect the Amazon rainforest. While in front British EmbassyStephanie will go to great lengths to bring her British Majesty on a trip to Brazil.

“I will do everything. His visit was very symbolic. Those who were here still remember it”, admits the diplomat. In November, Stephanie spoke to the king. She was the first ambassador to speak to Charles after becoming king. “An honor, but I was a little nervous. I came there and sat down and had a long talk with him about the situation in Brazil,” he recalled.

“We talked about Brazil’s return to international status on the environment, climate and biodiversity; how the UK could help Brazil; and the commitments made by President Lula. I said Brazil would like to host COP-30 and he said: “OK”. In the next few years we “We talk about how what we do will shape the next thousand years. Indeed, there are opportunities in Brazil, but there are also challenges,” he reinforces.

Stephanie attended the most recent inauguration of President Lula in January. On that occasion, he carried a personal letter from the sovereign to the head of the executive branch. In the ambassador’s assessment, Brazilians have a harsh view of Charles, which is somewhat false: “The king really has a different profile. When you talk to him, you are talking to a normal person who wants to listen to you.

As for Camilla, the ambassador described her as “funny” and “good-natured”: “She has a very strong commitment to the royal family. The people of England can see that. The Queen Consort was in the room when Stephanie went to speak to Charles. The diplomat followed the head of the British monarchy’s trip to Brazil. Recalls: “They told Raja to stay in a corner. He said, ‘No. I want to talk to this kid.’ And went out.”

Fun interaction with Prince Harry

The British ambassador was in touch with Prince Harry. The link was made during the Duke of Sussex’s visit to Brazil in 2012. During her pregnancy, Stephanie experienced a funny situation with King Charles’ younger brother. The royal family played with the children on Copacabana Beach and then ran to the Windsor Atlantica Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. On campus, he ordered a sandwich.

Pregnant Stephanie Al-Khaq also ordered a sandwich. When the waiter brought the plate, the ambassador ate it, and then Harry made the following joke: “He came over and asked if I liked the sandwich I had. I also commented on ordering. The prince was very handsome.

Until then, the ambassador had not accompanied William and Kate Middleton on tours, but stayed with the Princess of Wales at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September last year.

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