In May of 2023, the world watched as Charles III was crowned King of England after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at the age of 96. Very few people alive could have remembered her coronation almost 71 years before and most Americans' only familiarity with that medieval ritual comes from viewing Netflix's "The Crown."
The UK Parliament prepared a detailed briefing on the history and protocol of coronations and it's quite fascinating. Much of the ceremony is symbolic these days, but the intent is clear. It is designed to make it clear that the new king is the legitimate monarch, ordained by God. Back in the day, this required that all peers pledge their fealty to the king one by one. It was apparently a long and tedious process. But since they abolished most of the hereditary peerage back in 1999, they shortened the process this time, with the Archbishop of Canterbury pledging to be "faithful and true" and Prince William kneeling before his father and saying, "I pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God."
