King Charles III will officially be crowned today and for many of us, it will be the first time we've ever seen a coronation ceremony take place - as the last one was for his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953.
The Coronation is being held at Westminster Abbey and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will lead a service rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry, many of which date back hundreds of years.
Among the traditions of the Coronation is the use of the aptly named Coronation Spoon - a utensil that dates back more than 600 years and has a unique use in the traditional service.
But what is it, and what is it used for?
Probably unsurprisingly, it's not used for eating spoonfuls of coronation chicken.
In fact, the spoon has a long history and is thought to have first been used for its current purpose more than 400 years ago during the coronation of James I in 1603.
According to the Royal Collection Trust (RTC), the Coronation Spoon is a "silver-gilt spoon" with an oval bowl engraved with acanthus scrolls, and a "stylised monster's head" that joins the bowl to the stem. There are also four pearls embedded into the stem, and another monster's head toward the end of the spoon.
The RTC claim the spoon was first recorded over 600 years ago in 1349, where it was preserved among St Edward's Regalia in Westminster Abbey. However, even in 1349 the item was described as "antique", and historians believe the style of the spoon means it was likely created in the 12th century, when it may have been given to Henry II or Richard I.
Experts state the spoon was "never intended for eating or stirring", but may have been used for "mixing wine and water in a chalice" before its first recorded use in a coronation in 1603, and in every coronation since.
The RTC states: "It may originally have been used for mixing wine and water in a chalice, but it was certainly used for anointing the sovereign during the coronation of James I in 1603, and at every subsequent coronation. One suggestion is that the divided bowl was designed in this fashion so that the archbishop might dip two fingertips into the holy oil."
Interestingly, the spoon was actually sold off in 1649 to a Mr Kynnersley, who bought it for 16 shillings. The man returned the spoon to Charles II for his coronation in 1661, and it has remained in use ever since.
How will the spoon be used in King Charles' Coronation?
The Coronation Spoon is used in a part of the ceremony known as "the anointing", which takes place before a monarch is crowned.
During King Charles' anointing, the Archbishop of Canterbury will pour "holy oil" from a vessel known as the Ampulla into the Coronation Spoon, and will anoint His Majesty on the hands, breast, and head.
The RTC explained: "The tradition goes back to the Old Testament where the anointing of Solomon by Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet is described. Anointing was one of the medieval holy sacraments and it emphasised the spiritual status of the sovereign. Until the seventeenth century the sovereign was considered to be appointed directly by God and this was confirmed by the ceremony of anointing.
"Although the monarch is no longer considered divine in the same way, the ceremony of coronation also confirms the monarch as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England."
