King Charles III’s coronation makes us proud to be British, says South Holland and Deepings MP

Seventy years ago, on June 2 1953, Britons gathered around newly acquired television sets with friends, family and neighbours to watch the coronation of the young Queen Elizabeth, writes Sir John Hayes MP.

It was the first major event of the television era, and though many – including the Prime Minister of the time, Winston Churchill - were sceptical about televising a coronation, it brought the majestic grandeur of the occasion into people’s homes, here and across the Commonwealth.

No one watching the 1953 coronation could have imagined the longevity and splendour of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Our late Queen was a constant in our lives, her humility and grace serving as an inspiration to her people. Now, as we crown a new monarch, most people – myself included – will witness the glory of a coronation for the first time.

At the heart of it is the “unction”, the act of anointing the monarch with holy oil, from the Coronation Spoon, a silver-gilt utensil which dates back to 1349. King Charles III will follow in the late Queen’s footsteps by carrying out this part of the ceremony in private – a rare moment of reflective privacy for his Majesty.

The roots of the coronation ceremony itself can be traced back more than a thousand years. Historians credit St. Dunstan, a 10th century Archbishop of Canterbury, for presiding over the first English coronation service, when he crowned Edgar, the great grandson of Alfred the Great, at Bath Abbey.

Coronations were essential to the legitimacy of monarchs in the Middle Ages, at times when multiple pretenders had claims to the throne. England has had two Kings who never enjoyed coronations – Edward V (who reigned for just two months) and Edward VIII, whose coronation was abandoned following his decision to abdicate in 1936.

In the modern era, the coronation maintains its centuries-old traditions, whilst also reaffirming the unification of state and church, and reminding us of the central role the Monarchy plays in our constitutional settlement. As the United Kingdom is the only monarchy in Europe to retain such marvellous ceremonial pageantry, its uniqueness enhances its brilliance.

While the monarchy as an institution serves as a constitutional apex of our entire political system, our monarchs as individuals serve to tie past generations to the present and the future. Our late Queen sat on the throne for over seven decades, and the outpouring of grief at her death was shared by people born generations apart. Queen Elizabeth II was one of the few constant figures in all our lives. We now look forward to the reign of King Charles and, later, his successors, Princes William and George.

Our monarch never has been merely a silent figurehead, and King Charles will take up the mantle of the late Queen by working with a great number of excellent charities, groups, and organisations across the United Kingdom, as he has done for many decades.

Indeed as Prince of Wales, through a range of organisations, notably the Prince’s Trust, he has done immense good over decades. The Trust has helped over one million disadvantaged young people to find new hope through the purpose provided by the acquisition of skills and confidence. I know because I’ve worked with the Prince’s Trust and met young people who have benefited from its work.

Locally, the Spalding Community Choir have made their own special contribution to the coronation – an anthem written and recorded in Spalding to celebrate this precious historical moment. Having sung with them last weekend, I was delighted to speak to the King personally about their achievement and pass their letter of explanation into his hand. How exciting that King Charles will now own a recording of the choir’s rendition of the coronation anthem specially written and recorded here in South Holland.

Our monarchy stands as perhaps the proudest part of our common inheritance. In events across South Lincolnshire and beyond as we share in celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, a fusion of personal, communal and national pride will, I am sure, make us proud to be British.