The sacred oil
PEOPLE across Scotland will be relieved to learn that the chrism oil which will be used to anoint the King during his coronation on May 6 has now been made sacred in Jerusalem.
On Friday, a ceremony took place in The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with the holy oil consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum.
READ MORE: Holy oil to be used to anoint King during Coronation is vegan friendly
The holy oil has been created using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives, at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene and the Monastery of the Ascension, and will be used to anoint the King during the extravagant ceremony.
The olives were pressed just outside Bethlehem and the oil has been perfumed with sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin and amber as well as orange blossom - though Jo Malone can offer you that for a lot less than the cost of a trip half way around the world.
The Stone of Destiny
The Stone of Destiny is set to be moved from Edinburgh Castle to London for the coronation of the new King - but not everyone is happy about that plan.
The Stone is seen as a historic symbol of Scotland’s monarchy, and was used in the inauguration of Scottish kings for centuries.
But in 1296 the then king of England, Edward I, had it removed from Scotland and it was built into a new throne at Westminster Abbey in London.
It was only returned to Scotland on St Andrew’s Day in November 1996.
In 1950 four Scottish students famously brought back the stone from Westminster Abbey in London. It was found some three months later, 500 miles away, at the high altar of Arbroath Abbey.
Former first minister Alex Salmond says the stone shouldn't be given back for the ceremony.
"I don’t really see why any Scottish Government should just meekly say ‘we’ll give you back the property which you stole 700 years ago’," he told Sky News.
The new thrones
Both Charles and Camilla will have brand new thrones made for them to sit on during the coronation.
According to the Daily Mail, every monarch gets their own unique throne chair for the event – and there’s no reason to think there will be an exception for this ceremony.
It’s thought a team of specialist craftsmen, trained via the Prince’s Foundation, will be tasked with making the new seats.
The orb, coronation ring and sceptre
The King will also receive the orb, coronation ring and sceptre, and will be crowned with the majestic St Edward’s Crown and blessed during the historic ceremony.
The Orb, like the Sceptre, dates back to the 17th-century and is a major part of the coronation ceremony of each monarch.
The Orb is seen as a symbol that the monarch’s power comes from God. Both items were last used at the Queen’s coronation in 1953.
The jewelled bands of the piece are meant to represent the three known continents at the time of its creation.
All very normal and well worth all the taxpayer cash, right?
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