To lead the new monarch’s coronation procession, Pope Francis has gifted King Charles two fragments from the cross Jesus Christ was crucified on, MailOnline reports.
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POPE GIFTS KING JESUS CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION CROSS FRAGMENTS
While the King makes his way to Westminster Abbey for the coronation service on 6 May during the royal procession, he will be led by a cross that includes a very special and historic gift from the Pope, MailOnline reports.
According to the publication, Pope France gave King Charles two shards of the True Cross. This cross is reportedly the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The shards have been incorporated into the Cross of Wales. It is to be carried ahead of Charles into Westminster Abbey.
The pieces, shaped as crosses, set into the larger silver crucifix behind a rose crystal gemstone. It can only be viewed up close, the publication reports.
The Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, blessed the Cross of Wales, a gift from the King to the Church in Wales.
Crafted from recycled silver bullion provided by the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, South Wales, it also includes a shaft of Welsh windfall timber and Welsh slate, Reuters reports.
It also bears the Royal Mark, a leopard’s head, applied by the King.
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THE HISTORY OF THE CORONATION REGALIA EXPLAINED
According to the Royal Family’s website, the Coronation Regalia are sacred and secular objects. They symbolise the service and responsibilities of the monarch over the past 100 years.
At the “heart of the Crown Jewels” the coronation regalia are housed in the Tower of London. They on public display, the website states.
Here’s a look at some of the iconic pieces that form part of the Regalia.
TWO MACES
Made from silver gift over oak, the two maces date back between 1660 and 1695. As ceremonial emblems of authority, they are carried before the Sovereign at important events.
SWORD OF STATE
Also carried ahead of the Sovereign on formal occasions, the Sword of State is seen as a symbol of Royal authority. The steel blade, with a silver-gilt hilt, is enclosed in a wooden scabbard that is covered in velvet.
CHRISM ANOINTMENT OIL
The Chrism oil, consecrated in The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in March, will be used to anoint the King and Queen Consort.
The oil is kept in the Ampulla, made from gold and cast in the form of an eagle with outspread wings, and will be poured through an aperture in the beak.
CORONATION SPOON
The silver-gilt Coronation Spoon is the oldest object in use at royal coronations. According to the royal website, its first recorded use was in 1349 among St Edward’s Regalia in Westminster Abbey. In 1649, the Spoon was reportedly sold to the Yeoman of King Charles I’s Wardrobe, who returned it for King Charles II’s Coronation in 1661 when tiny seed pearls were added to the handle decoration.
SOVEREIGN’S ORB
A representation of the Sovereign’s power and symbolising the Christian world, the Sovereign’s Orb was made from gold in the seventeenth century and is divided into three sections with bands of jewels for each of the three continents known in the medieval period, as per the website.
SOVEREIGN’S RING
Per the royal family, the Sovereign’s Ring comprises a sapphire with a ruby cross set in diamonds. A symbol of kingly dignity, the ring was made for the Coronation of King William IV in 1831, and all Sovereigns from King Edward VII onwards have used it at their Coronations.
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