King Charles' Highly Anticipated Coronation Will Have A Holy Touch, Thanks To Pope Francis
By Fiyin Olowokandi on April 21, 2023 at 11:00 PM EDT
As the royal family prepares for King Charles III's upcoming coronation, Pope Francis ensures His Majesty enjoys a historic day with a precious gift.
Before becoming the oldest person to accede to the throne, the former Prince of Wales was the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. The 74-year-old's name is tied to another record thanks to his holiness.
The father-of-two's crowning ceremony, scheduled for May 6, shall feature a holy relic that reportedly has ties to Jesus Christ. Keep scrolling for most details!
King Charles' Coronation Cross Features Shards Of Wood From The 'True Cross'
In a recent update about the year's highly-anticipated event, PEOPLE revealed that the sovereign of the Vatican City State blessed the King with the holiest of gifts. Pope Francis gave out two shards of wood connected to Jesus Christ.
The cross that shall be used to lead the coronation procession at London's Westminster Abbey, known as the Cross of Wales, was blessed by the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Rev. Andrew John. The holy ritual occurred at the Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno on April 19.
In time for the blessing, the gift from the head of the Catholic Church was added to the Cross of Wales. The two splinters were allegedly removed from the "true cross," a term used to describe the original cross Jesus died on centuries ago.
The pieces of wood, about 0.2 and 0.4 inches, were described as the Bishop of Rome's "personal coronation gift" to the King. After receiving the particular offering, the fragments of the "true cross" were used to decorate the center of the Cross of Wales.
The holy relic formed the shape of a cross behind a rose crystal gemstone in the middle of the commemorative cross. Raving about the magnificent gift, the Archbishop of Wales told sources:
"It's hugely significant. It's a remarkable thing that the King has been able to find favor with the Vatican. And as a result of that very good relationship, Pope Francis has agreed to gift these small fragments of the holy cross."
The commemorative cross was created in 2020 by the Goldsmiths' Company in London. The King ordered the project to mark the centenary of the Church in Wales. Gives His Majesty's love for the environment; the Cross of Wales was made from recycled silver bullion with Welsh windfall timber and slate.
Additionally, Charles had the honor of embellishing the "King's Mark" (leopard's head) on the cross while visiting Goldsmiths' for the first time in November 2022. The sacred object also featured a snippet from the patron saint of Wales, St. David's last sermon.
"Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do the little things," were etched on the back of the cross. Now that the commemorative crucifix has obtained the holiest relic from the Pope, the consecrated item shall be shared between the Anglican and Catholic churches in Wales after the coronation procession.
Fans Can Expect The Performance Of A Lifetime At King Charles' Coronation
The headliners for King Charles' upcoming coronation concert were recently announced, and the list included the living legend, Lionel Richie. The four-time Grammy winner shall perform at the May 7 event, an occasion the entertainer is honored to participate in.
During his appearance at the Breakthrough Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, the record producer gushed about his participation in the upcoming event. "You don't get in the business and say, 'You know what? I'll be at the King's coronation.' That never comes up," the 73-year-old began.
"[It's] A, a surprise. B, what an honor. And C, because of all the names he could have had for this, he called my name," the Tuskegee native continued, noting his gratitude to celebrate Charles' ascension given their history.
The "All Night Long" singer revealed his close relationship with the King, who he described as a "wonderful person." After knowing him as a Prince for years, the Oscar winner was "anxious" to see the changes his longtime pal would make.
As for his performance, the "Dancing on the Ceiling" artist claimed fans were in for a treat as it would be a history-making experience. Promising wonders, the Golden Globe Award winner said:
"I want to see the pomp and circumstance because I don't care what you thought Michael Jackson did. I don't care what you thought Prince did. I don't care what you thought Madonna did. Nothing's going to be like this. This is glorious of superb right here."
