Hundreds want to take part in Charles’ coronation

Hundreds of Britons want to attend the coronation of British King Charles III. take on a role in the rare play in May. Hundreds of applications were received in response to an official call, the broadcaster Sky News reported at the weekend, citing the British Cabinet Office, which coordinates the applications as the central government authority. Interested parties can apply until February 3rd.

However, the prerequisite is that the applicant can prove a connection with a previous holder of these tasks at the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, for example as a descendant or successor in office.

The services for which helpers are sought include the smallest tasks – such as handing the king a towel or a glove during the ceremony.

According to the Cabinet Office, King Charles specifically wanted the coronation to be “rooted in tradition but reflecting the present”. The custom of accepting applications for ceremonial roles at the coronation reportedly dates back to 1377.

Monarchy observer and author Catherine Pepinster thinks it was a mistake that the royal house, despite its claim to modernity, chose to inherit the roles. A more hurdle-free application process could also have been opened or people who had provided special services to society awarded the contract, Pepinster told Sky News. “I don’t understand why they don’t use these little ceremonial moments as an opportunity to be more modern.”

Charles III has been the British King since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II last September. However, the formal coronation ceremony is not scheduled for May 6th.