'Royal family needs to change and modernise if it has any chance of surviving'

06 May 2023 , 19:21

1092 0

King Charles III wearing the St Edward's Crown and Queen Camilla wearing the Queen Mary's Crown during their coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey (Image: PA)

It was a cornucopia of colour and pageantry, a glittering ceremony infused with centuries of symbolism and enriched by spine-tingling music.

So perhaps it was inevitable that, as the Coronation of King Charles III reached its magnificent climax, I felt a swell of patriotism at the turning of a page in our great national story.

I certainly hadn’t expected to.

Because despite being a monarchist I have felt increasingly conflicted about holding such a lavish bash in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

And it has confirmed my view, one now shared by 73% of Brits, that the Royal family urgently needs to change and modernise if it has any chance of surviving.

Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade

So watching yesterday’s ceremony brought a mixture of emotions.

There was awe at the sight of Westminster Abbey decked out majestically for the 40th Coronation held there since William the Conqueror’s in 1066.

'Royal family needs to change and modernise if it has any chance of surviving'

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla talk on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Coronation (AP)

There was wonder at the talent of the musicians and performers… Sir Bryn Terfel’s booming baritone filling the ancient vaulted ceiling and the stirring rendition of Zadoc the Priest at the moment of the King’s anointing,

And there was endearment at the sight of elegant Princess Charlotte and her cheeky brother Louis…and the puzzle over his mysterious disappearance.

It was impossible not to be moved when the Prince of Wales pledged allegiance to his father, touching the Crown then kissing him gently on the cheek.

Because it reminded us of the moment 70 years ago when the late Duke of Edinburgh kissed his wife Elizabeth on the cheek after becoming her “liege man of life and limb.”

I almost got misty eyed at the sight of Charles welling up as the Queen Camilla curtseyed gracefully and took her place on the throne beside him.

Because the “third person” in his miserable marriage was now the anointed first lady of the land…the “most hated woman in Britain” transformed into the most feted.

What an extraordinary journey it had been. And what an extraordinary spectacle it all was.

The emotional atmosphere inside the Abbey must have been incredible.

8 money changes coming in February including Universal Credit and passport fees

Charles and Camilla were crowned at midday before their appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony (PA)

And, after all the muttering, no one seemed to have any problem at all declaring their allegiance to Charles, his heirs and successors.

God Save The King!!

And yet…

Outside the Abbey thousands of protestors were holding up placards declaring Not My King.

Most people under the age of 30 were rolling their eyes at the whole palaver or sharing the Private Eye front page headline “Man In Hat Sits On Chair.”

And millions of people struggling to feed their families were wondering why taxpayers had to cough up £250million for a party for a bloke who’s worth £2 billion.

Was it really a display of global Britain at its best - a royal knees-up set to boost the economy by a staggering £8 billion?

Was it truly showing the smiling face of modern Britain - a diverse, more tolerant and inclusive nation?

And was it, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insists “a proud expression of our history, culture, and traditions - a vivid demonstration of the modern character of our country”?

Balcony appearance of the King and senior royals at Buckingham Palace (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Because despite the presence of leaders of other faiths, this was an overwhelmingly Christian service.

And while there were ordinary heroes in the congregation - the charity workers, fund-raisers and community champions - it was still a celebration of one very privileged individual and an institution built on feudalism

Amid all the magic and medieval spectacle there was one quirky moment that brought me back down to earth.

The King was presented with The Jewelled Sword of Offering by Penny Mordaunt, Lord President of the Council and the first woman to be given the honour.

He attached it to his golden girdle for a moment and after a proclamation by the Archbishop of Canterbury unclipped the 17th century blade and offered it up to be placed on the altar.

But then Ms Mordaunt produced a velvet bag of “redemption money” and bought the sword back again for the King.

It was a perfect reminder of the bizarre and complex relationship we have with our monarchy and the questions we urgently need to ask about what we’re prepared to pay for in future.