Reflections on a Coronation

It's Coronation Day.  I see it is drizzly and grey in London, but here in the Maritimes, it is a lovely morning.  I decided to get up (relatively) early on this Saturday to watch the event.  

I'm not a staunch monarchist, but I'm not an anti-monarchist.  As a student of history, I enjoy the tradition and pageantry of royal events.  I got up at a ghastly hour (as I recall) the year I graduated from high school in British Columbia to watch the fairytale wedding of Charles and Diana; I watched the wedding of Andrew and Sarah a couple of years later; like many others, I was glued to the television in the hours and days following Diana's death; I watched the wedding of Harry and Megan with one of my best friends in Ontario, complete with scones and fascinators; and most recently I watched the funeral of the Queen.  

This coronation of course is 70 years after the last one.  There have been royal scandals, affairs, divorces, messy feuds, uncertainties, shenanigans, all played out in front of a voracious media and public.  Today, a divorced man and woman become king and queen, an unthinkable proposition in the generation before Queen Elizabeth.  And I can't help thinking, unfairly, perhaps, as I remember the magic of Charles and Diana, before we knew the true state of affairs, that it was meant to be Diana being crowned.  I don't harbour any ill will towards Camilla, but to me, she looked awkward and bored (at least, until she got that crown).  CBC reported that the robe was too heavy, so she had some of the ermine removed; my first thought was that the mantle of monarchy should weigh heavy on one's shoulders.  

It's nice to see girls and women in the choirs, people of colour and presumably other faiths taking part in the service, even if the service itself is definitely an Anglican Christian service, and participating women clergy!  It's fascinating to see the opulent and beautiful garments and regalia (I'm entranced by the breathtaking embroidery), the jewels, the historical objects, the colours, the carriages, the ancient stones of Westminster Abbey, to hear the beautiful music.  And of course, all eyes are on Prince Louis after his mischievous behaviour at the Queen's Jubilee celebrations.  

Naturally, discussion about the relationship between the monarchy and Canada has increased in recent days, and I find myself contemplating the future of Canada's relationship with the House of Windsor. For many people in Canada, and other countries belonging to the British Empire, the Crown represents oppression and colonization.  I am not sure what role the monarchy actually plays in Canada any more, other than a purely symbolic one, and I'm not sure what the royals actually do that benefits our world (yes, I know that they act as patrons and benefactors, and bring attention to charitable causes).  It isn't as if the King or Queen actually rule any more.  What, other than tradition, would actually be lost if the monarchy ceased to exist as our token head of state?  What, in the words frequently heard in discussions about the monarchy, is their relevance in a contemporary world?

Of course, it isn't just as simple as declaring independence from the monarch.  In Canada, the our relationship with the monarchy is entrenched in our Constitution.  In our religious community, he is the head of the Anglican Church.  There's the question of who or what would replace the monarch as the head of state, and whether it would involve a complete reorganization of our entire political system. As a mostly lazy person, I also think about all the practicalities of such a change -- new currency, new postage stamps, probably changing crests and flags and insignia in our federal buildings, amending oaths, and probably a million other things that I can't even imagine which would be on the "to do" list.  

It's still early on a Saturday morning, and all these things are worth considering, in my opinion.  But for the time being, maybe a little less than wholeheartedly, but still sincerely, I will join with others in the chorus "Long Live the King."  

May you rule, whatever that entails, with wisdom, compassion, and relevance, and may you truly strive to make this world a better place for all.