King Charles coronation: Buckingham Palace in row with Archbishop over swearing of allegiance to the King

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Buckingham Palace and the Archbishop of Canterbury reportedly had a misunderstanding over the swearing of an oath to the King at the coronation.

The coronation ceremony will include an ‘Homage of the People’, which will see the public encouraged to pledge their allegiance to King Charles. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby hoped this would create a “great cry around the nation and world of support for the King”.

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However, Buckingham Palace aides say the Archbishop has ‘misunderstood’ the plans’ causing a row between the two sides. After officials were forced to clarify the oath is an ‘invitation’, not an order, a Buckingham Palace source told The Sun: “The Archbishop of Canterbury has gone off-piste on this one”.

During the coronation ceremony, the Archbishop will call upon “all persons of goodwill in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other Realms and the Territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all”.

He will then say: “All who so desire, in the Abbey, and elsewhere, say together: All: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

It is understood the homage is intended as an attempt to widen access and public engagement to the coronation ceremony. The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6. 

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