
The Buckingham Palace confirmed on Fridaythat King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation oil has been consecrated in Jerusalem. The palace revealed that the Chrism oil that will be used to anoint the 74-year-old monarch and the 75-year-old Queen Consort on May 6 was consecrated, on Friday morning, at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The coronation oil has been made with olives harvested from local groves at the Monastery of the Ascension and the Monastery of Mary Magdalene. The olives were pressed near Bethlehem, and the oil was perfumed with scents of neroli, benzoin, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, amber and orange blossom.
Previous versions, however, included civet oil, which is madefrom the glands of small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales.
Reflecting on modern animal-friendly sensitivities, the coronation oil will be animal cruelty-free and will not include any ingredients derived from animals. Since there had been concerns about animal cruelty and the need to protect wildlife, the latest formula of the holy oil has been kept vegan.
Just like his mother Queen Elizabeth, Charles and his better half Camilla will be anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury during their crowning ceremony.
In a statement, Justin Welby, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, spoke about the royal family's connection to one of Jerusalem's holiest Christian sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He also thanked the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum, for blessing the coronation oil.
"I am honoured and grateful that His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III and Archbishop Hosam Naoum have consecrated the oil that will be used to anoint His Majesty The King. I want to thank especially His Beatitude for providing this Coronation Oil, which reflects The King's personal family connection with the Holy Land and his great care for its peoples," Welby said. "I am also delighted that the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem shared in the consecration of the oil."
(With inputs from agencies)
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