The oil that will be used in May for the coronation of King Charles III of Britain received its blessing Friday in Jerusalem.
The ceremony took place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, according to the Times of Israel.
The ceremony was presided over by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III and Anglican archbishop Hosam Naoum.
“I am honored 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,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said.
“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,” he said.
[ICYMI] Coronation oil for Charles III consecrated in Jerusalemhttps://t.co/cH59a1hm6y
— eNCA (@eNCA) March 5, 2023
Princess Alice of Battenberg, who is the new king’s grandmother, is buried at the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene at the Mount of Olives. Princess Alice was the mother of Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
Charles visited her tomb in 2020.
The oil was made from olives that grew in two groves on the Mount of Olives, at the Monastery of the Ascension and the Monastery of Mary Magdalene, according to Reuters.
The oil that will be used to anoint King Charles III during his coronation has been consecrated https://t.co/B38mLzTPN0 pic.twitter.com/5CF1KY4byW
— CNN International (@cnni) March 4, 2023
Welby said he had wanted oil from that site to be used in the coronation.
“This demonstrates the deep historic link between the coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land. From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place,” he said.
Traditionally, the oil is poured onto the Coronation Spoon, and then Charles will be anointed on his hands, breast and head.
Queen Elizabeth’s oil from her 1953 coronation was made from musk deer, civet cat and sperm whale, but King Charles will be going the vegan route.
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— The Project (@theprojecttv) March 5, 2023
Although a release from Buckingham Palace said the formula is “based on the oil used at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the formula of which has been used for hundreds of years,” there was one change noted by the BBC.
Previous versions have included civet oil, from the glands of small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales.
The report said due to animal cruelty concerns, this version of the oil will have no ingredients that came from animals.
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