LONDON -- With its jewels and horse-drawn carriages, today's coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla is the stuff of fairy tales. For Anglicans, it is also a rare and holy religious rite.
Held at Westminster Abbey in London, the two-hour service features hymns, Psalms, a gospel reading, Communion and a sermon by the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby.
The Most Rev. Geoffrey Fisher, who served as archbishop from 1945 to 1961, said it was important to understand the sacred nature of the ceremony, referring to it as a "sacred sacrament."
"Great though the historic interest of the coronation service is, it's real significance is and always has been in its religious and spiritual meaning," he said in the introduction for a recording of the 1953 coronation service for Queen Elizabeth II.
"When she has been anointed, then -- and not 'til then -- does she receive the symbols of royalty," he said.
As king, Charles is the supreme governor of the Church of England and defender of the faith.
Great Britain hasn't had a coronation in 70 years. The updated service will be shorter, but the spiritual dimension will remain.
Before he gets the bling -- a crown, an orb, a scepter -- he'll be given a Bible (King James Version, and printed by Oxford University Press).
The moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of England will present the monarch with a copy of the Scriptures, "the most valuable thing that this world affords," to keep him "ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes."
Echoing the words that were spoken to Queen Elizabeth, he will say: "Here is Wisdom; This is the Royal Law; These are the lively Oracles of God."
Across the United Kingdom, church bells will ring joyously on Saturday. Services of Thanksgiving are on tap at cathedrals and country churches alike.
Stephen Bates, author of "The Shortest History of the Crown," said Anglican parishes large and small are pulling out all the stops.
"The coronation is big for the [Church of England], confirming its place at the heart of British society and as an important institution, even if relatively few people go to church these days," he said.
But the festivities won't be limited to Anglicans, he noted.
For the first time since the Reformation, Catholic religious leaders are welcome.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Catholic archbishop of Westminster, will be among those offering blessings during the service.
As required by the Coronation Oath Act of 1688, King Charles will promise, to the utmost of his power, to "maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law."
Before doing so, however, Welby will indicate that the church Charles leads will seek "to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely."
Many churches will hold celebratory luncheons on Sunday.
There's also a Shabbat morning service and coronation celebration being hosted by the Islington Jewish community, which features "special prayers for the King and followed by a kosher catered lunch."
Muslims will offer prayers of their own. A halal coronation lunch is planned at the Baitus Subhan Mosque in Croydon, just south of London.
A Hindu celebration is also planned.
An Evensong in Thanksgiving for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, at St. Paul's Cathedral, will feature celebratory works by Handel and Parry.
The Coronation Prom, an evening of Christian music at the Royal Albert Hall, has already sold out.
An Evensong in Thanksgiving for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on Sunday afternoon, just one of the hundreds of celebrations planned. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Frank E. Lockwood)