Coronations are ceremonies where a new King, Queen, other sovereign monarch is officially installed. They usually involve the swearing of an oath and the bestowal of a crown upon the monarch's head.
Procedure
Inheritance
When inheriting the throne from the previous monarch, the new King or Queen stood or knelt before the court and swore an oath of office. During the coronation appointing Arthur Crown Prince and Uther's heir, he swore allegiance to the people of Camelot, and swore to govern them according to the statutes, laws, and customs laid down by their forebears and to exercise mercy and justice in his deeds and judgements.
Uther then placed a crown upon Arthur's head and he rose and faced the court, who applauded (Excalibur).
When Catrina replaced Arthur as Uther's heir, she swore to serve and govern the people of Camelot, to uphold the laws and customs of the land, and to cause justice in mercy to be executed in all her judgments. She then snatched the crown from Geoffrey and fled the room (Beauty and the Beast).
Arthur took the same oath as Catrina when he inherited the throne upon Uther's death. Geoffrey then declared him King of Camelot and placed a crown upon his head, after which he rose and faced the court, who chanted, "Long live the King!" five times (The Wicked Day).
Marriage
When Guinevere was crowned Queen of Camelot after marrying Arthur, she was made to kneel before the court while Arthur declared her Queen and placed a crown upon her head. He then helped her to feet and kissed her, after which they turned to face the court and took their places on their thrones. Gwen was not asked to swear any oaths at this time (The Sword in the Stone).
Though Catrina became Queen upon marrying Uther, she did not receive a coronation until she replaced Arthur as his heir (Beauty and the Beast).
Conquest
When Morgana was crowned Queen after conquering Camelot, she did not kneel before the court, but instead took her place on Uther's throne. Uther was then made to kneel before her while Geoffrey declared her Queen of Camelot and placed a crown upon her head (The Coming of Arthur).
Known Coronations
Coronation | Monarch | Type | Officiant | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Coronation of Prince Arthur | Arthur Pendragon | Inheritance | Uther Pendragon | |
The Coronation of King Arthur | Arthur Pendragon | Inheritance | Geoffrey of Monmouth | |
The Coronation of Queen Catrina | Troll (Catrina) | Inheritance | Geoffrey of Monmouth | |
The Coronation of Queen Guinevere | Guinevere Pendragon | Marriage | Arthur Pendragon | |
The Coronation of Queen Morgana | Morgana Pendragon | Conquest | Geoffrey of Monmouth |
Appearances
- Series 1
- Excalibur
- Series 2
- Beauty and the Beast: Part Two
- Series 3
- Queen of Hearts (Appears in visions)
- The Coming of Arthur: Part One
- Series 4
- The Wicked Day
- The Sword in the Stone: Part Two
Trivia
- Arthur is the only male monarch in the series to have a coronation (The Wicked Day).
- All of the coronations shown in the series have taken place in Camelot (Beauty and the Beast, The Coming of Arthur, The Wicked Day, The Sword in the Stone).
- Gwen became the first known commoner to become Queen after she married King Arthur Pendragon. She later gained total authority over the kingdom of Camelot after Arthur's death in the Battle of Camlann (The Sword in the Stone, The Diamond of the Day).
Gallery
To view the Coronation gallery, click here.
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