Of Crowning and Clowning in Great Britain

On May 06, 2023, Britain witnessed another coronation ceremony, the latest of a series that has been going on unchanged for more than a thousand years in Britain, an empire where there was no sunset long ago. The ceremonies traditionally followed by the British royal family since the coronation of King William in 1066 were very much like what took place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, but only in appearance. Prince Charles took the throne in June 1953, more than 70 years after Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Around 4000 guests from different countries participated in the event. There were also priests of Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish religions.

Even while his wife Diana was alive, Charles had an affair with Camilla whom he married after Diana’s untimely death. Camilla, his second wife, was crowned queen after Diana's death.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian origin, described the coronation of Charles as a historic and proud moment for Britain and that the coronation is not a spectacle, but a proud expression of culture and tradition. Rishi Sunak read the Bible while attending the coronation ceremony, making him the first Hindu UK ruler to do so.
The coronation of the British dynasty was a global celebration during the time when the whole world was under British rule. As the years went by, the British flag was lowered in many places and slowly lost its glory. Sun started setting in the empire. When the world is celebrating democracy, there has been a huge protest against the British royal family, who are using people's tax money to hold fabulous coronation ceremonies. Police had to arrest and remove protesters in Trafalgar Square and along the route taken by the royal procession. Leaders of the anti-monarchy group, the Republic, including Graham Smith, were also arrested. Protesters marched wearing clothes that read "Charles is not our king". The protesting crowd shouted that the government should prioritize feeding the people before allowing the royal family's extravagances which are of no benefit to the country. The Democrats also pointed out that 1021 crore rupees was spent from the public exchequer to crown Charles as king and his ex-concubine as the Queen.

Charles wore the same red velvet crimson coat and cream cloak worn by King George VI at his coronation in 1937. In 1953, Camilla wore the same crimson robe that Queen Elizabeth wore for her coronation. Charles also wore a crown studded with the precious Kohinoor gem, smuggled out from India, and a scepter studded with the world's largest diamond, the Great Star of Africa, poached from Africa. The king and the queen were shamelessly dressed in elaborate ornaments studded with various pristine gems which had been collected and looted from many countries. The King and the Queen rode in a golden chariot made of precious materials appropriated from many countries. Ironically, the greetings of 'God save King Charles' rang out in the procession.

The curses of the downtrodden generations irk and vex the British royal family wherever they go now. The last traces of glory in British imperialism which made itself obscenely rich by looting and trampling the various countries of the world under its feet by crossing the sea to trade are beginning to fade. Their once docile subjects have started asking why the representatives of the royal family, who have no substantial authority and rights, should be crowned as king and queen with the tax money of the poor. Britain, a country which stole the wealth of the Indian empire, is now ruled by a Hindu of Indian origin! Britain which often lags behind other countries economically, now lags behind India in terms of growth and education. India is rising to the position of old Britain economically. If the nation where the sun never sets becomes only a third-world nation today, it is the poetic justice meted out to the deeds of the forefathers.

Writer is chairman of World Hindu Parliament and former President of FOKANA