King Charles anointed with Israeli oil consecrated in Jerusalem
The oil has been blessed by the Jerusalem-based leaders of both the Greek Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church.
The oil which will be used during King Charles III's coronation ceremony on Saturday was consecrated in Jerusalem in early March, according to the Royal Family's official website.
The oil was produced from olive groves on the Mount of Olives, from the Monastery of Mary Magdalene and the Monastery of the Ascension. The Monastery of Mary Magdalene has a personal connection for the King, as it is the burial place of Princess Alice of Greece, his grandmother.
The oils were pressed just outside Bethlehem and perfumed with essential oils such as sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, amber and orange blossom.
The oils were then blessed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, The most Reverend Hosam Naoum, at a ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The formula is based on the same one that was used during the late Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and has been used for hundreds of years.
New traditions and old traditions
King Charles III's coronation will take place on Saturday at Westminster Abbey and the ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said this about the consecration that it "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."
The tradition of anointing kings with holy oil in Europe traces its origins to the same tradition performed by the ancient Israelites.
This coronation will be notable as it will be the first to involve non-christian religious figures, such as the British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
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