Coronation oath of the British monarch

Last updated

King Edward VII taking the oath at his coronation in 1902. Edward VII coronation oath 1902.jpg
King Edward VII taking the oath at his coronation in 1902.

A coronation oath is a solemn oath of office taken by the monarch of the United Kingdom at their coronation. An oath has been included in coronation ceremonies since the earliest kings of the English in the 10th century and its form was fixed by Act of Parliament in the 17th century. Minor amendments have subsequently been made to the oath to reflect the changing status of the United Kingdom, and also the Commonwealth Realms which have the British monarch as their head of state. The oath has three parts; the first to govern in compliance with the laws and customs of the people, the second to govern justly, and the third, to uphold Protestant Christianity and the rights of the Church of England, reflecting the monarch's role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Contents

Origins

The form of coronation service used in England has undergone a number of revisions over the centuries. These versions are known as ordines (from the Latin ordo meaning "order") or recensions. [1] The earliest known text of an English coronation service, the First Rescension, is preserved in the 10th century Leofric Missal. It is uncertain for certain whether this version was ever used in England, but it was possibly used in the Kingdom of Sussex in the mid-9th century or even earlier. [2] Whatever its usage, this text contains the first coronation oath or promissio regis in three parts, the tria praecepta or three pledges given by the monarch to God: [3]

The same form of the oath was retained in the Second Rescension, which is traditionally ascribed to Saint Dunstan for King Edgar's coronation at Bath Abbey in 973 AD. However, in this and later versions, the position of the oath in the liturgy moved from being the final element of the service to one of the first, before the consecration, anointing and crowning. [5]

At the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066, two primary sources agree that William took the oath after, rather than before the anointing, although before the crowning, apparently to emphasise the sanctity of his undertaking. [6] At some stage between then and the coronation of King Stephan in 1135, the Third Rescension came into use, abandoning much of the Anglo-Saxon liturgy in favour of that used by the Holy Roman Emperors, but retaining the English triple oath, which returned to the start of the service. [7] From the coronation of Richard I onwards, there was considerable variation in the actual text of the oath. The second clause to forbid crime was replaced by the third and a new third clause was introduced, swearing to uphold good laws and customs. Edward I additionally swore to preserve the rights of the crown. [8] The lawyer Henry de Bracton reported the oath made by Henry III at his coronations at Gloucester Cathedral in 1216 and at Westminster in 1220, which largely conforms with the traditional triple formula:

In 1308, the final major revision of the liturgy, the Fourth Rescension, preserved in the Liber Regalis and other manuscripts, was used at the coronation of Edward II. Constitutional reforms beginning with Magna Carta in 1215 and the subsequent establishment of the Parliament of England were reflected in the reordered oath that Edward was obliged to take, which had a fourth clause promising to uphold any future laws made "by the community of the realm". [8]

Although the oath is recorded in surviving coronation ordo manuscripts in Latin, by reference to other contemporary sources it seems probable that at least from 1308 onwards, it was spoken by the archbishop and the king in Norman French using a free translation, so that the attending barons could easily understand it. At some time in the 15th century, Middle English displaced French. [10]

Early modern period

In the 1520s, Henry VIII drew up a revised oath, which would have radically altered the relationship between the crown and the church; in the proposed text, the king promised to "kepe and mayntene the lawfull right and libertees of old tyme graunted by the righteous cristen kinges of Englond to the holie chirche of inglond not preiudyciall to his juysdiccion and dignite ryall". [11] If Henry had intended this to be the oath taken by his only son, Edward VI, then it was not to be; despite being the first coronation since the start of the Reformation in England, Edward took the oath specified in the Liber Regalis in English but in the third clause, only promised to maintain "the laws and liberties of this realm" without any reference to the community. [12] Interestingly, the actual method of swearing is described for the first time, with Edward making the oath at the altar with his hand on the sacramental bread, before moving his hand to the Bible for the final affirmation. [13]

James VI of Scotland was an infant when he acceded to the Scottish throne, and at his coronation at Stirling in 1567, the oath was taken on his behalf by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton, and was an exact translation of the 1484 oath taken by Charles VIII of France, which emphasised the rights of the crown. After acceding to the English throne, his coronation at Westminster in 1603 was the first to be translated into English and followed closely the text of the Liber Regalis, including the final clause to uphold the rights of the community. [14] To the first clause was added; "granted to the clergy and people by the glorious King, Saint Edward your predecessor". The same text was used at the coronation of Charles I in 1625, but the phrase "and people" was not included, an omission which was later used against Archbishop William Laud at his trial in 1643–44 following the English Civil War. [15]

Coronation Oath Act 1688

In the wake of the Glorious Revolution which deposed James II, Parliament sought to legislate to make secure the Parliamentary sovereignty over the rights of the monarch. Even before formulating the Bill of Rights, Parliament passed the Coronation Oath Act 1688, which forced any future monarch to swear to uphold Protestantism and the rights of Parliament. [16] [17]

The wording stipulated in section 3 of the 1688 Act is:

Will You solemnely Promise and Sweare to Governe the People of this Kingdome of England and the Dominions thereto belonging according to the Statutes in Parlyament Agreed on and the Laws and Customs of the same?

Will You to Your power cause Law and Justice in Mercy to be Executed in all Your Judgements?

Will You to the utmost of Your power Maintaine the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospell and the Protestant Reformed Religion Established by Law? And will You Preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of this Realme and to the Churches committed to their Charge all such Rights and Priviledges as by Law doe or shall appertaine unto them or any of them?

After replying to each of the questions, the monarch is required to kiss the Bible and reply:

The things which I have here before promised I will performe and Keepe Soe help me God. [18] [19]

Later amendments

Queen Victoria Taking the Coronation Oath (1838), by George Hayter. Queen Victoria Taking the Coronation Oath, June 28, 1838, by George Hayter.jpg
Queen Victoria Taking the Coronation Oath (1838), by George Hayter.

Although in theory, any deviation in the Coronation Oath from the text established in the 1688 Act is illegal, in practice, changes have repeatedly been made without Parliament amending the original Act, generally to reflect changes in the British constitution. [20]

1714

The coronation of George I was the first following the Acts of Union 1707, by which the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, previously separate states in a personal union, were united into the single Kingdom of Great Britain. Accordingly, the first part of the oath was amended to:

...the people of this Kingdom of Great Britain... [21]

A further amendment was required by the 1707 acts to clarify the third part of the oath relating to religion in England:

Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the said settlement of the Church of England and the doctrine, worship, discipline and government thereof as by law established within the kingdoms of England and Ireland, the dominion of Wales and town of Berwick upon Tweed and the territories thereunto belonging?

Reference to Wales and Berwick were omitted from the oath from 1821 onwards since subsequent legislation had specified that they were to be included in the term "England" for legal purposes. [22]

1821

The coronation of George IV followed the Acts of Union 1800, which united the Kingdom of Ireland with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also united the Church of England and the Anglican Church of Ireland as established churches. The oath was amended:

...the people of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging...

The third part was amended:

...preserve inviolably the settlement of the united Church of England and Ireland.... [21] [23]

However, reference to the Church of Ireland was omitted after its disestablishment by the Irish Church Act 1869. [22]

1937

Following the Statute of Westminster 1931 which granted almost complete autonomy to the five dominions, the oath taken at the coronation of George VI was amended to include their names separately:

Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa, of your Possessions and the other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, and of your Empire of India, according to their respective Laws and Customs?

The third part was also controversially amended to reflect the dissestablishment of the Church in Wales in 1920 and to remove any implication that the Anglican church was the established church in the dominions:

Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? [22]

1953

The form of the oath was vigorously debated during preparations for the coronation of Elizabeth II. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, argued that the expanded list of Commonwealth realms should be condensed into a single formula, but this was rejected by the Commonwealth Relations Office. Randolph Churchill proposed that new legislation be considered to update the oath since it had strayed so far from the original text; however, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Simonds, wrote a confidential memorandum for the Coronation Committee stressing that no change to the law was required. [24] Accordingy, the first part of the oath was:

Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and the other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs? [22]

2023

Prior to the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, the subject of revision of the oath was raised again. Both the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, felt that the religious element of the oath was too assertive and failed to acknowledge the need for mutual respect between faiths. The process of passing new legislation through Parliament would be lengthy and liable to raise devisive issues. Therefore, a preamble to be spoken by the Archbishop was added to the text: [25]

Your Majesty, the Church established by law, whose settlement you will swear to maintain, is committed to the true profession of the Gospel, and, in so doing, will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely. The Coronation Oath has stood for centuries and is enshrined in law. Are you willing to take the Oath? [26]

The number of Commonwealth realms having risen to fifteen, the first part of the oath was amended to avoid reciting them individually:

Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, your other Realms and the Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs? [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Act of Settlement 1701</span> United Kingdom law disqualifying Catholic monarchs

The Act of Settlement is an act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701. More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, became disqualified to inherit the throne. This had the effect of deposing the remaining descendants of Charles I, other than his Protestant granddaughter Anne, as the next Protestant in line to the throne was Sophia of Hanover. Born into the House of Wittelsbach, she was a granddaughter of James VI and I from his most junior surviving line, with the crowns descending only to her non-Catholic heirs. Sophia died less than two months before Queen Anne, and Sophia's son succeeded to the throne as King George I, starting the Hanoverian dynasty in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of office</span> Official promise by a person elected to public office to lawfully fulfill its duties

An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such oaths are often required by the laws of the state, religious body, or other organization before the person may actually exercise the powers of the office or organization. It may be administered at an inauguration, coronation, enthronement, or other ceremony connected with the taking up of office itself, or it may be administered privately. In some cases it may be administered privately and then repeated during a public ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill of Rights 1689</span> English civil rights legislation

The Bill of Rights 1689 is an Act of the Parliament of England that set out certain basic civil rights and changed the succession to the English Crown. It remains a crucial statute in English constitutional law.

The Irish Oath of Allegiance was a controversial provision in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which Irish TDs and Senators were required to swear before taking their seats in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann before the Constitution Act 1933 was passed on 3 May 1933. The controversy surrounding the Oath was one of the principal issues that led to the Irish Civil War of 1922–23 between supporters and opponents of the Treaty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of allegiance</span> Individual oath to a state

An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, take an oath of office that includes swearing allegiance to the United States Constitution. However, typically in a constitutional monarchy, such as in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other Commonwealth realms, oaths are sworn to the monarch. Armed forces typically require a military oath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronation of the British monarch</span> Formal investiture and crowning ceremony

The coronation of the monarch of the United Kingdom is an initiation ceremony in which they are formally invested with regalia and crowned at Westminster Abbey. It corresponds to the coronations that formerly took place in other European monarchies, which have all abandoned coronations in favour of inauguration or enthronement ceremonies. A coronation is a symbolic formality and does not signify the official beginning of the monarch's reign; de jure and de facto his or her reign commences from the moment of the preceding monarch's death or abdication, maintaining legal continuity of the monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of Supremacy</span> Oath of allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England

The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in the Kingdom of England, or in its subordinate Kingdom of Ireland, to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church. Failure to do so was to be treated as treasonable. The Oath of Supremacy was originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his elder daughter, Queen Mary I of England, and reinstated under Henry's other daughter and Mary's half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England, under the Act of Supremacy 1558. The Oath was later extended to include Members of Parliament (MPs) and people studying at universities. In 1537, the Irish Supremacy Act was passed by the Parliament of Ireland, establishing Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of Ireland. As in England, a commensurate Oath of Supremacy was required for admission to offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Governor of the Church of England</span> Title held by the British Monarch

The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is the titular head of the Church of England, a position which is vested in the British monarch. Although the monarch's authority over the Church of England is largely ceremonial and is mostly observed in a symbolic capacity, the position is still relevant to the established church. As the supreme governor, the monarch formally appoints high-ranking members of the church on the advice of the prime minister of the United Kingdom, who in turn acts on the advice of the Crown Nominations Commission. Since the Act of Settlement of 1701, all Supreme Governors have been members of the Church of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succession to the British throne</span> Law governing who can become British monarch

Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, sex, legitimacy, and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 restrict succession to the throne to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover who are in "communion with the Church of England". Spouses of Catholics were disqualified from 1689 until the law was amended in 2015. Protestant descendants of those excluded for being Roman Catholics are eligible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of Allegiance (Canada)</span> Promise of fealty to the Canadian monarch

The Canadian Oath of Allegiance is a promise or declaration of fealty to the Canadian monarch—as personification of the Canadian state and its authority, rather than as an individual person—taken, along with other specific oaths of office, by new occupants of various federal and provincial government offices; members of federal, provincial, and municipal police forces; members of the Canadian Armed Forces; and, in some provinces, all lawyers upon admission to the bar. The Oath of Allegiance also makes up the first portion of the Oath of Citizenship, the taking of which is a requirement of obtaining Canadian nationality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom)</span> Promise to be loyal to the British monarch

The Oath of Allegiance is a promise to be loyal to the British monarch, and their heirs and successors, sworn by certain public servants in the United Kingdom, and also by newly naturalised subjects in citizenship ceremonies. The current standard wording of the oath of allegiance is set out in the Promissory Oaths Act 1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Declaration of Right, 1689</span> English constitutional document

The Declaration of Right, or Declaration of Rights, is a document produced by the English Parliament, following the 1688 Glorious Revolution. It sets out the wrongs committed by the exiled James II, the rights of English citizens, and the obligation of their monarch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Solomon Islands</span> Constitutional monarchy as a system of government in Solomon Islands

The monarchy of Solomon Islands is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Solomon Islands. The current monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Solomon Islands. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Solomon Islands and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Solomon Islands. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Australia</span> Key institution of the Commonwealth of Australia

The monarchy of Australia is a key component of Australia's form of government, by which a hereditary monarch serves as the country’s sovereign and head of state. It is a constitutional monarchy, modelled on the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, while incorporating features unique to the constitution of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronation Oath Act 1688</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Coronation Oath Act 1688 is an Act of the Parliament of England. It was passed in 1689.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of the Bahamas</span> Constitutional monarchy as a system of government in The Bahamas

The monarchy of The Bahamas is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The current Bahamian monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Bahamian Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of The Bahamas and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Bahamian state. However, the King is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Tuvalu</span> Constitutional monarchy as a system of government in Tuvalu

The monarchy of Tuvalu is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Tuvalu. The current Tuvaluan monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022 is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Tuvaluan Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Tuvalu and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Tuvaluan state. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accession Declaration Act 1910</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Accession Declaration Act 1910 is an Act which was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to alter the declaration that the Sovereign is required to make at their accession to the throne as first required by the Bill of Rights 1689. In it, they solemnly declare themself to be faithful to the Protestant faith. The altered declaration is as follows:

"I [here insert the name of the Sovereign] do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne of my Realm, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal succession bills and acts</span>

Royal Succession bills and acts are laws or pieces of proposed legislation to determine the legal line of succession to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of the Dutch monarch</span> Ceremonial swearing-in of the Dutch monarch

Upon his or her accession to the throne, the new Dutch monarch undergoes an inauguration ceremony as required by the constitution. The ceremony is taken as a joint session of the two houses of the States General, and is held at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

References

  1. ↑ Gosling 2013, p. 5
  2. ↑ Strong 2005, p. 24
  3. ↑ Strong 2005, p. 4
  4. ↑ "Old English coronation oath". www.bl.uk. British Library Board. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Strong 2005, pp. 28–29
  6. ↑ Morton 1972, p. lviii
  7. ↑ Strong 2005, pp. 43–44
  8. 1 2 Strong 2005, pp. 91–92
  9. ↑ Twiss 1879, p. 171
  10. ↑ Richardson 1949, p.
  11. ↑ Strong, pp 185–186
  12. ↑ Strong 2005, p. 240
  13. ↑ Strong 2005, p. 200
  14. ↑ Jack 2014, p. 87
  15. ↑ Woolley 1915, p. 78
  16. ↑ Bogdanor 1995, pp. 5–6
  17. ↑ Jones, Phillip (2017). "The Coronation Oath: Right and Rite". ecclesiasticallaw.wordpress.com. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  18. ↑ Watt, Graeme (September 2017). "The Coronation Oath" (PDF). Ecclesiastical Law Journal. 19 (3): 325–341. doi:10.1017/S0956618X17000497 . Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "Coronation Oath Act 1688". www.legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives on behalf of HM Government. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  20. ↑ Torrence, David (19 April 2023). "Changes to the Coronation Oath". commonslibrary.parliament.uk. House of Commons – UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  21. 1 2 Strong 2005, p. 359
  22. 1 2 3 4 Bonney, Norman (23 May 2011). "The Evolution and Contemporary Relevance of the Accession and Coronation Oaths of the United Kingdom". The British Journal of Politics and International Relations. 13 (4): 603–618. doi:10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00459.x . Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  23. ↑ Huish, Robert (1821). An Authentic History of the Coronation of George the Fourth. London: J. Robbins and Co. p. 225.
  24. ↑ Hazell, Robert; Morris, Bob (218). "Swearing in the New King: the Accession Declarations and Coronation Oaths" (PDF). www.ucl.ac.uk. The Constitution Unit – University College London. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  25. ↑ Moore, Charles (8 May 2023). "The service deftly proved the King's power to unite 'neighbours in faith'". The Daily Telegraph – Coronation Special. London. pp. 6–7.
  26. ↑ McDonagh, Melanie (2 May 2023). "The King's coronation oath: an explainer for Catholics". catholicherald.co.uk. Catholic Herald. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  27. ↑ "Coronation order of service in full". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.