Constitutional law and ritual: The oaths of Charles III

Остащук, Іван Богданович and Кравчук, О.О. (2023) Constitutional law and ritual: The oaths of Charles III Юридичний науковий електронний журнал (4). pp. 94-100. ISSN 2524-0374

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Abstract

The oaths of King Charles III as an important element of legitimizing the power of the head of state in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and as an example of combination of law and ritual in the context of social relations are considered in the article. The constitutional procedure for the accession of the monarch to office is long-term. Official ceremonies of legitimization of power include several stages, they last several months. The king takes 4 oaths: 1) an unofficial Declaration announced at the first meeting of the Privy Council; 2) Oath Relating to the Security of the Church of Scotland; 3) Declaration of Admission; 4) Coronation oath. King Charles III declared an unofficial Declaration and took the Oath Relating to the Security of the Church of Scotland, and was officially proclaimed as new King on 10 September 2022, at the first meeting of the Privy Council. The coronation ceremony, during which the King took two oaths – the Coronation Oath and the Accession Declaration Oath – was held on 6 May 2023. Royal oaths reproduce a number of basic legal values on which the good governance of the head of state must be based. All of them mention laws – acts adopted by the Parliament. The basis of the new King’s first oath (an unofficial, personal Declaration) was his declaration of an obligation to be guided in the performance of his duties by the counsel of the elected parliaments of the peoples and territories of which he is the monarch. The Oath Relating to the Security of the Church of Scotland also mentions legal issues: the monarch’s duty to uphold the privileges of the Church, assigned by a specific law (act of Parliament). The sovereign’s strict fulfillment of the obligation imposed by the ancient (but valid) law emphasizes the continuity of power and the fact that it is based on laws. The Sovereign’s promise to govern the peoples on the basis of statutes and customs and the implementation of law and justice are clearly highlighted in the coronation oath (this oath begins with them). The coronation is a special liturgy of the Church of England, in which all parts of the ancient service of legitimizing the power of the monarch are preserved and endowed with the content of biblical symbolism through the form of taking an oath established in the Middle Ages.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Charles III; coronation; inauguration; proclamation; Privy Council; Accession Declaration; British monarchy; succession; Corona- tion oath; oath; ritual; symbol.
Subjects:	Це архівна тематика Київського університету імені Бориса Грінченка > Статті у журналах > Фахові (входять до переліку фахових, затверджений МОН)
Divisions:	Це архівні підрозділи Київського університету імені Бориса Грінченка > Факультет суспільно-гуманітарних наук > Кафедра філософії та релігієзнавства
Depositing User:	Професор Іван Богданович Остащук
Date Deposited:	05 Jun 2023 15:02
Last Modified:	05 Jun 2023 15:02
URI:	https://elibrary.kubg.edu.ua/id/eprint/45397

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