'Sacred' moment from King Charles' coronation will be kept private
King Charles will stick to tradition and keep the moment he is anointed with holy oil private during his coronation on May 6, ITV News understands.
There had been speculation the King would decide to become the first monarch to show the moment the Archbishop of Canterbury blesses him with holy oil on his hands, breast and head.
But it is understood this part of the coronation is considered too sacred to change in any way and will not be televised.
During her coronation in June 1953, Queen Elizabeth II used a canopy to shelter the anointment from public view.
It is not currently known how exactly Charles will be hidden from viewers at this point of the service.
Why is the holy oil important?
The oil for Charles will be based on the same formula used on Queen Elizabeth II and has remained unchanged for centuries.
The Chrism oil - as it is called - has been consecrated in Jerusalem in a special ceremony at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
It was made using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives, at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene - the burial place of Charles' grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece - and the Monastery of the Ascension.
The olives were pressed just outside Bethlehem and perfumed with sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin and amber, according the Royal Family's website.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said the oil "reflects The King’s personal family connection" with Jerusalem and "demonstrates the deep historic link between the coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land."
The coronation route revealed
Details of the anointment come as further plans for the coronation were unveiled, including the procession route and the carriages chosen to play a starring role.
Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, will travel in a shorter procession route than the late Elizabeth II, opting for a much less bumpy ride on their outward journey.
In a break with tradition they will only use the elaborate 260-year-old Gold State Coach one way – on their return.
They have decided to make the 1.3 mile outward journey from Buckingham Palace – known as the King’s Procession – in the more modern Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which has shock absorbers, heating and air conditioning.
The late Queen rode both ways in the Gold State Coach for her 1953 coronation, famously describing the bumpy experience in the carriage, which is suspended on leather straps, as “horrible”.
Charles and Camilla will travel accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, down The Mall via Admiralty Arch, and along the south side of Trafalgar Square.
They will then travel along Whitehall and Parliament Street, around the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary to arrive at the Abbey.
The coronation service on May 6 will begin at 11am.
Queen Elizabeth II's outward procession was 1.6 miles long but her return procession was five miles, taking her down Piccadilly, along Oxford Street and Regent Street and Haymarket.
It took two hours to complete, featured 16,000 participants and was designed to allow her to be seen by as many people as possible.
A newly crowned Charles and Queen Consort will make their way back from Westminster Abbey via the tried and tested route of Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall back to Buckingham Palace.
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