In an experiment conducted in the US, my colleagues and I showed people videos of basketball players shooting free throws, freezing each frame and asking them to predict which shots would hit their target. And even if they don't realise it, adults have similar inklings. For instance, small children seem to think that birthday parties may be the cause of growing older. Studies show that ritual actions can activate deep-seated intuitions about causality in people's minds. Yet, the pomp and pageantry of the Coronation has another important role to play. As heir apparent, King Charles III's accession to the throne occurred automatically the moment Queen Elizabeth II died, on 8 September 2022. In fact, Edward VIII reigned as sovereign without ever being crowned. What is more, a coronation is not even necessary to become king. After all, King Charles may have dominion over all swans, dolphins, whales and sturgeons in the UK's waters but he will wield little political power beyond a largely ceremonial role.
The scale of this undertaking might seem exuberant. Events include colourful parades, public concerts, spectacular light shows, and thousands of street parties across the UK and the Commonwealth. The festivities will last all weekend – and a long weekend at that, as Monday has been proclaimed a public holiday nationwide. They will be escorted by thousands of troops from all branches of the armed forces, making up the largest military display in three generations. Once crowned, the royal couple will return to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, a carriage so loaded with gold that it needs eight horses to pull it. The whole event will be broadcast around the world, with hundreds of millions of people expected to tune in.
Shrouded in spectacle and adorned with priceless regalia, the ceremony will be officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey and attended by a host of foreign royals and heads of state. On 6 May, 2023, one of the most spectacular rituals in the world will take place: the Coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort.
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