Investiture of Alexandra
![]() The Parliament Complex, where the investiture ceremony was held | |
Date | 1 August 2019 |
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Location | London, United Kingdom |
Participants | Queen Alexandra Great Officers of State British Armed Forces Parliament of the United Kingdom |
The investiture of Alexandra as Queen of the British took place on 1 August 2019 at the Parliament Complex in London, United Kingdom. The first of its kind in British history, it is the first civil ceremony to involve a British monarch following the disestablishment of the Church of England via the passing of the Church of England Act 1998. The ceremony took place roughly two years following Alexandra's ascension to the throne in October 2017 in light of the abdication of her father King Thomas.
Background
Prior to the ceremony, the last coronation for a British monarch to have taken place was in March 1997 for King Thomas which, like its predecessors, was inherently religious and Anglican in nature. However, the passing of the Church of England Act 1998, which formally disestablished the Church of England as a state church, meant that religious coronations are no longer considered feasible or appropriate in the near future.
Beginning in 1999, under the code-name "Operation Evolution", various individuals including government ministers, constitutional lawyers, religious leaders, and representatives of civil service met thrice a year to continuously discuss plans for a civil investiture concerning the next British monarch. Eventually, the abdication of King Thomas in October 2017 made plans for a civil investiture ever more likely as discussions continued until the final date of 1 August 2019 when the ceremony was scheduled to take place.
Event
Procession to Parliament Complex
Beginning at 10:00 am, the ceremony kicked off with a large procession carrying Queen Alexandra from her royal residence of Buckingham Palace to the Parliament Complex, the legislative seat of the United Kingdom. Made up entirely of members of the British Armed Forces, in a break from tradition, the Queen was driven in a white Rolls-Royce Ghost rather than in the usual Gold State Coach which was previously used by British monarchs since King William IV. The official route saw the procession begin by going along The Mall from Buckingham Palace before turning right onto Whitehall and then rightwards around Parliament Square, passing significant buildings such as Westminster Abbey and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom as they did, while a final rightward turn around Broad Sanctuary Green eventually seeing the procession arrive at their intended destination of the Parliament Complex.
Inauguration
Upon arriving at the Parliament Complex, Queen Alexandra was led into the building by a smaller procession made up of leaders of the religious faiths of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism, each of whom carried their respective religious texts in hand. Behind them, a separate procession duly followed and was made up of the governor generals and prime ministers of the eight Commonwealth realms, namely Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, and the West Indies whom each carried the flags of their respective countries. At 10:20 am, Alexandra officially arrived at the doorsteps of the Investiture Hall where, as a sign of their arrival, the doors were knocked on twice by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Ephraim Mirvis. Then, as the doors were opened, the present guests unanimously proclaimed "The Queen has arrived", once again signaling her arrival.
As the religious leaders promptly took their positions on the side of the aisle, Alexandra, donning a white evening gown underneath the Imperial Mantle, walked down the aisle until she was then received by the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom The Baroness Hale of Richmond. After a brief formal exchange of pleasantries, Alexandra proceeded to take a few steps back before coming to rest on a chair where she was delivered by hand a well-preserved copy of the Magna Carta by the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom The Lord Reed of Allermuir, a gesture intended to emphasise the United Kingdom's long constitutional history that began with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 by King John of the House of Plantagenet. Following this, The Baroness Hale of Richmond subsequently delivered a speech on the evolution of the monarchy from an absolute role to a ceremonial one and the corresponding development of representative democracy in the nation.
Following the end of the speech, Alexandra swiftly handed the Magna Carta copy back before once again coming face-to-face with The Baroness Hale of Richmond who then swiftly placed the installation oath on a golden podium. With one hand raised, Alexandra proceeded to read the installation oath which went as follows:
On this fateful day and in front of the many esteemed guests here, I, Alexandra Katharine Charles Nicole Lauren Elizabeth Thomas, duly accept my role as Queen of the British and of the People of other Commonwealth realms in which, from the beginning until the end of my service as the ceremonial head of the nation, I hereby swear to faithfully uphold the principles of the rule of law, representative democracy, the separation of powers, as well as ethnic, linguistic, racial, and religious inclusiveness of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Hanover, and Northern Ireland. It is also on this occasion that I duly acknowledge the continued existence of my role as Queen as based upon the support of the government and the people, from whom I humbly ask for their unwavering loyalty and support in exchange for my faithful devotion to my role as the head of state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Hanover, and Northern Ireland, a glorious nation that could never fully stand on its own without either the Crown or the people.
Upon concluding the installation oath, during which she also swore to "uphold the cultural and religious diversity of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Hanover, and Northern Ireland" in response to a unanimous question from the religious leaders present, the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom were swiftly delivered into the Investiture Hall and presented in front of the Queen who proceeded to gently place St Edward's Crown onto her own head as she then officially signed the installation oath in which her signature was subsequently followed by those of the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Lord Chancellor. Following this, while holding the sword of state in one hand and a sceptre in the other, Alexandra turned to face the crowd behind her and subsequently stood still for a few minutes long as the United Kingdom's national anthem "Onwards, Britannia!" was played after which she placed both the sword and the sceptre back while otherwise retaining St Edward's Crown on her head as she slowly exited the Investiture Hall afterward, followed by the previous procession that had led her inside.
Procession to Buckingham Palace
Upon the ceremony's conclusion, Queen Alexandra was driven once again in the white Rolls-Royce Ghost surrounded by a large procession that followed a similar route as the first but in reverse, passing by the nearby One Great George Street building and going around St James's Park before arriving back at Buckingham Palace via The Mall at approximately 11:05 am.
At 11:20 am, Alexandra subsequently stood on the rear balcony of Buckingham Palace where she received a royal salute and three cheers from members of the British Armed Forces gathered in Buckingham Palace Garden. Following this, in the presence of her family members, Alexandra then stood on the front balcony to review a royal flypast by the Royal Air Force whose Red Arrows aerobatic team notably took part in the occasion.
Guests
Much like previous coronations, the event similarly saw the attendance of various guests from both inside the United Kingdom and abroad. Among the guests included:
Domestic Guests
British royal family
- The Duke and Duchess of Hanover the Queen's father and mother
- Prince Richard the Queen's brother
- Princess Nicole the Queen's sister
- Princess Elle the Queen's sister
- Princess Vivian the Queen's sister
- Prince Nelson and Claudia Schiffer the Queen's paternal uncle and his wife
- Lady Hannah Schiffer the Queen's first cousin
- Lady Estelle Schiffer the Queen's first cousin
- Lady Katharine Schiffer the Queen's first cousin
- Catherine, Princess Royal and Dame Jodie Foster the Queen's paternal aunt and her wife
- The Duke and Duchess of Westminster the Queen's first cousin and her husband
- Kate Rodman the Queen's first cousin
- Charles Bernard Foster the Queen's step-cousin
- Kit Bernard Foster the Queen's step-cousin
- Sir William Smith and Anne Hathaway the Queen's half-brother and his wife
- William Hathaway-Smith the Queen's nephew
- Anne Hathaway-Smith the Queen's niece
- Michelle Hathaway-Smith the Queen's niece
- John Hathaway-Smith the Queen's nephew
- Dame Jacqueline Smith and Henry Cavill the Queen's half-sister and her husband
- Thomas Cavill the Queen's nephew
- Elizabeth Cavill the Queen's niece
- Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia and Sir Desmond de Silva the Queen's first cousin once removed and her husband
- Victoria Margarita the Queen's second cousin
- Bernhard, Margrave of Baden and Stephanie Kaul the Queen's first cousin once removed and his wife
- Leopold Bernhard the Queen's second cousin
- Friedrich Bernhard the Queen's second cousin
- Karl-Wilhelm Bernhard the Queen's second cousin
Non-royals
- Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron and Samantha Cameron
- Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Chancellor of the Exchequer David Gauke and Rachel Gauke
- Home Secretary Victoria Atkins and Paul Kenward
- Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Susan Williams-Walker
- Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor Amber Rudd
- First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell
- First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford and Clare Buckle
- Minister-President of Hanover Mark Heffelfinger and Sara Heffelfinger
Celebrities
- Christian Bale and Sibi Blazic
- Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz
- Sir Anthony Hopkins and Stella Arroyave
- Sir Elton John and David Furnish
- Hugh Grant and Anna Eberstein
- Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre
- Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher
- Gary Oldman and Gisele Schmidt
- Ian Wright and Nancy Hallam
- Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay
- Sir Wayne Rooney and Coleen Rooney
- Sir Frank Lampard and Christine Lampard
- Sir Steven Gerrard and Alex Curran
- Sir David Beckham and Victoria Beckham
- Sir Michael Jagger and Melanie Hamrick
- Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy
- Rowan Atkinson and Louise Ford
- Sir Bobby Charlton and Norma Ball
- Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell
- Sir Alex Ferguson and Cathy Ferguson
- Sir Sean Connery and Micheline Roquebrune
- Sir Geoff Hurst and Judith Hurst
- Sir Michael Gambon and Anne Miller
- Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley
- Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn
- Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter
- Richard Curtis and Emma Freud
- Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas
- John Oliver and Kate Norley
- Eric Clapton and Melia McEnery
- James Corden and Julia Carey
- Sting and Trudie Styler
- Sir Brian May and Anita Dobson
- Sir Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster
- Sir David Attenborough
- Sir Ian McKellen
- Liam Neeson
- Seal
- Dame Emma Thompson and Greg Wise
- Dame Judi Dench and David Mills
- Dame Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford
- Keira Knightley and James Righton
- Thandiwe Newton and Ol Parker
- Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman
- Kate Winslet and Edward Smith
- Emily Blunt and John Krasinski
- Helena Bonham Carter and Rye Holmboe
- Rosamund Pike and Robie Uniacke
- Tilda Swinton and Sandro Kopp
- Cara Delevingne and Poppy Delevingne
- Naomi Campbell and Flavio Briatore
- Kate Moss and Count Nikolai von Bismarck
- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Aga Khan IV
- Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling
- Mel B and Rory McPhee
- Melanie C and Joe Marshall
- Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner
- Emma Bunton and Jade Jones
- Kelly Smith and DeAnna Dobosz
- Adele and Simon Konecki
- Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
- Emma Watson
- Dua Lipa
- Jessie J
- Dame Maggie Smith
- Alex Scott
Foreign Guests
Non-royalty
President Michael D. Higgins and Sabina Higgins
President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Elke Büdenbender
President Sauli Niinistö and Jenni Haukio
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Svetlana Medvedeva
Vice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Tshepo Motsepe
President Mokgweetsi Masisi and Neo Masisi
President Danny Faure and Shermin Rudie Faure
President Reuven Rivlin
President Mahmoud Abbas and Amina Abbas
President Ram Nath Kovind and Savita Kovind
President Arif Alvi and Samina Alvi
Premier Li Keqiang and Cheng Hong
President Halimah Yacob and Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee
Vice President Hamilton Mourão and Paula Mourão
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Emine Erdoğan
President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and Eliza Reid
President Matar Matar and Amal Habib
President Joko Widodo and Iriana
President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jung-sook
Royalty
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway
The Crown Princess of Sweden and The Duke of Västergötland
The King and Queen of Spain
The King and Queen of Portugal
The Prince and Princess of Monaco
The Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein
The King and Queen of Italy
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Greece
The Crown Princess of Romania and The Crown Prince of Yugoslavia (husband)
The King and Queen of Hungary
The Prince and Princess of Preslav
The King and Queen of Libya
The King of Morocco
The King and Queen of Jordan
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Kuwait
The Emir and Consort of Qatar
The Emir and Consort of Dubai
The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom
The King and Queen of Malaysia
The Princess Royal of Thailand
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Brunei
The Empress and Prince Consort of Japan
The King and Queen of Bhutan
The King of Cambodia
Celebrities
- Linda Evangelista and Kyle MacLachlan
- Shania Twain and Frédéric Thiébaud
- Celine Dion
- Katheryn Winnick
- Jaclyn Smith and Brad Allen
- Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber
- Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg
- John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
- Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver
- Bobby Shriver and Princess Caroline of Monaco
- Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt
- Serena Williams and Venus Williams
- Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf
- Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow
- Angelina Jolie and Jenny Shimizu
- Miranda Kerr and Stella Maxwell
- Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
- Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
- Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth
- Alexis Bledel and Vincent Kartheiser
- Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Baldwin
- Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber
- Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra
- Alex Morgan and Servando Carrasco
- Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
- Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
- Denzel Washington and Pauletta Pearson
- Eddie Murphy and Tracy Edmonds
- Wesley Snipes and Nakyung Park
- Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
- Jack Black and Tanya Haden
- Julia Roberts and Daniel Moder
- Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund
- Taylor Swift
- Halle Berry
- George Clooney and Amal Clooney
- Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
- Billy Joel and Alexis Roderick
- Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied
- Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall
- Paula Abdul
- Gillian Anderson
- Adriana Lima and Lenny Kravitz
- Alessandra Ambrosio and Jamie Mazur
- Caitríona Balfe and Anthony McGill
- Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden
- Shakira and Gerard Piqué
- Benicio del Toro
- Antonio Banderas
- Léa Seydoux and André Meyer
- Mélanie Laurent
- Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet
- Gérald Marie and Laetitia Casta
- Zinedine Zidane and Véronique Fernandez
- Thierry Henry and Andrea Rajačić
- Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander
- Christoph Waltz and Judith Holste
- Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz
- Rebecca Ferguson and Rory St. Clair Gainer
- Monica Bellucci
- Maria Sharapova and Alexander Gilkes
- Olga Kurylenko
- Eva Herzigová
- Malala Yousafzai
- Bar Refaeli and Bernie Ecclestone
- Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan
- Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan
- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan
- Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh
- Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas
- A. R. Rahman and Saira Banu
- Ken Watanabe
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Jackie Chan and Joan Lin
- Ming Xi and Mario Ho
- Dato' Sri Hajah Siti Nurhaliza and Dato' Sri Haji Khalid Mohamad Jiwa
- Dato' Sri Michelle Yeoh and Jean Todt
- Ronny Chieng and Hannah Pham
- Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
- Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley