The oil that is to be used to anoint HM King Charles III during his coronation was blessed and made sacred in Jerusalem on Friday, reflecting the monarch’s close links to the Holy Land, according to Buckingham Palace.
In a ceremony taking place in The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, His Beatitude Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the city’s Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum consecrated the Chrism oil.
The fragrant oil was created using olives harvested from the Monastery of Mary Magdalene and the Monastery of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives, where Charles’ grandmother Prince Alice of Greece is buried.
In a formula that dates back hundreds of years and based on the oil used at the coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, it has been infused with sesame, orange blossom, rose, neroli, jasmine, amber, and benzoin.
In what is considered the most sacred part of the ceremony, the oil will be used to anoint His Majesty and his wife Camilla when they are crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will conduct the service, said: “I’m honoured and grateful that the Chrism oil that will be used to anoint His Majesty The King was consecrated in Jerusalem today by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III and the Anglican Archbishop.
“I want to thank His Beatitude for providing the Coronation Oil from the Mount of Olives, which reflects The King’s personal family connection with the Holy Land and his great care for its peoples.
“I’m also delighted that the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, the Most Revd Hosam Naoum, shared in the consecration at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
“The consecration of oil from the Mount of Olives at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre demonstrates the deep historic links between the Coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land.”
At The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Chrism oil which will be used to anoint The King at the Coronation in May has been consecrated by The Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 3, 2023
[1/3] pic.twitter.com/oKn88FpEdh
As is tradition during the ceremony, the holy oil will be poured from an amplulla onto the Coronation Spoon, which will then be used to anoint the hands, breast, and head.
At JW3, the Jewish Arts, Culture and Community Centre in London, the UK’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis last week paid tribute to Archbishop Justin Welby, calling him one of UK Jewry’s “greatest friends”.
"In the Archbishop of Canterbury we have one of our greatest friends."
— Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) March 2, 2023
The Chief Rabbi paid tribute to @JustinWelby's friendship to the Jewish community and to Judaism at the Yoni Jesner Conversations event at @JW3London. pic.twitter.com/M0aBQvJMAh
HM King Charles himself visited JW3 in December, where he learned more about the centre’s efforts and met with Holocaust survivors.
