Charles III, the 'green king' crowned as monarch of the United Kingdom

Charles III will be officially crowned Saturday as the king of England. Not only will he be the monarch of the United Kingdom, but his coronation officially names him as sovereign of the Commonwealth. That is, in addition to the United Kingdom, Charles III is now monarch of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Northern Ireland, Solomon Islands, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Tuvalu.

The 74-year-old sovereign was born on Nov. 14, 1948 at Buckingham Palace. From his youth, he was always a man characterized by manifesting his ideals, often contrary to those expected of British royalty. This earned him a few enemies along the way, but the monarch did not care.

The environmentalist side of Charles III

An example of his strong ideals is the reason he is referred to as the “green king.” His strong ecological and climate stances are well known. In fact, the crucible oil with which he will be anointed in a few hours is vegan per the monarch’s request.

Charles III is also the proud owner of a biofuel vehicle and, as reported by British media such as The Independent, has tried eating less meat and dairy to aid the environment: "For years now, I have not eaten meat or fish two days a week, and I eat dairy products one day a week," the then Prince of Wales told the BBC in 2021.

In addition, the new king of England is the founder of Duchy Originals. Created in 1990, the company produces organic products and invests the profits it obtains in financing other ecological projects.

He is also known for his sustainable side with respect to the clothes he wears on a daily basis. It is well known that he repairs his own clothes when they wear out and also that he has decided to reuse garments from other monarchs during his coronation.

Thus, Charles III will wear the Colobium Sindonis (a white tunic worn after the coronation), the Coronation Sword Belt and the white Coronation Glove worn by his grandfather George VI on May 12, 1937. The decision, as reported by Buckingham Palace, was taken by the sovereign in the interest of "sustainability and efficiency."

A more modern ceremony

Charles III will not only reuse his robes and will be coronated with a vegan oil. He has included some other changes that also show his environmentalist side. First of all, of the 2,200 guests who will attend Westminster Abbey, aproximately 850 will be representatives of the community and various NGOs. An example of this is the American John Kerry. He will join First Lady Jill Biden as Special Presidential Climate Envoy.

In addition, women, ethnic minorities and some leaders of non-Christian religions will have a role in the ceremony. These were acts that used to be performed by the nobles, many of whom did not receive their invitation to the coronation.

These will not be the only changes. As reported by the BBC, given the capacity of the abbey, those who have been honored by the monarchy for their work for society will be seated first, and even the rite of the oath will be modified. This will include the Anglican Church's pledge to "foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs can live freely."

The music will also be updated and will include a gospel and a Welsh-language song, two types of musical compositions that, until now, have never before been heard at an event such as the coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla.