Random Reflections on the Coronation

 

1. Words cannot express how much I loathe Walton's Crown Imperial, not especially for the music itself but for the triumphal imperialism it reflects and represents.

2. Floella Benjamin has come a long way since Playschool.

3. Blush pink is obviously 'in' this season.

4 On which topic, Mme Macron knows how to dress. 

5 Cherie Blair does not. (but then she never did) 

5 Nor do the daughters of Sarah Ferguson

6 Clare Balding has an unhealthily wide knowledge of the names and habits  of ceremonial horses.

7 Street liners is an unfortunate term

8 Bryn Terfel can still sing, plenty of younger baritones would envy his ability still  to float quiet notes through the Abbey

9 Amazing how retentive the memory can be for some things; as a teenage choir girl at my local church we sang both Zadok the Priest and I was Glad and I can still sing bits of them, and recite all the words. 

10 It would have been a good day for a foreign power to invade ( as long as they didn't start with London) as a huge proportion of the country's armed forces appeared to be got up in fancy dress and be poncing about the capital.

11 The most enjoyable bit of the whole thing was the OH's insistence on adding 'third of his name' every time they mentioned King Charles. 

In view of the above, the question 'why did I watch?' is a reasonable one. Three reasons, two of them being the same as the reasons I watch royal weddings;  the frocks and the music. And then curiosity. I may get to see another coronation but then again I may not, so I took the opportunity to watch this one. I didn't expect to be quite as revolted by the whole archaic and bonkers display as I was.