King Charles break coronation tradition: Monarch to be anointed with animal cruelty-free oil

London, March 4

The oil which will be used to anoint King Charles III during his coronation on May 6 will not include any ingredients from animals, the media reported on Saturday.

The "chrism oil" for the coronation was consecrated on Friday by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where it is believed Jesus Christ died and was buried, reports the BBC.

This was carried out in one of the city's holiest Christian sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Previous versions have included civet oil, from the glands of small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales.

There had been concerns about animal cruelty and the need to protect wildlife and the latest formula for the holy oil for King Charles's coronation will be animal free.

The new oil includes olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, and benzoin, with orange blossom also added.

It also has a royal family significance, partly using olives grown on the Mount of Olives at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene, which is where the King's grandmother, Princess Alice, is buried.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, welcomed the use of oil from the Mount of Olives, a site outside Jerusalem with many biblical connections, the BBC reported.

"This demonstrates the deep historic link between the coronation, the Bible, and the Holy Land," said the archbishop.

"From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place."

King Charles III's coronation will take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London.

During the ceremony, the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.

--IANS