Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, died at Balmoral on the 8th of September, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome together with Christ Embassy Church joins the world to mourn the loss of the gracious Queen. Nigeria is a member of the commonwealth because it was previously ruled by Great Britain. The country became a British colony in 1914 and gained independence 45 years later, in 1960. Nigeria joined the commonwealth after gaining independence.
Queen Elizabeth II was a committed Christian who often spoke about her faith. She recently said: “Jesus’ teachings have been the bedrock of my faith”, she said recently and spoke often of her faith.
In 2016, the Queen said: “Billions of people now follow Jesus’ teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them.”
The Crowning of a New King
At the time of her passing, the throne passed immediately and without ceremony to the heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales, to be crowned King Charles III. Charles’ wife Camilla is officially known as Queen Consort, consort being the term used for the spouse of the monarch.
The symbolic high point of the accession will be the coronation when Charles is formally crowned. Because of the preparation needed, the coronation is not likely to happen very soon after Charles’s accession and is looking likely for 2023. Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in February 1952 but was not crowned until June 1953. For the past 900 years, the coronation has been held in Westminster Abbey – William the Conqueror was the first monarch to be crowned there, and Charles will be the 40th. It is an Anglican religious service, carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
At the climax of the ceremony, he will place St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head – a solid gold crown, dating from 1661. This is the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London and is only worn by the monarch at the moment of the coronation itself (not least because it weighs a hefty 2.23kg).
The coronation is a state occasion, paid for by the government. During this elaborate ceremony, Charles will receive the orb and scepter as symbols of his new role and the Archbishop of Canterbury will place the solid gold crown on his head.
Members of the Commonwealth
Charles has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. For 14 of these countries, as well as the UK, the King is head of state.
Members are bound together not by any formal or legal obligation but by common customs, institutions, and experiences, as well as material gain.
Historically held by the British Crown, the role of Head of the Commonwealth is primarily symbolic. Heads of Government decide on who will succeed them in office.
A secretary-general oversees the Commonwealth Secretariat, managing and organizing Commonwealth operations and fostering friendly relations among member states. In this case, the Board of Governors consists of the high commissioners of the member states of the United Kingdom, who are accountable to the Secretariat.