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Adam Houser
Adam Houser coordinates student leaders as National Director of CFACT’s collegians’ program and writes on issues of climate and energy.
Skyrocketing energy prices. A health care system in crisis. A growing budget deficit.
Where shall the people of Great Britain find answers to these existential threats? Never fear, here comes the “Green” King, coronated in all his environmental glory and bringing resolution to the real problems Britons should be worried about: climate change, pollution, and sustainability.
King Charles III was coronated this past Saturday, and to emphasize his passion for the environment and the planet, several Earth-friendly initiatives were pursued related to the ceremony.
As reported by inews.co.uk, “King Charles’s coronation is set to be the most sustainable ever, with cruelty-free holy oil and recycled ceremonial robes.” But it doesn’t stop there.
Let’s go through the “Green” King’s symbolic initiatives briefly.
First, the coronation invitation. Of particular note was the design of the art on the invitation, which is known as the “Green Man.” Some claim the Green Man, an image of a green face made from flowers, leaves, and plants, is from paganism, while some claim it is just a piece of British folklore that has even made appearances in English churches. Regardless, placed largely and prominently, centred at the bottom of the invitation, was this image of the Green Man to emphasize King Charles’ commitment to, and passion for, the environment. Oh, and the card was made from recycled paper, of course.
Next, the cruelty-free holy oil. i.news reports:
“The sacred oil used to anoint the King has been made using cruelty-free ingredients. Previous versions have included civet oil from the glands of the small mammals and ambergris from the intestines of whales.
“Dr George Gross, visiting research fellow in theology at King’s College London and a co-founder of the British Coronations Project with Dr David J Crankshaw, said using cruelty-free anointing oil was a ‘big statement’ and reflected Charles’s ‘animal-friendly sensitivities.’”
Next are the re-used robes. While prior Kings opted to have their robes made anew for their coronations, King Charles has chosen to reuse the robe used by King George VI at his 1937 coronation. Queen Camilla is reusing the Robe of State used by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Peers have been asked to not wear their robes so that there are fewer requests for new materials and new robes to be made.
Now, Britons can rest assured that the Kingdom is in safe hands given the green initiatives pursued by their new Green King.
Yet it may get confusing as to how much time we really have without these actions. Let us not forget the prior comments of then Prince Charles on the environment.
In 2020, Prince Charles said we were “literally in the last hour” in the fight against climate change. In 2019, he said we had 18 months left. In 2015, Charles proclaimed we actually had 35 years to save the planet.
Well, in any case, we better go with “better safe than sorry.” So while Britons wait for their life-saving medical procedure to be scheduled, or spend the majority of their paycheck on heating and fuel, the “Green Man” will be smiling back at them on recycled paper.
