Enthronement - WikiHQ

thumb|[[Enthronement of the Japanese emperor Naruhito (2019).]]

An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. Enthronements may also feature as part of a larger coronation rite.

In a general sense, an enthronement may also refer to a ceremony marking a monarch's accession, generally distinguished from a coronation as no crown or other regalia is physically bestowed upon the one being enthroned, although regalia may be present at the ceremony.

Enthronements occur in both church and state settings, since the throne is seen as a symbol of authority, both secular and spiritual.

Religious ceremonies

State ceremonies

Previously, most inaugural ceremonies marking the accession of a monarch took the form of a coronation rite, wherein the ruler was consecrated, physically crowned, and invested with other items of regalia.

Now that coronations are no longer being practiced in most monarchies (most nations require only that their monarchs take an oath upon accession), the term enthronement may be used by some to describe ceremonies surrounding the monarch's accession, including their oath-taking, since the "throne" (physical or symbolic) of the monarch remains.

While no Norwegian monarch has been crowned in nearly a century, Olav V instituted a "consecration" ceremony, wherein he received the church's blessing, to inaugurate his reign. This practice was also followed by his son Harald V. The formal inauguration ceremony of monarchs of Japan, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands take on many different forms and are also known as "enthronements" in a broader sense. However, the term "coronation" is still sometimes used to describe these ceremonies, even though they are not coronations in the truest sense of the word.

Belgium

thumb|right|The heraldic Belgian crown, symbolically resting on the constitution on a statue of [[Leopold I of Belgium|Leopold I.]]

Belgium has no physical crown (except as a heraldic emblem); the formal installation of a Belgian monarch requires only a solemn oath be taken on the constitution in the parliament, symbolic of the limited power allowed to the king under the 1831 Constitution. During the enthronement of King Albert II, a member of the Chamber of Representatives, Jean-Pierre Van Rossem, shouted out "Long live the Republic of Europe!", only to be shouted down by the others, who cried "Vive le Roi!". A similar protest had occurred during the 1950 enthronement of King Baudouin.

Japan

The Emperor of Japan attends an enthronement ceremony soon after his accession; the last such ritual was held in 2019 for Emperor Naruhito. The Imperial Regalia consist of a sword, known as Kusanagi, a jewel, known as Yasakani no magatama, and a mirror, called Yata no Kagami. From Emperor Shōmu in the 8th century to Emperor Kōmei, the benkan, influenced by the Chinese mianguan, was used in the enthronement ceremonies of Japanese emperors. From Emperor Meiji to the present, the more Japanese style has been used in enthronement ceremonies.

This ancient rite was held in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, until 1990 when the enthronement ceremony for Emperor Akihito took place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The ceremony is not public, and the regalia are generally seen only by the emperor himself and a few Shinto priests. However, an account in Time from the enthronement of Akihito's father Hirohito in 1928 reveals a few details. First is a three-hour ceremony in which the emperor ritually informed his ancestors that he had assumed the throne. This was followed by the enthronement itself, which took place in an enclosure called the Takamikura, which contained a great square pedestal upholding three octagonal pedestals topped by a simple chair. This was surrounded by an octagonal pavilion with curtains, surmounted by a great golden phoenix.

The new emperor proceeded to the chair, where after being seated, the Kusanagi and Yasakani no magatama were placed on stands next to him. A simple shaku (a flat wooden baton or sceptre) was presented to the monarch, who faced his Prime Minister standing in an adjacent courtyard, representing the Japanese people. The emperor offered an address announcing his accession to the throne, calling upon his subjects to single-mindedly assist him in attaining all of his aspirations. The Prime Minister replied with an address promising fidelity and devotion, followed by three shouts of "Banzai" from all of those present. The timing of this last event was synchronized, so that Japanese around the world could join in the "Banzai" shout at precisely the moment that it was being offered in Kyoto.

Spain

No monarch of Spain has been physically crowned since John I of Castile and Ferdinand I of Aragon. Instead, the new monarch appears at the Cortes, where he or she takes a formal oath to uphold the Constitution. Although the crown is visibly present at the ceremony, it is never actually placed on the monarch's head. Five days after his visit to the Cortes, Spanish King Juan Carlos I attended an "Enthronement Mass" at the Church of San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid. Accompanied by his wife Sofia, he was escorted beneath a canopy to a set of thrones set up near the high altar. Following the service, the King and queen returned to the palace, where they greeted the people from the balcony, reviewed troops, and attended a formal banquet.

Historically, Castilian coronations were performed at Toledo, or in the Church of St Jerome at Madrid, with the king being anointed by the archbishop of Toledo. The monarch assumed the royal sword, sceptre, crown of gold and the apple of gold, after receiving his anointing.

Sweden

In Sweden, no monarch has been crowned since Oscar II in 1873. Kings Carl XVI Gustaf and Gustaf VI Adolf have instead just been enthroned in a simple ceremony in Rikssalen at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on 19 September 1973 and 30 October 1950 respectively. The regalia were displayed on cushions to the right and left of the royal Silver Throne, but were never worn by the King, who made an accession speech, which was the main purpose of the undertaking.

Notes

References

Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. OCLC 194887