I've had a question from an old friend (hello, Richard!) asking if the King isn't the host at the coronation, then who is? I think it's an excellent point. Clearly the King is supposed to be the hero at his own coronation - that's what the day is all about. Everyone else is there to honour, pay respect, show obedience and generally kow-tow. However, the King is also the host (along with his team, the Archbishop of Canterbury, thousands of people at the cathedral and along the way) who makes sure everything goes smoothly, welcomes the people, makes sure everyone is safe and helps all know what to do and when. The point of the piece is that showing up last is a surprisingly poor choice for engaging leadership. In this case, of course., the King doesn't have a choice.
I've had a question from an old friend (hello, Richard!) asking if the King isn't the host at the coronation, then who is? I think it's an excellent point. Clearly the King is supposed to be the hero at his own coronation - that's what the day is all about. Everyone else is there to honour, pay respect, show obedience and generally kow-tow. However, the King is also the host (along with his team, the Archbishop of Canterbury, thousands of people at the cathedral and along the way) who makes sure everything goes smoothly, welcomes the people, makes sure everyone is safe and helps all know what to do and when. The point of the piece is that showing up last is a surprisingly poor choice for engaging leadership. In this case, of course., the King doesn't have a choice.