King Charles pays touching tribute to father Philip at coronation UK News
The King will pay tribute to his father with a very significant musical choice at his coronation on Saturday.
The Greek Choir will sing a psalm during the service in memory of Prince Philip, who was born Prince of Greece and Denmark in 1921 on the island of Corfu.
Lambeth Palace said the psalm was commissioned to pay tribute to the King’s late father, who died two years ago this month aged 99.
At just 18 months old, Philip and his family were exiled from Greece after his uncle King Constantine I was overthrown in a military coup.
During a visit to Athens in 2021, just two weeks before Philip’s death, Charles said Greece had “held that special place in my heart for a long time”.
Regarding the decision to invite the choir to perform the psalm during the coronation liturgy, a spokesman for Lambeth Palace said: “This moment has been specially commissioned to reflect His Majesty’s paternal legacy.
“His late Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was born a Prince of Greece, and as such the Greek Choir was invited to perform in a service so deeply reminiscent of His Majesty’s late mother Queen Elizabeth II of the influence of his father and his dedicated service to the late Queen, his family, the UK, the kingdoms and the Commonwealth.”
Psalm 71 is sung by the choir during the “changing of swords” at the investiture. The words are printed in both Greek and English.
Britain’s longest-serving consort, Philip has often been praised for his no-nonsense approach to royal duties.
Queen Elizabeth II described him as her “strength and steadiness” and said he left a “huge void” when he died on April 9, 2021.
Last February, Charles was the only member of the royal family to visit his father during a four-day visit to the hospital.
Earlier this year, the King’s brother Prince Edward was bestowed the title of Duke of Edinburgh to celebrate his 59th birthday, for only the fourth time since it was created nearly 300 years ago.
Coronation of King Charles III. At latest
The historic coronation of Her Majesties King Charles III. and Queen Camilla takes place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023.
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