Let the anointing begin!

Ahead of theKing Charles’coronationon May 6, the handcrafted screen used to conceal the anointing (and most sacred) part of the historic ceremony has been unveiled.

“It is an absolute honor to work on the Anointing Screen for the coronation of His Majesty The King,” Anne Butcher, head of studio and standards at the prestigious school tells PEOPLE, adding: “The project is a collaboration of specialists in traditional crafts, from those just starting to learn to others with many years of dedicated experience.”

Coronation anointing screen.Victoria Jones/PA Wire

EMBARGOED TO 2200 BST FRIDAY APRIL 28 The anointing screen which will be used in the coronation of King Charles III, in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London. The most important moment in the coronation is the “unction”, the sacred act of anointing a monarch with holy oil, which can be traced as far back as the 7th and 8th centuries, and signals that the monarch has been chosen by God. It is only seen by the sovereign and the Archbishop of Canterbury and will take place behind the anointing screen. Picture date: Monday April 24, 2023. PA Photo. The screen - which represents the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth - was designed by iconographer Aidan Hart and created using both hand and digital embroidery, managed by the Royal School of Needlework. It has been gifted for the occasion by the City of London Corporation and City Livery Companies. See PA story ROYAL Coronation Screen. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

Featuring the King’s cypher at the base of the tree, each leaf represents one of the 56 countries that form the Commonwealth. The design also incorporates decorative roses, angels and a scroll which includes a quote from Julian of Norwich, a Christian writer of the Middle Ages: ‘All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.’

King Charles

EMBARGOED TO 2200 BST FRIDAY APRIL 28 The anointing screen which will be used in the coronation of King Charles III, in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London. The most important moment in the coronation is the “unction”, the sacred act of anointing a monarch with holy oil, which can be traced as far back as the 7th and 8th centuries, and signals that the monarch has been chosen by God. It is only seen by the sovereign and the Archbishop of Canterbury and will take place behind the anointing screen. Picture date: Monday April 24, 2023. PA Photo. The screen - which represents the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth - was designed by iconographer Aidan Hart and created using both hand and digital embroidery, managed by the Royal School of Needlework. It has been gifted for the occasion by the City of London Corporation and City Livery Companies. See PA story ROYAL Coronation Screen. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

After Charles and Camilla recently visited the Royal School of Needlework, in Hampton Court Palace to meet some of the workers involved in the project, the screen was taken to the Chapel Royal at St James' Palace where it was blessed at a special service, in preparation for the ceremony. “When Their Majesties came to visit our embroidery studio and see the work in progress, it was such a special moment in time and one that I will treasure,” says Butcher.

EMBARGOED TO 2200 BST FRIDAY APRIL 28 The anointing screen which will be used in the coronation of King Charles III, in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London. The most important moment in the coronation is the “unction”, the sacred act of anointing a monarch with holy oil, which can be traced as far back as the 7th and 8th centuries, and signals that the monarch has been chosen by God. It is only seen by the sovereign and the Archbishop of Canterbury and will take place behind the anointing screen. Picture date: Monday April 24, 2023. PA Photo. The screen - which represents the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth - was designed by iconographer Aidan Hart and created using both hand and digital embroidery, managed by the Royal School of Needlework. It has been gifted for the occasion by the City of London Corporation and City Livery Companies. See PA story ROYAL Coronation Screen. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

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Aidan Hart, a liturgical artist and the designer of the handcrafted screen says he was delighted to be asked to work on such an important piece. “Each and every element of the design has been specifically chosen to symbolize aspects of this historic coronation and the Commonwealth, from the birds that symbolize the joy and interaction among members of a community living in harmony to the rejoicing of angels and the dove that represents the Holy Spirit.”

The ceremony which will be held at Westminster Abbey, as it has been for the last 900 years will see Camilla crowned alongside Charles, just asQueen Elizabeth, known as the Queen Mother was coronated alongside King George VI in 1937.

source: people.com