As happened for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in One thousand, nine-hundred and fifty-three and for prior coronations, His Majesty requested that a process be established to consider claims from individuals and organisations who believed they had an entitlement to perform a certain customary service related to the Coronation. Historically, these claims were considered by a Court of Claims overseen by legal officers. However, for this Coronation, by agreement of the Royal Household and His Majesty’s Government, the Cabinet Office established instead a Coronation Claims Office to consider claims administratively and assist the Royal Household in settling the arrangements for the Coronation.
The Cabinet Office announced on Thursday the fifth of January Two thousand and twenty-three that a Coronation Claims Office would consider applications for claims in respect of the Coronation ceremony.
The Coronation Claims Office invited, processed and considered claims from individuals and organisations. When considering claims, the responsibility of the Office was to establish two matters: first, whether the service in question had customarily been performed at previous coronations by a particular office-holder, or by the descendant of a particular family, or by the holding of a tenure in grand serjeanty; and second, whether the person submitting the claim had established that they were the relevant office-holder, or descendant of the family, or the holder of a tenure in grand serjeanty, and therefore were the appropriate person to perform the service. Those claims where the Office concluded that an entitlement to perform a service had been established were then submitted to the Royal Household and the Earl Marshal for consideration as to whether and how the service in question should be performed on the day of the Coronation.
The Office was staffed by members of the Cabinet Office, and was overseen by The Right Honourable Oliver Dowden CBE MP as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the Minister with oversight of the planning and delivery of the Coronation on behalf of the Prime Minister. When considering claims, the Office enlisted the support of Garter Principal King of Arms David White, as a ceremonial expert, the Archbishop’s Coronation Planning Director at Lambeth Palace Danny Johnson, as an ecclesiastical expert, and two barristers, Andrew O’Connor KC and Catherine Dobson.
The Coronation Claims Office received a total of four hundred and twenty-nine claims. Claims that related to performing a specific role at the Westminster Abbey service were considered as within the scope of the Coronation Claims Office. Claims related to performing a role at the Westminster Hall Banquet or the foot procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey were considered as outside the scope of the Office, as the banquet and procession have not been part of the Coronation since One thousand eight hundred and twenty-one. Applications simply to attend the ceremony or for other elements of the events taking place on the weekend of the Coronation were also considered out of scope. Therefore an initial sift was carried out to identify claims which required further consideration by the Coronation Claims Office.
Of the claims judged to be within scope, thirty-two required further consideration by the Coronation Claims Office. Fourteen of these claims had established an entitlement to perform the service claimed, such that they should be submitted to the Royal Household and the Earl Marshal to consider whether and how such service should be performed on the day of the Coronation. Eleven of these were performed in the ceremony. These were:
- Dean of the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster
To hold the ceremony and to instruct the monarch in the forms, rites and ceremonies. - Antonia Romeo, Clerk of the Crown in Chancery and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice
To record the proceedings as Clerk of the Crown and to have five yards of cloth. - The Earl of Erroll
To have a silver baton or staff as Lord High Constable of Scotland and have a place in The King’s Procession into Westminster Abbey. - The Lord Carrington
To have the duties of Lord Great Chamberlain. - The Lord Hastings
To bear a Golden Spur in The King’s Procession into Westminster Abbey. - The Earl of Loudoun
To bear a Golden Spur in The King’s Procession into Westminster Abbey. - The Right Reverend Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham
To act as Bishop Assistant to His Majesty The King during the Coronation service. - The City of London
For the Lord Mayor to attend the King within Westminster Abbey during the Coronation, and bear the Crystal Mace in The King’s Procession into Westminster Abbey. - The Earl of Dundee
To carry the Standard of Scotland in The King’s Procession into Westminster Abbey. - The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms & The Heralds and Pursuivants of Scotland
To attend the Coronation, and accorded the usual place in the ceremonies and The King’s Procession. - The Right Reverend Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells
To act as Bishop Assistant to His Majesty The King during the Coronation service.
The other three claims, that were deemed established and to have been submitted by the appropriate person, were not included in the service. These were:
- Mr Ian Russell MVO, Registrar & Seneschal of the Cinque Ports
For Barons of the Cinque Ports to bear the Canopy of His Majesty, or to perform some service in place of doing so. The Canopy is no longer used in The King’s Procession, but in recognition of the historic role the fourteen Barons were given seats at the service. - The Walker Trust
To be Usher of the White Rod at the ceremony. The White Rod is no longer used in The King’s Procession, but in recognition of the historic role the Walker Trust was invited to nominate one representative to attend the Service. - The Earl of Shrewsbury & Waterford
To carry a white wand if invited to attend as Lord High Steward of Ireland. There was not a Lord High Steward of Ireland in His Majesty’s Coronation Service, therefore The Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford did not participate.