Coronation Duck (not Chicken)
Our ducks are super excited for the Coronation of King Charles III. Not only do we have our best teapot and cups all set out for the occasion, we've got finger sandwiches at the ready – plus our very own limited edition Coronation Duck to keep us company. Created in honour of our new nature loving king, our Coronation Duckling sold out in record time, but hey don't worry. We'll soon be offering you a chance to win your own character for FREE. Stay tuned to our DCUK social media channels over the May 2023 coronation weekend to get involved.
In the meantime, we've done some historical digging (okay, Googling) and unearthed some pretty strange traditions when it came to coronating a new King or Queen in the past. Here's a quick selection of what we found...
Coronation Chicken
Did you know Coronation Chicken was made to feed foreign guests after the Queen’s coronation by the heads of the Cordon Bleu cookery school? They were joined by acclaimed food writer and florist Constance Spry, and chef Rosemary Hume.
Their brief was that the food had to be prepared in advance and (according to Buckingham Palace) they proposed a recipe of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce with a well-seasoned dressed salad of rice, green peas and mixed herbs. Yum.
Coronation Claims
A Coronation Claims Office was created to consider claims from the public to perform a historic or ceremonial role in the coronation. But even cooler, people with an ancestor who played a part in a previous ceremony could apply to do a similar role at the King's coronation - so get your family trees out!
Thirteen individuals and organisations were selected for roles, including carrying the regalia that will also be used during the King's coronation.
Coronation Meat
Back in the day, extra rations of beef were distributed to workhouses and prisons for Queen Victoria's coronation. Plus, for George VI's coronation in 1937 was marked with a special welfare payment to the unemployed.
This wasn’t the case for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 - and unfortunately, there's been no talk of anything like this for our new King’s coronation here in 2023!
Coronation Anointing
The most sacred part of the ceremony, is the anointing. This involves the archbishop anointing the monarch on the hands, chest and head with a very special oil. The oil contains sesame seed and olive oil, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, amber and orange blossom.
It's been changed slightly this year over the new King's concern for animal welfare - and the new recipe is cruelty free which we are VERY happy about!
Whether you're a Royalist or not, we hope you have a wonderful Coronation Bank Holiday weekend, spending time with family and friends. And, if you're on your own, hopefully you can enjoy the weekend at our own pace. Plus, we're with you in spirit.
After all, you've already got great taste in brands - so we know you'll be great company. Take care and see you soon.