Kings, queens, emperors and chiefs have been crowned, enthroned and anointed in ceremonies that are among the oldest in the world.
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Kings, queens, emperors and chiefs have been crowned, enthroned and anointed in ceremonies that are among the oldest in the world. Some are very ancient and still performed, such as the English coronation in Westminster Abbey, the Japanese enthronement and the Ashanti stool rites. Others are the royal weddings, jubilees and funerals that draw crowds and cameras. The ceremonies use crowns, thrones, oaths, oils, regalia, processions and music to show that authority is conferred by a people, a faith or a tradition. Here is how royalty is celebrated in many places, from palaces to village stools, and what the rites mean to those who keep them.
A coronation turns a person into a ruler in the sight of the people and, in many traditions, of God or the ancestors. It sets out the duties of the ruler, often through an oath, and the loyalty of the subjects. The ceremony also displays continuity, linking each ruler to those before, with objects and words that may be centuries old. In constitutional monarchies the rite is symbolic but still carries deep meaning, while in traditional kingdoms the chief or king remains an important figure in the life of the community.
The main elements are an oath or promise, an act of anointing or blessing, the giving of regalia such as the crown, orb, sceptre, sword, stool or spear, an enthronement and an acclamation by the people. A procession carries the ruler through the city, and a feast follows. Dress is rich, with robes, furs, gold and feathers. Many rites include a period of seclusion or fasting, a ritual bath and the presence of priests, elders or kingmakers. The date is often chosen with care, and the ceremony may last days.
Royal feasts are among the great banquets of history, and coronation dishes have become part of food culture: coronation chicken in Britain, a ceremonial rice in Thailand, and the royal cuisine of Japan's court. Dress is the heart of the display: ermine and velvet, kimono-style robes, kente cloth and gold regalia, feathered cloaks in Hawaii and Maori lands. Music is organised on a grand scale: anthems, fanfares, trumpets, drums, gongs and choirs, and some traditions have court musicians whose work is handed down in families.
Many monarchies have simplified ceremonies, reduced costs and opened them to people of all faiths. Television and streaming have made the rites a worldwide event, and social media follows every detail. Traditional rulers in Africa and the Pacific play a role beside modern government, resolving disputes and caring for culture. Some countries have ended monarchy and replaced it with civic ceremonies, such as an inauguration, with their own symbols and oaths. Interest in the history and symbolism of royal rites remains strong everywhere.
The coronation takes place in Westminster Abbey, with the sovereign anointed with holy oil, crowned with St Edward's Crown and given the orb and sceptre. The ceremony has been held in the Abbey since 1066.
Coronation of the British monarch, being writtenThe Sokui-rei, the enthronement of the emperor, and the Daijosai, a ritual in which the emperor offers new rice to the deities, are rooted in Shinto tradition and continue today. The ritual is held at night, in a specially built hall, and is seen as private to the emperor.
Read: Daijō-saiThe coronation involves anointing with water from sacred sources, a nine-tiered umbrella and the Great Crown of Victory, in a Brahmin and Buddhist ritual in Bangkok's Grand Palace. The king also receives the regalia, including the sword and the sandals, in a ceremony that lasts several days.
Read: Coronation of the Thai monarchThe Raven Crown, with the head of a raven representing the protective deity Gonpo Jarodongchen, is worn by the king, and the coronation includes a ritual of receiving a scarf, the Dar Kar. The ceremony is accompanied by monks chanting and the presentation of a ceremonial scarf.
Raven Crown, being writtenThe Kumari, a young girl worshipped as a living goddess, has traditionally blessed the king with a tika at the Indra Jatra festival. The institution continues in Kathmandu.
Read: KumariThe Dussehra procession at Mysore, with an elephant bearing the golden howdah, recalls the old royal court, and the Rajput kings' coronations involved a tilak and a sword. Today the palace of Mysore is lit with thousands of lights on the evenings of Dasara.
Read: Mysore Dasara
Daijō-saiJapan's imperial thanksgiving.
Royal Ploughing CeremonyThailand and Cambodia.Bay'ahThe pledge of allegiance.
Trooping the ColourThe British birthday parade.
Mysore DasaraThe royal festival of Mysore.Also part of it, and being written: Coronation of the British monarch (Westminster Abbey.), Golden Stool (The Ashanti sacred stool.), Tūrangawaewae (The Maori King Movement.).
A coronation places a crown on the head, while an enthronement seats the ruler on a throne or stool. Many ceremonies include both, with other rites such as anointing.
Anointing with holy oil, an act borrowed from the Hebrew Bible, shows that the ruler is set apart for service. The oil is blessed and may be made to an ancient recipe.
It varies. In many modern monarchies, such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Japan, the monarch is a ceremonial head of state, while in a few countries the monarch has real authority.
The objects of royal office, such as crowns, sceptres, orbs, swords, stools or spears, kept with great care and used in the ceremony.
Yes. Chiefs, headmen and clan leaders have their own installation rites in much of Africa, the Pacific and the Americas, and many are recognised by modern law.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
The traditions written up so far, best known first.
🇮🇱 IsraelRosh Hashanahרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
The Jewish New Year marked by shofar horn blasts, prayer and sweet foodsSpiritual
🇻🇦 Vatican City and 1 morePontifical Swiss GuardPontificia Cohors Helvetica
The Swiss military corps charged with guarding the Pope and the Apostolic PalaceCeremony
🇬🇧 London, United KingdomChelsea Flower Show
A five-day May horticultural festival held in London by the Royal Horticultural SocietyFestival
🇵🇪 Cusco, Peru and 4 moreIntiinti (Quechua)
The Inca sun deity, honoured with temples, offerings and the June festival Inti RaymiSpiritual
🇨🇳 Beijing, China and 2 moreChinese opera戲曲 / 戏曲 (xìqǔ)
A sung, danced and acrobatic theatre from China, in over a hundred regional stylesPerformance
🇱🇰 Kandy, Sri LankaKandyan danceඋඩරට නැටුම්
The sacred dance of Sri Lanka's hill country, kept in temple and on the stagePerformance
🇹🇭 ThailandThai solar calendarปฏิทินสุริยคติไทย
The official solar calendar of Thailand, numbered in the Buddhist EraSeasonal
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea and 5 moreShell money
Traditional currency made from cowries, ground clam beads, and carved sea shellsCraft
🇮🇳 Kolhapur, IndiaKolhapuri chappal
Handcrafted braided leather slip-on sandals from western IndiaCraft
🇧🇮 Gitega, BurundiKaryenda
A sacred drum of Burundi that symbolized the monarchy and announced royal events.Performance
🇮🇳 IndiaKambala
An annual traditional buffalo race across muddy paddy fields in southwestern IndiaGame
🇿🇼 ZimbabweMhondoro
Territorial guardian spirits and mediums honoured in Zimbabwe for guidance and rainSpiritual
🇸🇪 Mora, SwedenVasaloppet
A 90 km cross-country ski race from Sälen to Mora, run every March since 1922Game
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 3 morePersian gardenباغ ایرانی
An ancient tradition of creating walled, geometric sanctuaries of shade and flowing waterCraft
🇨🇳 Puyang, ChinaFeng shui風水
The Chinese spatial practice of aligning homes and graves with natural energyFolklore
🇦🇫 Kabul, Afghanistan and 1 moreJirgaجرګه
A traditional consultative council of elders that settles disputes through consensusCeremony
🇮🇩 Bali, Indonesia and 5 moreIkat
A resist-dyeing craft from Southeast Asia, where yarns are tied and dyed before weavingCraft
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreCuju蹴鞠
An ancient Chinese kicking game played without hands using a stuffed or air-filled ballGame
🇰🇭 CambodiaApsara Danceរបាំទេពអប្សរា
A classical Cambodian court dance inspired by the stone carvings of AngkorPerformance
🇲🇲 MyanmarYoke théရုပ်သေး
A classical Burmese string puppet theatre performed with complex marionettes and music.Performance
🇬🇭 Accra, GhanaFantasy coffinsAbebuu adekai
Custom hand-carved burial caskets shaped as animals, tools and symbols in southern GhanaRite of passage
🇧🇷 Recife, Brazil and 1 moreMaracatu
A set of Afro-Brazilian performance traditions from Pernambuco and Ceará featuring drumming, dance, and royal pageantry.Performance
🇨🇳 Tianjin, ChinaManchu-Han Imperial Feast滿漢全席
A grand multi-day banquet uniting Manchu and Han culinary traditions in ChinaTable custom · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Thrissur, IndiaThrissur Pooramതൃശ്ശൂര് പൂരം
A grand Kerala temple gathering with elephant pageantry, percussion, and fireworksFestival
🇺🇸 United StatesTalking stick
A carved staff that shows who may speak at a Northwest Coast gatheringCeremony
🇹🇭 Bangkok, ThailandCoronation of the Thai monarchพระราชพิธีบรมราชาภิเษก
A consecration ceremony blending Hindu and Buddhist rites to formally install the King of Thailand.Ceremony
🇲🇱 Bamako, Mali and 5 moreGriotjeli, ߖߋ߬ߟߌ in N'Ko script
West Africa's hereditary keepers of spoken history, praise and musicPerformance
🇪🇸 Ronda, Spain and 5 moreBullfightingCorrida de toros
A ritual contest between a bullfighter and a bull, kept in Spain and Latin AmericaGame
🇲🇲 Bagan, MyanmarNat worshipနတ်
Veneration of guardian spirits and nature deities alongside Buddhism in MyanmarSpiritual
🇮🇳 Gwalior, India and 1 moreDhrupadध्रुवपद
The foundational vocal and instrumental classical music tradition of northern IndiaPerformance
🇬🇭 Ntɔnso, Ghana and 1 moreAdinkra symbols
Symbols of the Akan people, stamped on cloth, each one carrying a proverbCraft
🇸🇦 Mecca, Saudi Arabia and 2 moreBay'ahبَيْعَة
An Islamic oath of allegiance pledged to a ruler or spiritual guideCeremony
🇧🇹 Thimphu, BhutanArchery in Bhutanམདའ (da)
Bhutan's national sport, played with bamboo bows at targets 145 metres awayGame
🇲🇬 MadagascarValiha
A bamboo tube zither from Madagascar, played for recreation and spirit ritualsPerformance
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 4 moreMehreganمهرگان
An Iranian autumn festival honoring Mithra, friendship, and the harvestSeasonal
🇬🇧 London, United KingdomTrooping the Colour
The annual British military parade marking the official birthday of the monarch.Ceremony
🇮🇷 Iran and 3 moreChovganچوگان
An equestrian team sport played with mallets and horses across Iran and AzerbaijanGame
🇬🇧 Cardiff, United Kingdom and 1 moreSaint David's DayDydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant
The national feast day of Wales, marked with parades, poetry contests and daffodilsFestival
🇪🇬 Luxor, EgyptOpet Festivalḥb nfr n jpt
An ancient Egyptian festival in Thebes celebrating divine kingship and the Nile floodSpiritual
🇿🇦 South AfricaHeritage DayErfenisdag
A nationwide South African public holiday honouring the country's diverse culturesCeremony
🇳🇿 Waitangi, New Zealand and 2 moreWaitangi DayTe Rā o Waitangi
New Zealand's national day remembering the 1840 founding agreement.Ceremony · Breakfast
🇮🇷 Iran and 3 morePahlevani and zurkhaneh ritualsآیین پهلوانی و زورخانهای
A traditional Iranian martial art blending calisthenics, wrestling, music and ethicsGame
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreTwelfth Night
The closing evening of the Christmas season, kept with cake, carols and wassailSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇭🇷 Sinj, CroatiaSinjska Alka
An annual jousting tournament in Sinj where galloping riders strike a hanging ringGame
🇯🇵 Kyoto, JapanJidai Matsuri時代祭
An autumn costume procession celebrating Kyoto's imperial heritage and historyFestival
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKathina
A Buddhist season of offering new robes and gifts to monks after the rains retreatSpiritual
🇨🇿 Vlčnov, CzechiaRide of the KingsJízda králů
A Moravian spring procession where horsemen escort a silent boy king holding a roseFestival
🇳🇵 Kathmandu, Nepal and 4 moreDashainबडादशैँ
A fifteen-day festival of family gatherings, blessings, and feasts across NepalFestival
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
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