What Can a Coronation Teach You About Your Divine Calling? The Crown & The Covenant Part II

Serving, reigning, and shining in your own corner of the world

On June 2, 1953, twenty-seven-year-old Princess Elizabeth of York stepped into Westminster Abbey and emerged as Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. Though she had technically ascended to the throne upon her father’s death months earlier, we would be mistaken to treat her coronation as a mere technicality or pomp and circumstance required by tradition. It was a transformation. Through sacred symbols, vows, and anointing, a young woman was set apart for a divine calling—to serve, to sacrifice, and to reign with covenantal purpose. Her seventy-year reign would traverse war, social upheaval, and change, yet the power that sustained her began in that holy moment of consecration.

That moment in Westminster Abbey wasn’t just the making of a monarch—it’s a mirror of what God offers to each of us.

So, what is your coronation? What is the great work—the divine purpose—that you and you alone are called to fulfill on this earth?

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we look for many of those answers in the temple. We each have a “royal” destiny as kings and queens—as we discussed in Part I—not necessarily to rule in this life, but to govern our lives, build eternal families, and help establish God’s kingdom on earth in preparation . This idea of a “royal destiny” isn’t just a metaphor; it’s a pattern. Just as a monarch is prepared for their sacred office through a temple-like ceremony, we are prepared for our divine missions through temple covenants.

This truth—that divine kingship is a pattern, not a metaphor—comes alive for me every time I teach temple preparation class. After introductions, passing around my husband’s famous chocolate-chip cookies, and giving the “there are no dumb questions!” pep-talk, I show a clip from The Crown depicting Queen Elizabeth’s anointing in her 1953 coronation.

I usually favor discussion over video clips, but this scene always sets the perfect tone.

I then talk to my class about how Elizabeth’s anointing prepared her for her great work in the world, just as our own anointing and covenant making in the temple prepare each of us for our divine purpose.

When do we receive our endowment? Often before beginning a new or challenging chapter in our lives. The saints in Nauvoo eagerly made covenants before crossing the plains to Utah. Members often take out their own endowment as preparation for a mission, marriage, or, like my own daughter, when stepping into adulthood.

Those blessings, those promises, those covenants, arm you and prepare you for the good work you have to do in the world and for the challenges ahead. Most of us feel small in our circle of influence. I certainly do. Most of my work is behind the scenes, unseen, and unnoticed; I’m never the person in front or with the “big calling.” But I’ve learned that influence isn’t always about scale. A single candle doesn’t illuminate a cathedral, but it can light up a dark room, offer warmth to one person, or help another find their way. My small efforts are like that—offering specific light and warmth where it’s needed. Our Father in Heaven has a purpose for each one of us, and He values every spark of light we offer.

It is in this sacred, personal work that we discover a stunning truth: service is the real meaning of royalty.

True Kings and Queens

Before we explore the parallels between coronations and temple worship, we need to pause and reclaim the true meaning of kingship and queenship.

For those raised in democracies, the idea of a monarchy might feel antiquated. We think of tyranny and unchecked power. We are rightly suspicious.

But this is a corrupted version of a divine pattern.

In the theology of the covenant, a true monarch is not a dictator, but a servant of the people. Their sovereignty is not a matter of personal privilege but of profound responsibility. They are anointed to be a physical embodiment of the nation’s covenant with God. The heavenly pattern is not one of autocracy, but of a shepherd-king—a ruler who, in the words of our Savior, “came not to be served but to serve” Mark 10:45.

This ideal was voiced perfectly at the very beginning of King Charles III’s coronation, where, before the oaths or the anointing, a child from the Chapel Royal¹ stood and declared:

“Your Majesty, as children of the kingdom of God we welcome you in the name of the King of kings.”

The King’s reply was not a claim to power, but a vow of submission:

“In his name and after His example I come not to be served but to serve.”

There it is. The entire ceremony is framed by this single, stunning idea. The monarch is a subject of a higher King, Jesus Christ, and their earthly rule is meant to be a reflection of His heavenly service.

The Weight of the Covenant

That truth—the idea that rule itself is covenantal—leads us to the deeper question: Why crown a king with such pomp and circumstance? Because a coronation is far more than a ceremony; it is a covenant.

While modern minds may see monarchy as outdated, its ancient power came from this sacred bond. From the divine Pharaohs of Egypt to the law-bound kings of Israel, the ruler was the crucial link between heaven and earth. Their coronation was a transformative ritual of anointing and oath-making, channeling divine authority into a human office. This wasn’t about unchecked power, but sacred responsibility. The crown was a symbol of a promise to serve and govern with justice and mercy.

This profound truth is perfectly illustrated by a poignant moment in the episode of The Crown I show my class. If you watched the dramatization of Queen Elizabeth’s anointing, you likely spotted her Uncle David—the former King Edward VIII—offering narration for his Parisian friends. David had abdicated the throne and was never crowned.

For him, watching Elizabeth’s coronation was the ultimate lesson in covenant.² He saw the very vows enacted that had cost him his throne. He had believed the crown was his by birthright; her ceremony proved it was granted by covenant. His abdication was a rejection of the sacred contract. Her coronation was its fulfillment. In every oath she swore and every symbol she received, he witnessed the immutable truth: the monarchy is not sustained by bloodline alone, but by a binding covenant with God and individuals.

The Ceremony

With that in mind—understanding kingship as consecrated service—let’s return to the scene of Queen Elizabeth’s anointing and trace the temple pattern through the coronation. If you’ve been endowed you’ll recognize several similarities to our own worship.

First, the Sacred Setting.
The ceremony isn’t held in Parliament. It takes place in Westminster Abbey. This setting immediately frames the event as a covenant with God, not a contract with men.

Consecrated in 1065 AD by Edward the Confessor, the soaring arches of Westminster were built on the site of a Benedictine monastery. The Abbey is a beautiful example of D&C 124: 26-27 “Come ye, with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones, and with all your antiquities…and with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth; and build a house to my name, for the Most High to dwell therein.”

For Christians in medieval Britain, building the Abbey was their way of showing their devotion to God by dedicating their time and talents to a holy place of worship. Thus, from its very foundations, the sacred setting defines the coronation’s true purpose: the monarch makes a covenant with God.

Second, the Oaths and Covenants.
At several times during the sacred ritual, the monarch makes solemn promises. They swear to govern with justice and mercy, to uphold the law, and to consecrate their life to the service of their people. These oaths are the condition upon which the divine power is offered.

Third, the Anointing.
This is the most sacred, private part of the ceremony. It’s only thanks to The Crown that we have a dramatization of it since the actual anointing was blocked from view during both Elizabeth and Charles’ coronations.

• Elizabeth was anointed under a cloth canopy. King Charles was anointed within a cloth canopy with three sides and embroidered with the Tree of Life.

• Elizabeth wears a simple white dress. King Charles wore a plain white tunic. This is called the Colobium Sindonis, a simple, pure white garment representing humility.

• The monarch sits while the blessings are given.

• The oil is poured out of an ampule and into a spoon before being used to anoint the queen.

“Be your head anointed with holy oil, as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, so may you be anointed, blessed, and consecrated King over the peoples, whom the Lord your God has given you to rule and govern; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

The words are similar, but our temple anointings include much more extensive blessings. This ritual echoes the anointing of the sons of Aaron at the door of the tabernacle.³

Fourth, the Ceremonial Clothing.
Following the anointing, the monarch is clothed in priestly garments rich with symbolism. The simple, white colobium sindonis remains as the foundation of coronation clothing.

Then layer by layer, they are vested with the glorious, priestly robes of state—the Robe, the golden Supertunica (richly embroidered with leaves and eagles), and the Stole and Girdle (much like a sash, but worn over the shoulders rather than around the waist).

This clothing is an outward manifestation of an inward transformation. It symbolizes the new identity, authority, and splendor of the office, built upon the foundation of humility and the sanctifying anointing.

Fifth, the New Name and Ascension.
The monarch assumes a new name. Charles Philip Arthur George became King Charles III. He then physically ascends (just as we ascend in our temples)—walking up the steps to the Coronation Chair to be enthroned and receive the orb and sceptres. This act symbolizes the assumption of the station to which they have been covenanted, anointed, and clothed.

Your Divine Mission

A monarch is prepared in a temple—through covenants, anointings, new clothing, and a new name—to rule a kingdom.

In the very same way, you are prepared in God’s holy house for your own divine calling.

You will likely never see your face on coins or postage stamps, but you are of royal birth, with a divine destiny. The temple is where you receive your “coronation” for that eternal life. It is where you:

• Make sacred covenants that form the foundation of your mission on this earth and into the eternities.

• Receive an anointing that endows you with power from on high.

• Are clothed in sacred garments that remind you of your identity and promises.

• Receive a new name and greater understanding of your identity as a child of God.

• Symbolically and physically ascend to claim your place in the heavenly kingdom.

The King’s humble confession, “I come not to be served, but to serve,” is the mantle upon your own shoulders. Your great work in your family, your community, and your own soul, is a life of service guided by that same principle.

Your sacred oaths are the foundation for your own quiet, glorious mission: to build God’s kingdom right where you stand.

This is the glorious, everyday work of making a corner of the world holy. And Our Heavenly Father in His infinite wisdom, has provided a holy house where you are crowned in covenants and prepared for the unique service only you can give.

NEXT TIME: Just in case you’re worried I spend all of temple prep on coronation theology, rest assured, I discuss divine purpose with my class and move on. Still, just as parents have the primary responsibility to prepare their children for temple ordinances, we each have the responsibility (or rather, the privilege) of learning more about temple worship. In Part III, I’ll talk about some of the best resources from www.churchofjesuschrist.org/ and I hope you’ll contribute your own ideas.

1. The idea of the choir boy greeting King Charles III at the beginning of the service was the idea of my friend, Anglican Chaplain, Dr. Andrew Teal, who helped plan the coronation ceremony. He told me that fact very casually, as if we all correspond with the King.

2. This principle of transformation was evident in King Charles himself. For decades, Brits questioned whether he was fit to rule. Since his coronation, his service to Great Britain has garnered high approval ratings. It is a powerful testament to how sacred promises can refine a person for their divine work.

3. Exodus 40:12-15 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.