We were exceedingly lucky to cover two major historic and joyful events at the blog during our five year tenure: the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito of Japan, and the coronation of King Charles III. They were very different events but both brought enormous fun and a good bit of new knowledge to all of us.
The Japanese Enthronement
The enthronement of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako was officially proclaimed on October 22, 2019. The ceremony is known as sokui-no-rei (即位の礼), There were not one, but two, banquets. A court banquet was held the same evening and a banquet for foreign dignitaries was held on the evening of October 23rd. There was also a tea party for for foreign royals. It was an amazing event, and we saw so many new evening gowns, new daywear and a great contingent of old favorite tiaras. We also were treated to the Japanese royals in tradition junihitoe and sokatui.
There was also a tea party and another banquet held by then Prime Minister Shinto Abe – you can see photos at our post here.
The Coronation of a New King
Just this year we were privileged to witness the coronation of King Charles III. The coronation is at its heart a religious ceremony, filled with historical association. The British royal family, foreign royals, and honored guests gathered at Westminster Abbey, as they have for every coronation going back 900 years. There were no tiaras but there was also no lack of pageantry and grandeur.
Some Doodles for You
