Gareth Roberts Gareth Roberts

We don’t need a ‘diverse’ coronation

[Getty]

Refugees and the NHS, we are told, will be at the heart of King Charles’s ‘diverse’ coronation in May. You’d think that a thousand-year-old institution tasked with steering clear of controversy might seek to avoid such hot potatoes. But there is nothing unexpected about this royal foray into politics.

LGBTQ+ groups will perform at ‘a star-studded concert at Windsor Castle’ as part of the celebrations marking His Majesty’s accession to the throne. A royal source told the Daily Telegraph the coronation ‘needed to be “majestic” but “inclusive” to reflect a diverse modern Britain’. 

Unfortunately, this sounds like another example of the utterly banal EDI (equality, diversity, inclusion) events we’ve become used to in Britain. For all the talk of inclusivity, they appear designed to goad and annoy people like me. Certainly, there doesn’t seem to be any other enjoyment to be had in these joyless occasions. If you’re the kind of progressive soul who likes to irritate conservatives it’ll be a jamboree of sorts. Right now, there are probably teams of such people dreaming up the programme for the day: Sam Smith leads a non-binary choir chanting ‘BBC’ at 3:30 p.m. followed by Emma Thompson reading from The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg with backing from Digga D, etc. 

There is much talk in these reports from ‘royal sources’ that the day ‘is a great and glorious occasion – by its nature it’s majestic’ but that it ‘needs to be inclusive and reflect the Britain of today’. 

Really? This mysterious speaker’s words inadvertently give away more than intended: they suggest there is little that is great, glorious or majestic about modern Britain. At the heart of this attempt at inclusivity lies a blatant flaw: the mistaken suggestion that those from minority groups can’t appreciate history and majesty. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in