‘Chism Oil’

10 May

The Coronation Holy Anointing Oil

The ceremony of the Holy Anointing with the 'Chrism Oil' is the crux and most sacred ritual of the coronation service, so much so that this holy act is so highly revered and respectfully kept secret out of public view, hidden behind a screen. A moment of profound intimancy and communion with the Divine, the true symbol of Sovereignty. The so called 'Anointing Screen' behind which this private ritual takes place, has been created specifically for its purporpuse with the most exquisite art of embroidery and then blessed at a special service of dedication at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace.

The Chrism oil which has been used to anoint the monarch (and his predecessors for centuries) has been consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem in a special ceremony at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The holy anointing oil has been created using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives, at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene and the Monastery of the Ascension and were pressed just outside Bethlehem.

Following a formula used for hundreds of years, the Chrism oil is made on a base of olive oil which is the 'holy oil' since very ancient biblical times. Although the complete complex composition is closely guarded secret, we know of some ingredients such as sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, musk, civet and ambergris.

On returning from Egypt, Moses was instructed by God to make the holy anointing oil with "principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much... and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels. And of cassia five hindred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil an hin." The ingredients were to be made inro "an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary; it shall be an holy anointing oil" (Exodus xxx, 23-5). It was strictly forbidden to use this oil for any but sacred purposes.

Bibliography and references
Aytour Ellis, 1960, The essence of beauty, London
https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/holy-oil-to-anoint-king-charles-iii-at-his-coronation-is-consecrated-in-jerusalem-12824834
https://recipes.hypotheses.org/12351
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/14/secrets-oil-used-anoint-queen-coronation/

https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-03-03/the-consecration-of-the-coronation-oil
https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-04-29/the-anointing-screen