King Charles III’s Coronation Oath Bible: See why is it special

The Bible, which will be used in the coronation ceremony of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, is special.

The monarch will rest his hand on the book edited by academician Prof Gordon Campbell from Leicester while reciting the oath during his coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.

The royal spectacle will be witnessed by several heads of state and governments and many foreign dignitaries. Some Indians, which include actor Sonam Kapoor and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, will also attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in London.


For the ceremony, the Oxford University Press (OUP) was commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury to come up with a special hand-bound edition, which was decorated in gold leaf.

According to the academician Prof Campbell, the Bible includes hundreds of misprints. It is special as it has the original text of the King James Bible, which dates back to 1611. Prof Campbell said that misprints were included as he wanted it to be close to the original.

Prof Campbell is emeritus professor and fellow in Renaissance studies at the University of Leicester. The edition prepared by Prof Campbell was for marking the Bible’s 400th anniversary in 2011. The academician said that he was surprised when it was chosen for the historic ceremony.

He said that the King James version has been updated over the centuries with modernised spellings and addition of cross-references.

The edition is in roman type as it is much easier to read than the black letter gothic type of the original, Prof Campbell added. It seems to have around 350 misprints, which was word by word the same as the 1611 Bible.

FAQs

Q1:When was the King James Bible first published?
It was first published in 1611.

Q2:At what age did Prince Charles accede to the British throne?
King Charles III acceded to the throne upon the passing of his mother, Queen Victoria on September 8, 2022.