I managed to download the emblem of Charles III’s coronation, which turns out to have been designed by Jony Ive, once head of design at Apple and now Sir Jony Ive 🙂 The emblem itself is very pretty.

CNN may regret its choice to screen the Coronation, as it turns out that royalty are really rather unpopular now in the U.S. And Charles and Camilla are a smug, unappetizing couple, to be sure. I will still watch, though, because there’s something about these events that pulls at you. I remember when my mother was dying in Ireland, almost twenty-one years ago, she tried to get me to watch the funeral of the Queen Mother (!), which she had taped for me a couple of months before, knowing I would be coming to visit. I couldn’t do it because my mother’s own death was imminent and something about watching a grandiose funeral was absolutely repulsive. But I remember my mother saying, “It was perfect.” I think she must have watched it intently, sensing her own time would be up soon. She was certainly someone who was moved by beautiful words and music. I suppose, no matter how flawed the royals are as people, watching them go through these elaborate ceremonies brings us close to the divine.