What is "coronation"

Coronation \Cor`o*na"tion\ (k?r`?-n?"sh?n), n. [See Coronate.]

1. The act or solemnity of crowning a sovereign; the act of investing a prince with the insignia of royalty, on his succeeding to the sovereignty.

2. The pomp or assembly at a coronation.
   --Pope.

late 14c., from Late Latin coronationem (nominative coronatio) "a crowning," from past participle stem of Latin coronare "to crown," from corona "crown" (see crown (n.)).

n. 1 The act or solemnity of crowning a sovereign; the act of investing a prince with the insignia of royalty, on his succeeding to the sovereignty. 2 (context figuratively English) A success in the face of little or no opposition.

n. the ceremony of installing a new monarch [syn: enthronement, enthronization, enthronisation, investiture]

A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the ritual placement of a crown upon his or her head and the presentation of other items of regalia. A ceremony without the placement of a crown on one's head is known as an enthronement. The ceremony may include the taking of special vows by the monarch, acts of homage by the new ruler's subjects and the performance of other ritual deeds of special significance to the particular nation. Once a vital ritual among the world's monarchies, coronations have changed over time for a variety of socio-political and religious factors; most modern monarchies have dispensed with them altogether, preferring simpler enthronement, investiture or benediction ceremonies. Coronations are still observed in the United Kingdom, Tonga, and several Asian and African countries. In common usage today, coronation normally refers to the official investiture or enthronement of the monarch, whether or not an actual crown is bestowed.

In addition to investing the monarch with symbols of state, Western-style coronations have often traditionally involve anointing with holy oil, or chrism as it is often called. Wherever a ruler is anointed in this way, as in Great Britain and Tonga, this ritual takes on an overtly religious significance, following examples found in the Bible. Some other lands use bathing or cleansing rites, the drinking of a sacred beverage, or other religious practices to achieve a comparable effect. Such acts symbolise the granting of divine favour to the monarch within the relevant spiritual-religious paradigm of the country.

In the past, concepts of royalty, coronation and deity were often inexorably linked. In some ancient cultures, rulers were considered to be divine or partially divine: the Egyptian Pharaoh was believed to be the son of Ra, the sun god, while in Japan, the Emperor was believed to be a descendant of Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Rome promulgated the practice of emperor worship; in Medieval Europe, monarchs claimed to have a divine right to rule. Coronations were once a direct visual expression of these alleged connections, but recent centuries have seen the lessening of such beliefs due to increasing secularization and democratization. Thus, coronations (or their religious elements, at least) have often been discarded altogether or altered to reflect the constitutional nature of the states in which they are held. However, some monarchies still choose to retain an overtly religious dimension to their accession rituals. Others have adopted simpler enthronement or inauguration ceremonies, or even no ceremony at all.

Coronation is a 2000 Chilean film directed by Silvio Caiozzi. It was Chile's submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Coronation grapes (formally, Sovereign Coronation) are a hybrid variety of table grape developed in Canada. Coronation grapes are popular throughout Canada, and are available during a short period in late summer and early fall. These grapes are characterized by their "vibrant blue-purple" colour, similar to the related Concord variety.

Coronation (foaled 1838) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from August 1840 to September 1841 he ran seven races. He began his career with a run of six successive victories including the 1841 Epsom Derby. He was retired after being narrowly defeated in the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster. Coronation later had moderate success as a stallion before he was exported to Russia.

A coronation is the crowning ceremony of a monarch.

Coronation may also refer to:

• Coronation (film), a 2000 Chilean film
• Coronation (grape), a table grape originating from Canada (also called Sovereign Coronation)
• Coronation Street, the world's longest-running television soap opera still in production
• Coronation, Alberta, a Canadian town
• Coronation Glacier, a glacier on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada
• LMS Princess Coronation Class 6220 Coronation, first locomotive of the LMS Princess Coronation Class
• Coronation, tune by Oliver Holden, first published in 1779, used for the hymn "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
• Coronation (British horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1841 Epsom Derby
• Coronation (French horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1949 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Coronation (also known as Coronation V, foaled 1946) was a French racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from the spring of 1948 until October 1950, she ran thirteen times and won six races. As a two-year-old she was one of the best fillies of her generation in Europe, winning the Queen Mary Stakes in England and the Prix Robert Papin in France. In the following year she dead-heated for the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, but was beaten in both the Oaks Stakes and the Irish Oaks. In October 1949 she established her reputation as one of the best fillies to race in Europe in the 20th century when she emphatically defeated a strong international field in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Her subsequent racing career was disappointing and she was a complete failure as a broodmare.