James Cleverly defends Coronation allegiance oath

Princess Diana’s top aide has revealed he will not be taking an oath of allegiance for King Charles’s Coronation on Saturday.

The gesture has already been dismissed by some as news broke about the Homage of the People over the weekend, including by Patrick Jephson, the late Princess Diana’s former private secretary, who branded it “un-British” and “divisive”, the Mirror reports.

The oath of allegiance comes as part of the new Homage of the People, where those watching or listening to the Coronation can swear an oath to King Charles.

The pledge will replace the traditional Homage of Peers, which previously only extended the oath to members of the House of Lords.

At the historic ceremony on Saturday, the Archbishop of Canterbury will invite the public to take part in a “great cry around the nation and around the world in support for the King” – however, the pledge has already become lost on some people.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Jephson said: “It’s not a personal thing – it just feels to me un-British, and I think it’s divisive. I mean ‘did you take it, didn’t you?’ – immediately we are on a divided foot. It isn’t very unified.

“I think already, there are thousands of people who serve the Crown, without having to take any fancy oath of allegiance. They just get on with it in their lives.

“The Armed Forces, the emergency services… we don’t have to have people tell us ‘you have to say this’.”

It comes after Graham Smith, the CEO of the anti-monarchy group Republic, also criticised the oath – branding it “offensive, tone deaf and a gesture that holds the people in contempt”.

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Mr Smith said: “In a democracy it is the head of state who should be swearing allegiance to the people, not the other way around.

“This kind of nonsense should have died with Elizabeth I, not outlived Elizabeth II.”

He added: “In swearing allegiance to Charles and his ‘heirs and successors’, people are being asked to swear allegiance to Prince Andrew too. This is clearly beyond the pale.”

Meanwhile, Lambeth Palace said the Homage of the People was introduced to allow “a chorus of millions of voices” to be “enabled for the first time in history to participate in this solemn and joyful moment”.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will call upon “all persons of goodwill in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other realms and the territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all”.

The order of service will read: “All who so desire, in the abbey, and elsewhere, say together:

“All: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

It will be followed by the playing of a fanfare.

The Archbishop will then proclaim “God Save The King”, with all asked to respond: “God Save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the King live for ever.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper and Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Shabana Mahmood both told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that they would make the pledge, while Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay suggested he would opt out.

Mr Harper told the programme: “When His Majesty became King most Members of Parliament actually retook the oaths that we take to His Majesty and I am very happy to do that again.”

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