- The holy anointing oil at the coronation of King Charles III will be animal-cruelty free.
- The oil has previously contained wax from the intestines of sperm whales and civet secretions.
The holy anointing oil used at the coronation of King Charles III will be animal-cruelty free, according to recent BBC reports.
The sacred "chrism oil" has previously contained oil from the glands of small mammals such as civets and ambergris, a waxy substance from the intestines of sperm whales.
However, per the BBC, the new oil formula is free of all animal products in keeping with changing attitudes — and King Charles' track record of environmental work.
The BBC also reports that the new oil, predominantly olive oil, will contain a mixture of rose, jasmine, cinnamon, orange blossom, and sesame.
The olives used for the royal oil are harvested from the burial site of the King's grandmother, Princess Alice, who rests at the Mount of Olive's Monastery of Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem.
The oil for the coronation this weekend was made sacred in Jerusalems' Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus was crucified and buried.
At the coronation, King Charles III will be blessed with the oil when it is touched on his head, chest, and hands.
This tradition is so sacred and mysterious that the king has banned it from being filmed, as was the case at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.
A Royal Source told The Times that "Precedent has never been for it to be a publicly viewable moment, given its sanctity," a royal source said. "A way has been found to ensure that remains the case this time."
Speaking about the anointing oil, the Archbishop of Canterbury said, "This demonstrates the deep historic link between the Coronation, the Bible, and the Holy Land. As we prepare to anoint The King and The Queen Consort, I pray that they will be guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit."