By Prisca Sam-Duru
With colours, orderliness, breathtaking performances and spectacular parades, the world beheld the glory of Britain, during the coronation of King Charles III.
It was no doubt, the best memorable thing to have happened in Britain in recent times.
Expectedly, King Charles’ colourful coronation set the mood for Nigeria’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi’s interview with Arise TV, on Monday.
As it was with most Nigerians, especially knowing that the country was well represented by such mind-blowing epic performance by her song bird, Tiwa Savage, Prof Akinyemi confessed to have been blown away by the entire ceremony. Why wouldn’t anyone be? History was made as that was the first time a Nigerian artiste would perform at the royal coronation. “I’m a freak when it comes to military parade. I love military parades and there’s no country that puts up a show like the British did. That spectacular performance had me glued to my seat throughout the event.”
He likened the cultural representations to that of cultural appearance of the Commonwealth. “The cultural appearance of the Commonwealth, let me put it that way; not even Britain as a cultural mix… the United States is probably the most mixed country in the world when it comes to colour but even the US could not have put on that kind of thing that was put on at the Abbey.
“And its impact on the rest of the world; if you measure pro-British sentiment yesterday, that coronation would have scored King Charles probably 95%. I hope that is an indication of what he would like to see on policy; let’s not deceive ourselves, he will have very little influence on policy, that is determined by the Prime Minister.”
Prof Akinyemi further stated that King Charles sent a signal to the rest of the world that he has respect for all cultures, races and religion.
“Whether that will translate into the key issues that will determine British relationship with the rest of the world or the Commonwealth is another thing entirely,” he added.
In spite of the glamour on display, Akinyemi couldn’t help pointing out a downside of the ceremony- the poor treatment of Prince Harry at the coronation. Harry for him, didn’t deserve the humiliation he faced.
“I don’t like the way they treated Harry; he was humiliated,” he said, noting that initially, there were talks about “whether he should be invited or not and whether if he was invited he would come and where would he sit. You invited him, he accepted, only for you, under the influence of William to subject him to that disgraceful sitting arrangement in the Abbey. “Harry is a war veteran, he didn’t earn his medals or his robes by just being born prince. He served twice in Afghanistan and he was an accomplished pilot from what we’ve read about him. So he is entitled to all the medals that he got. He was a Knight Commander of the Victorian Order which is one of the highest Orders in Britain and so he was entitled to wear the purple robes of that Order. But the palace told him, don’t wear your robes and yet we saw members of the royal family who did nothing positive in their lives being allowed to wear their robes.”
”You had that choice, you could seat people by the order of ascension- possibility of ascension to a throne which meant only William and his family. “Harry is still in the line of succession instead, you decided to seat him by non performing royals. And you put him in third row; I think that’s despicable performance by the palace and this was the kind that drove them into exile. There were people in that palace who were anti- Harry and were prepared to show it at that time they had an opportunity,” he added.
And dwelling a bit on the coronation and policies that are likely to come forth from the new king, Akinyemi recalled that “When Queen Elisabeth ii died, Amanpour, the CNN reporter made a comment and I think that comment would be put clearly on the table. She said, I hope that King Charles III will not adopt the policy of his mother in terms of returning the loot which the British took away from Africa, in terms of dealing with British historical links with slavery and in terms of reparation.” According to him, policies regarding returning the loot which Britain took from colonies, British historical links with slavery and reparations are three key issues that will be staring us in the face after the excitements of the coronation had vanished.
”Reparations especially, since the Germans had started it, it should start with an apology straight on the table by the British. An apology for what happened during the slavery times and colonial times. The talk about the issue of reparation; that’s a very big topic because, to whom should reparation be paid; to us in Africa or the Africans in the Diaspora. “My suggestion will be to the Africans in the Diaspora. We suffered, they suffered as well but we were accomplices in that slave trade and if our own punishment is going to be that, we don’t get reparations or that the whole of the reparation goes to Africans in Diaspora, I am perfectly happy with it.”
Source: Vanguard