Coronation of King Charles: Read the monarch’s prayer in full

King Charles has become the first monarch to offer a loud prayer at his coronation asking for “blessings” for those “of all faiths and beliefs”.

The words reflect His Majesty deeply convinced that it is his duty to serve all communities.

They were inspired by the biblical language in Galatians 5, as well as the language in the popular hymn I promise you my homeland.

The ancient coronation liturgy evolved from the coronation of King Edgar at Bath Abbey in AD 973 and was gradually transformed to reflect modern society.

For the first time, the service included the active participation of non-Christian religious leaders in recognizing and celebrating multicultural Britain.

You can read the King’s Prayer and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon in full below.

The King’s Prayer in its entirety

God of compassion and mercy, whose Son was not sent to be served but to serve, grant that in your service I may find perfect freedom and in that freedom the knowledge of your truth.

Grant that I may be a blessing to all your children, of all faiths and beliefs, that together we may discover the paths of tenderness and lead us on the path of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon in full

We are here to crown the king, and we crown the king to serve him.

What is given today is for the benefit of all. Because Jesus Christ announced the Kingdom in which the poor and oppressed are freed from the chains of injustice. The blind see. The broken and crushed are healed.

This kingdom determines the goals of all righteous government, all authority. And the Kingdom also determines the means of all government and authority. Jesus does not cling to power or status.

The King of kings, Jesus Christ, was not anointed to be served, but to serve. It creates an immutable law that with the privilege of power comes the duty to serve.

Service is love in action. We see active love in caring for the most vulnerable, in nurturing and encouraging the young, in preserving the natural world. We have seen these priorities in the life of our king’s duties.

Today we are honored to be in this abbey with so many who show such love; you work with charities and organisations, build community, serve the nation in the armed forces, in the emergency services and in so many other ways. Alongside are the 400 or more outstanding young people at St Margaret’s whose lives speak of service. There are so many more around the world in the Kingdoms and the Commonwealth. Live your life for others.

The unity you show, the example you set, is what binds us together and offers societies that are strong, joyful, happy and glorious. They carry a great burden for us.

The weight of the task given to you today, your majesty, can only be borne by the Spirit of God, who empowers us to give our lives to others. With the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the king is freely given what no ruler can ever achieve by will, politics, war or tyranny: the Holy Spirit draws us to love in action.

This was promised by Jesus, who gave up all privileges, because, as the first reading tells us, God will give everything for us, even his life.

His throne was the cross. His crown was of thorns. His regalia were the wounds that pierced his body.

Each of us has been called by God to serve. Whatever it looks like in our lives, each of us can choose God’s way today.

To the King of kings, to God himself, we can say, as the King says here today, ‘give me the grace that in your service I may find complete freedom’.

In this prayer there is a promise beyond measure, a joy beyond dreams, a hope that endures. With this prayer, for every king, every ruler and, yes, for all of us, we are open to God’s transforming love.