Prominent British Sikh leader to present King Charles with key item during coronation ceremony

There is an Indian connection at King Charles III's coronation ceremony. Lord Indarjit Singh, a British Sikh peer, will be handing over a key item of the regalia to the King during the coronation ceremony a few hours from now. Lord Singh's presence is part of the multi-faith note at the traditional Christian ceremony. The coronation ceremony will be taking place in London on May 6.  

Lord Singh, 90, will form part of a procession of peers who walk up to the altar before he hands over the Coronation Glove, which is a demonstration of the Sovereign as an advocate and challenger for the protection and honour of the people. It also bears a second meaning, as a reminder of holding power, symbolised in the royal Sceptre, gently in a gloved hand.

"It's a great honour for myself, but much more for the wider Sikh community, in this country, in India and further afield wherever Sikhs are across the globe. It's a recognition of the King's view of inclusivity," said Lord Singh to the news agency PTI ahead of the historic ceremony.

He will be joined by Lord Syed Kamall, 56, of Indo-Guyanese heritage. He will represent the Muslim faith and present the Armills or a pair of bracelets. Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, will represent the Hindu faith and hand over the Sovereign's Ring. Baroness Gillian Merron, 64, who is Jewish, will carry the Robe Royal to the King.

"It is something like the story of the three kings [from the Bible], now it's been inflated by faith inflation to four people bearing gifts," said Singh.

"As far as the procession goes, that is fairly usual and normal. It's always there on a Commonwealth Day service. The unusual element is the presentation of the gifts, that we go in turn to the King who is seated on a throne on a platform and offer him - in my case, it will be the Coronation Glove," he explains.

Singh is the founder of the Network of Singh Organisations (NSO) and was honoured with a CBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II for services to interfaith harmony. He has known Charles personally for many years. 

"I have known King Charles for many years, we met on many occasions, seminars, and presentations, and I admire the work he is doing against global warming, care of the environment and so on. But I admire his attitude to religion even more," said the community leader and prominent interlocutor on the Sikh faith in the UK.

"He invited some of us faith leaders to Buckingham Palace on the weekend of the Queen's funeral to stress that he is the Head of the Church of England, but he will show total respect for other faiths. And, in all the years that I've known him, I've seen this to be true," he said.

Singh is confident that the new monarch is on course to make a huge contribution to further not only interfaith relations but to make religion, often regarded as a cause of conflict, a force of good.
 

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