Holy anointing oil for King Charles III's coronation will not contain the intestinal wax of sperm whales or civet secretions
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- The holy anointing oil used 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.
- A new formula was prepared in a religious ceremony in Jerusalem on Friday.
The holy anointing oil used at the coronation of King Charles III will be animal-cruelty free, the 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, in keeping with changing values — and King Charles' track record of environmental work — the new oil formula is animal free, per the BBC.
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, set to take place on May 6, 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 that it was banned from being filmed at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, the BBC reports, adding it is still not yet known if the public will be shown the blessing at King Charles III's coronation.