At the upcoming royal coronation of King Charles III, the presence of Jerusalem will be in the air. The oil that will be used for the anointment comes from the olives of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The “chrism” is a mixture of olive oil  and spices as cited in the Book of Exodus. This highly specific list includes sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, amber oil and orange blossoms. The perfumed mixture was consecrated at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Christ’s crucifixion and burial.

Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘From ancient kings to present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place’

Ancient olive trees at Garden of Gethsemane, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem

“This demonstrates the deep historic link between the coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land,” the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said in a statement. “From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place.”

Avenue of the Righteous at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem citing Princess Alice of Battenberg

Another deep family link ties the royal family to Jerusalem: the paternal grandmother of King Charles, Princess Alice of Greece, is buried at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives. Her burial place overlooks the Temple Mount and the golden Dome of the Rock. Princess Alice was cited as a Righteous Gentile by Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial for hiding a Jewish family in a royal palace in Athens during the Holocaust.