The coronation of King Charles III in London last Saturday drew worldwide attention, with millions staying glued in front of the TV screen during the hours-long ceremonies.
But only the most attentive viewers noticed a curious incident during the festivities. In a video that was uploaded to Twitter and subsequently went viral, a figure clad in dark robes and a black hood and holding a staff can be seen hurrying swiftly across the entrance to Westminster Abbey during the ceremonies.
Naturally, this led to wild online speculations about the identity of the mysterious figure, ranging from people making allusions to the Harry Potter movies, to quips about Megan Markle having possibly found a way to attend the ceremony after all.
The Grim Reaper of Westminster
Other comments gave the discussion a darker turn. "Anyone else just notice the Grim Reaper at Westminster Abbey?" one of the persons who had uploaded the short clip asked.
Another commenter posted a picture of an explanation about witch rituals, which include the use of black robes similar to the one worn by the mysterious figure and others agreed that this must have been a witch.
Anyone else just notice the Grim Reaper at Westminster Abbey? #Coronation pic.twitter.com/77s4XIY17i
— Joe (@realjoegreeeen) May 6, 2023
Before the coronation ceremony, a coven of witches and pagans had announced that they would accompany the festivities with a ritual of their own, during which they would cast spells for good weather during the coronation and health for the new monarch, The Sun reported.
Another angle of speculation led to discussions about the new king's connections to the Free Masons. "The British Monarch has a long-time connection to Scottish Freemasonry," one Twitter user alleged.
He went on to say that "The Rectified Scottish Rite of Masons uses a black hooded robe in some ceremonies. Their headquarters happens to be in Mark Masons Hall opposite St James Palace where Charles was affirmed as Monarch last year."
Another commenter chose to take the matter more lightly and joked "Britain without Freemasonry is like ham without eggs so what can you expect?"
The Green Man
These wild allegations continue the discussions about paganism and occult symbolism surrounding the long-awaited coronation of Charles III.
One of the main bones of contention was the official invitation to the coronation ceremony, which included a depiction of the 'Green Man' at the bottom of the card.
The prominence of the 'Green Man' on Charles's invitation — a mystical, pagan symbol of rebirth — is a declaration of what he really intends for his reign, hiding in plain sight.So ready for the Mystic King! pic.twitter.com/5xbw0ajqdF
— Freddie Sayers (@freddiesayers) April 5, 2023
The Green Man is an old English motif that appears on the ceilings of medieval churches or is often carved on garden paving stones but is also thought to have pagan connotations.
British MP Zac Goldsmith responded to the allegations about pagan connections by stating: "It is a symbol, among other things, of our relationship with the natural world (or in Christian terms, God’s creation). This is beautiful."