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CNN International: U.K. Prepares for First Coronation in Seventy Years; Sinema Weighs Reelection Bid, Faces Criticism from All Sides. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired May 05, 2023 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. Across the commonwealth many people are preparing for the coronation of King Charles III. The updated, yet still ancient ceremony will take place at London's Westminster Abbey and feature all the pomp and pageantry that you might expect.
Yesterday, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, got into the action commuting like regular Londoners on the underground, on the tube on Thursday. They wrote the Elizabeth line, appropriately, after William's late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Then, they visited a pub at central, London meeting with people preparing for the big weekend.
Of course, there are marching bands and soldiers, around 400 armed forces members from the Commonwealth nation took part in a joint parade on Thursday. They have been training for several, days and will form part of the ceremonial procession on Saturday. Royal enthusiastic have set up camp, literally, along the procession route are hoping to get a good view of King Charles when he travels from Buckingham Palace, to Westminster Abbey.
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ROBERT BOLITHO, BRITISH ARMY VETERAN: It will be very emotional for me, yes, honestly when the king carriage pass, I will salute my king.
MARGARET TINSLEY, CORONATION ATTENDEE: I'm very excited because I'm a monarchist and I support our king and queen and we love our king and queen and we want them to know that.
SHIRLEY MESSINGER, CORONATION ATTENDEE: The procession is so emotional. You know, the Brits do it so well. Everything so organized.
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NOBILO: The coronation of King Charles will be a deeply religious ceremony steeped in ancient tradition. CNN's Max Foster has more.
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MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT and ANCHOR (voice-over): For more than a thousand years, the coronation ceremony for English monarchs has remained largely unchanged. King Charles will walk into Westminster Abbey in the footsteps of his ancestors. Ancient symbols like the Stone of Scone seized from Scotland by King Edward in the 13th century and used in coronations ever since, brought to London for Saturday's event. The palace says he also wants to reflect modern Britain and look to the future. The challenge will be how to do both during a cost-of-living crisis.
[04:35:00]
Charles will be crowned with the St. Edward's crown, the very same one placed upon previous monarchs. Crown jewels will feature -- including scepters, a golden orb and various swords, each with their own symbolism.
He'll wear robes that have been passed down through the generations. The anointing, the most sacred spiritual part of the service, will be hidden from view by a special screen, one of the only newly made pieces for the coronation.
Because Charles, who's always been known for his environmental campaigning, has been keen to emphasize reuse.
He'll be welcomed to the Abbey first by a young chorister, to whom he'll say, I come not to be served, but to serve. Inclusivity is at the top of his agenda. The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior member of the Church of England after the King.
JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: It looks around at our society and seeks to reflect on us as we are with joy and celebration.
Foster (voice-over): For the first time, people of multiple faiths will have a role. Even the Pope has sent a gift, fragments believed to be of Jesus's cross, which have been incorporated into this new one, which will lead the coronation procession. Symbols, the new monarch hopes, will be enough to reflect his continued relevance in a modern world whilst honoring sacred tradition.
Max Foster, CNN London.
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NOBILO: And joining me is Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who is the chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, it's such a pleasure to have you with me today. You will be playing a role in the ceremony tomorrow and attending. And tell our viewers a little bit about what that invitation means to you and your community.
RABBI EPHRAIM MIRVIS, BRITISH CHIEF RABBI: I think it's a wonderful feature of 21st century Britain and the fact that our king and queen want to champion the rights of all faiths to be able to practice their religion openly and freely. It's historic, the fact that representatives of other faiths will have a role within the coronation ceremony, and it's my enormous privilege and honor to have that opportunity.
NOBILO: And what can you tell us about the role you'll be playing in the ceremony?
MIRVIS: So, I will be part of a procession coming in at the very beginning. And then, after the religious service is over, I together, with four other faith leaders, will be forming a line, the king will stand in front of us. And we will give him a blessing and greetings. He will acknowledge that.
NOBILO: And that surely would be such a special moment, and perhaps without precedent, historically.
MIRVIS: Absolutely. It's historic and it's exceptionally powerful, and much appreciated.
NOBILO: And the king and queen have also invited yourself and your wife as guess so that you can observe the Sabbath.
MIRVIS: That is right. They've been exceptionally gracious in order to make it possible for me to walk to the Abbey on our Sabbath. Because we don't go in a vehicle. So, the king and queen have invited us to be their guest, in the palace over the Sabbath. And I'll give you another example of their wonderful sensitivity. So, when I participate in the ceremony there won't be any microphones in front of us because we have a digital detox day on our Sabbath.
NOBILO: Of course, no electricity.
MIRVIS: That's right. So, they won't be microphones. And they actually informed us of the fact that they would be preparing that and we respect that enormously.
NOBILO: And given those restrictions and observers that are in place on your Sabbath, how will the Jewish community in the United Kingdom be participating and observing the coronation ceremony?
MIRVIS: So, many, many people will be recording it. And we'll be watching it in a very exciting way once the Sabbath is over. And we have prepared special prayers which will be recited in all of our synagogues, and also, synagogues around the Commonwealth. And our United Synagogue for all of its communities has actually composed a special melody for one of our key prayers, called Adon Olam, which we'll be singing on Saturday and subsequent Saturdays. So, there's enormous excitement.
NOBILO: And how important is it to you that King Charles calls himself defender of all faiths?
MIRVIS: For me it's significant in two ways. First of all, he is saying the right thing. But what's more impressive is he's actually carrying it out. He's implementing that. Because I come across him often. It is exceptionally genuine. He cares about all other faiths. And he wants to do his best. And therefore, we're now into a wonderful era. Which sends a very powerful message right around the globe.
NOBILO: And some of our international viewers, you know, might be questioning the relevance of the monarchy in the 21st century Britain.
[04:40:00]
Particularly because of aspect such as the fact that the king is titular head of the Church of England, when we have an increased amount of non-religious or non-Christian faiths. How would you respond to that?
MIRVIS: This is predominantly a Christian country. Makes sense that the king should be the head of the church. We respect him for that. We respect the country for that. And we are exceptionally proud to be British and to celebrate this great occasion as to.
NOBILO: And you've met the now King Charles before, haven't you? Can you tell us about the interactions that you've experienced?
MIRVIS: Well, he actually made a phenomenal gesture when I had my installation service for chief rabbi in September 2013. He broke off his holiday in order to come back to London to be present for that occasion. The first occasion that a member of the royal family has been in synagogue for the installation of the new chief rabbi. And we have met on many occasions. And he has always gone out of his way to genuinely show his interest in Jews and in Jewish faith.
NOBILO: Rabbi Mirvis, thank you so much for joining us. And I wish you the best of luck that you fully enjoy any moment of the coronation ceremony tomorrow. Thank you very much.
MIRVIS: Thank you, Bianca.
NOBILO: Coming up next, vindication for the singer, Ed Sheeran. A jury found that he did not commit copyright infringement. And that decision came on Thursday, in a New York courtroom. Sheeran was accused of copying parts of the 1973 Marvin Gaye hit, "Let's Get It On." The family of that song's co-writer sued Sheeran over what they said was similarities with Sheeran's tune, "Thinking Out Loud." Sheeran spoke about the verdict and his frustration with the lawsuit.
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ED SHEERAN, SINGER: If the jury had decided this matter the other way, we might as well say goodbye to the creative freedom of songwriters. We need to be able to write our original music and engage in independent creation without worrying at every step of the way that such creativity will be wrongfully called into question.
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NOBILO: Ed Sheeran's legal team, had argued that the melodies of the two songs were different. They also said that both songs used musical elements, that are common in pop music.
The battle for Kyrsten Sinema Senate seat in Arizona is heating up as the Democratic turned independent is weighing on whether or not she would run for reelection. We'll have a report next from Phoenix.
[04:45:00]
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NOBILO: Democrat turned independent, Senator, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona is trying to give the Biden administration more flexibility in how it handles migrants at the border. Sinema and a bipartisan group of Senators have introduced a bill to counter the expected surge of migrants in the southern border, when Title 42 ends next week. That's the pandemic era rule that allowed migrants to be deported quickly due to the public health emergency. Border agents have used that rule nearly 3 million times to expel migrants from the U.S. Sinema's also calling out the White House for its claims at the border is secure.
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SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-AZ): Obviously, the borders not secure. Anyone with eyes can see that.
It would be most helpful if the administration would start by actually enforcing the laws that are on the books.
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NOBILO: This all comes as Sinema's reelection plans remain a mystery. But she's already getting criticism from nearly every direction. CNN's Kyung Lah has more from the story.
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CROWD: Sinema sold out! Sinema sold out!
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nearly all of these Arizona Democrats worked to elect Kyrsten Sinema to the U.S. Senate in 2018.
LAH: How many of you will do that again?
LAH (voice-over): In her first term, Senator Sinema has bucked her own party, blocking the White House from the debt ceiling to filibuster reform, and late last year, bolted from the Democratic Party to become an independent.
SINEMA: Registering as an independent and showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I've always been.
LAH (voice-over): Sinema has yet to announce she's running for reelection, but doing so would be a political gamble. Registered voters in this battleground state are split nearly evenly between Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We call upon your resignation.
LAH (voice-over): The Democratic base says they feel betrayed, accusing Sinema of listening to donors instead of voters.
CROWD: Sinema sold out! Sinema sold out!
LAH (voice-over): That anger -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really gave to her.
LAH (voice-over): -- is offering a political opportunity for Ruben Gallego, Democratic congressman, Latino, and a combat veteran. He's challenging Sinema from the left.
REP. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-AZ): She broke trust with a lot of the people of Arizona. They don't trust her values anymore, and she's not trying to repair that relationship.
LAH: Do you believe that Arizona is a blue state?
GALLEGO: I think Arizona's a bluer state. It's becoming bluer, but you still have to fight. You still have to win the moderate vote.
LAH (voice-over): This battle?
JUSTIN WILMETH (R), ARIZONA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: It's what the old popcorn, you're just kind of watching it, you know?
LAH (voice-over): Is welcome news for Republican State Representative Justin Wilmeth.
WILMETH: You know, glass stones and all that stuff. So, it's nice to see.
LAH: It's nice to see you.
WILMETH: Well, sure. I mean, I'm a politician, man. I'm a Republican. Knowing that your opponent is having problems getting to the line of scrimmage and executing their plays is good for me. Of course, it is.
LAH (voice-over): Still, there is uncertainty on the Republican side with Trump loyalist Kari Lake teasing a possible Senate bid.
Wilmeth says a three-way race with independent incumbent Sinema scrambles the entire swing state again.
WILMETH: Man, she's interesting. She's like an enigma wrapped in a riddle with a burrito around it. You know, it's so crazy, and it's a testament to Arizona and what this state is, and I think she's got a legitimate chance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's a very wily and smart politician.
LAH (voice-over): Sinema's path to victory likely lasts with these types of voters, registered independents. This group meets monthly, trying to find solutions to political extremism in Arizona. Even here, Sinema is divisive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm wondering who's her constituency.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I gave her money and she is dead to me.
JACKIE CHENERY, ARIZONA VOTER: I think she stood firm on the budget and I agreed with her. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But can she win?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think she's not stupid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Running for one party and then turning around right when you're done and switching to independent, that's just wrong.
MELISSA PERKINS, ARIZONA VOTER: I really want somebody who's going to say, this is what I believe, this is what I'm going to do. I don't care what party I'm affiliated with.
LAH (voice-over): Clint Smith is leading this meeting. He ran for Congress in 2022 as an independent candidate, betting his campaign on the high numbers of independents. He lost.
LAH: Does she follow the same fate as you did?
CLINT SMITH, REGISTERED INDEPENDENT: She's got some major advantages that I did not have. A lot of name recognition and some major bank.
LAH: But do you think she will win?
SMITH: From my experience, I feel like people retreat to their corners when push comes to shove.
LAH: We did reach out to Senator Sinema, her office declined to take part in the story. Instead, sending along this statement saying, quote, Kirsten is focus on delivering real solutions, not campaign politics.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Phoenix.
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[04:50:00]
NOBILO: Still ahead, game two in the battle of California, as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors. NBA playoff highlights coming up next.
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NOBILO: The NBA playoff series between the Warriors and the Lakers is heading to Los Angeles - tied one game apiece. Klay Thompson led Golden State with about 30 points in a blowout win against the Lakers on Thursday night. Steph Curry scored 20, LeBron James responded with 23 points for the Lakers. But Golden State jumped out to a 30-point lead in the third quarter and it stayed that way until the end. Game three is set for Saturday night.
A first-round exit in the NBA playoff is apparently not good enough for the Milwaukee Bucks. The team has fired head coach, Mike Budenholzer, after five seasons. Coach Bud led the Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years in 2020 to the 21 season. The team finished with the best record in the league three times during his tenure. But the top ranked Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this year with the Miami Heat.
[04:55:00]
Dabbawallas or lunchbox deliverymen are well known in Mumbai, India for delivering homemade luncheons in boxes. Some of them are also fans of King Charles. So much so that to honor his coronation, one group purchased gifts for his majesty. They say they have a good rapport with the royal family.
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VISHNU KALDOKE MUMBAI DABBAWALLA SPOKESMAN (through translator): The dabbawallas have good relations with the royal family. So, keeping this in mind after the death of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles is going to be crowned as the king of Britain. So, we are very happy. We thought of giving him gifts on May 6th, the day of his coronation. We are giving him a turban and a shawl of the Warkari community.
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NOBILO: 20 years ago, then Prince Charles, visited some dabbawallas during his ten visits to India.
When King Charles III is crowned tomorrow, the sovereign will travel in style. Buckingham Palace says two carriages will take the king to his coronation and back. The Diamond Jubilee State Coach, seen here, will be used when he and Queen Camilla leave for the coronation in the morning. It will be drawn by six Windsor gray horses. And the gold coach will be used for the coronation procession after the service. Built in 1762, it's been used every coronation since 1831. Because of its size and weight, it needs eight horses to draw it. And it's only ever used at a walking pace.
Do, you stay with CNN for our special live coverage of the coronation of King Charles III. It all starts officially tomorrow at 10:00 in the morning in London. And 5:00 a.m. Eastern time in North America.
That does it here for me on CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Bianca Nobilo, live from Buckingham Palace. EARLY START with Christine Romans is up for you next.
