The oil is pressed from olives harvested on the Mount of Olives, which figures prominently in the Bible, and is scented with sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin, amber oil and orange blossom, the palace said.
Charles’s paternal grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece, is buried in the Monastery of Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives.
“This demonstrates the deep historical connection between the coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in the statement. “From ancient kings to this day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this holy place.”
Charles will be formally crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London, in a ceremony the palace says will combine elements of tradition with modern touches that highlight the changing face of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
Charles became king on September 8 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for more than 70 years.
