1811, June 2 (The Royal Coronation): The coronation of King Henry and Queen Maria-Louisa took place on the 2nd of June, 1811, in a ceremony of unprecedented …
1811, June 2 (The Royal Coronation): The coronation of King Henry and Queen Maria-Louisa took place on the 2nd of June, 1811, in a ceremony of unprecedented “pomp and magnificence” in the city of Cape Henry. The event was attended by the newly created nobility, the military staff, and foreign dignitaries who witnessed the King taking a solemn oath to maintain the integrity of the territory. The religious ceremony was performed with “all the rites of the Catholic church,” emphasizing the divine sanction claimed by the new monarchy. This public display was intended to signify to the world that Hayti had fully emerged from the chaos of revolution into a state of “order and civilization.” Sanders presents the coronation as the ultimate “practical exemplification” of the progress of the African race.