King Charles III and Queen Camilla were on Saturday crowned at Westminster Abbey in a glittering but archaic ritual not seen in Britain since 1953.
Thousands of poncho-clad royal fans turned out in central London to offer their support to the new monarch as he was officially declared king of 15 countries.
More than 2,000 guests – including a hundred heads of state – watched on as King Charles received the golden St Edward’s Crown in a medieval service that comes as the monarchy’s relevance is also called into question.
Charles, 74, is now the 40th sovereign, and the oldest, to be enthroned at Westminister.
In the heavily guarded streets fanning out from the abbey to Buckingham Palace, police and troops worked steadily to control crowds that included both spectators and anti-monarchy protesters.
Rainy procession
Along The Mall, where King Charles and Queen Camilla rode past twice, crowds swelled to their tens of thousands as fans jockeyed for a prime viewing position along the main procession route.
With many people camping out overnight, the boulevard had reached capacity earlier in the day. Police barricaded the side streets leading down to The Mall and instead directed crowds to several official screening sites.
The drizzling rain saw thinner-than-expected crowds at a screening site in Hyde Park, but the weather did little to dampen the spirits of royal fans – many dressed in red, white and blue – who brought tarpaulins along with their picnic blankets and deck chairs.
“It was amazing – the sceptre, the orb, and the whole ritual. There were so many fascinating facts that we didn’t know about,” one royal fan told RFI.
Meanwhile another fan said: “Charles looked like he was reflecting on his mother and how he had seen her all his life.
“Then when his own son comes and vows to him as well, that had to be incredibly emotional.”
Later on, the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, staged a flyby with red, white and blue plumes as King Charles and Queen Camilla waved to spectators gathered outside the palace.
The coronation will be followed on Sunday by a concert at Windsor, while luncheons are to be held in streets across the country.
Coronation spectacle
The king and his wife, Camilla, the queen consort, travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey – a distance of 2.2-km – at a stately pace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach bearing a gilded crown, which was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
The Guardian reported that King Charles was presented with the Armills –the “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom”. Lord Kamall presented the armills to King Charles after he was enthroned.
The Bishop of Durham put the Stole Royal over the King’s shoulders before William, Baroness Merron, who served as the Board of Deputies of British Jews’ chief executive, and assisting bishops clothed the king in the Robe Royal, the publication reported.
The Anglican Archbishop of Armagh handed over the orb to Justin Welby. The Ring was brought from the altar by Lord Patel. Representing the Sikh community Lord Singh of Wimbledon had in his trust the glove, The Guardian reported.
Queen Consort Camilla was also enthroned in a simpler ceremony. Camilla was presented with the royal sceptre and the rod of equity and mercy, and was crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown.
The king entered through the great west door of the abbey. He wore a long dark red robe as he slowly proceeded through the church behind his wife, Camilla. He was greeted by a congregation of around 2,200 – made up of heads of state and government, worldwide royalty as well as community champions.
India’s Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar represented India on the historic occasion and sat alongside other Commonwealth Heads of State.
Westminster Abbey has been the site of every British Coronation since that of William The Conqueror in 1066 and King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, followed in the footsteps of this grand tradition in a service themed “Called to Serve”.
The Service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, with faith leaders and representatives of the Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish communities processing through the Abbey ahead of the service.
King Charles III took the solemn oath to govern the people of the United Kingdom with justice and mercy and to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs can live freely after placing his hand on the Bible. He later kissed the holy book.
For his coronation, King Charles III wore the crimson velvet Robe of State, a Crimson Coronation Tunic and cream silk overshirt with Royal Naval trousers. The king’s Robe of State is made of crimson velvet and was worn by King George VI at the Coronation in 1937.
Queen Camilla, the queen consort, wore a crimson robe, this one originally made for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Underneath she is wearing a tailored dress designed by Bruce Oldfield and created in Bruce Oldfield’s couture workrooms in Battersea, London.
Rishi Sunak made history as the first Indian-origin British Prime Minister to perform a reading at the Coronation ceremony. As the country’s first Hindu head of government, the 42-year-old read from the Epistle to the Colossians from the New Testament reflecting the theme of service to others, in keeping with the recent tradition of UK Prime Ministers giving readings at State occasions.
He and his wife Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, led the procession of flag-bearers as the UK’s Union Jack flag was carried into the Abbey by a high-ranking Royal Air Force (RAF) cadet.
“In the Abbey where monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years, representatives of every faith will play a central role for the first time,” said Sunak, in a statement on the eve of the historic event.
“The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be a moment of extraordinary national pride. Together with friends from across the Commonwealth and beyond, we will celebrate the enduring nature of our great monarchy: its constancy, devotion to duty, and service to others. No other country could put on such a dazzling display the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties,” he said.
However, he stressed the Coronation the first in 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953 is not just a spectacle but a proud expression of history, culture, and traditions.
The medieval tradition began with the Archbishop of Canterbury presenting Charles III to the congregation as the undoubted king.
The two-hour-long ceremony at the Abbey will conclude with the chiming of Abbey bells and the newly crowned King and Queen making their way to another waiting horse-drawn historic Gold State Coach.
Last seen during the Pageant of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022 and used at every Coronation since that of William IV in 1831.
BBC reported that gun salutes were sounded at 13 locations around the UK, including in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast as well as on naval vessels. The traditional salvo involves 21 rounds, fired at 10-second intervals, the publication reported.
Kings, Queens at the coronation
Among the royals leading the glamour were Princess Charlene of Monaco and Queen Letizia of Spain; King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, Jordan; King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Máxima; King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden and Crown Princess Victoria, and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.
The rest included Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary; King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde; Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, with Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal; Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teres; Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie, Lichtenstein.
Others were King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, Bhutan; King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, Thailand; King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u, Tonga; Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku, Malaysia; and Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, Japan.
(With inputs from Mail online)
