London: King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, in a ceremony steeped in ancient ritual and at a time when the monarchy is attempting to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain. In a coronation with a display of royal power straight from the Middle Ages, Charles was given an orb, a sword and scepter and held the solid gold, inlaid St Edward’s crown, as he sat on a 700-year-old . Oak chair.
In front of a cacophony of world leaders, foreign royals, dignitaries and stars, the monarch declared, “I have come not to serve but to be served,” and was presented as Britain’s “undoubted king”.
Inside the medieval abbey, trumpets sounded, and the congregation of more than 2,000 shouted “God save the king!” Outside, thousands of soldiers, hundreds of thousands of spectators and hundreds of protesters gathered.
it was the culmination of a Seven decades of journey from king to successor,
For the royal family and government, the occasion – code-named Operation Golden Orb – was a display of heritage, tradition and pageantry unmatched around the world.
For the crowd gathered under rainy skies – thousands of whom had camped overnight – it was a chance to be part of a historic event.
Julie Newman, a 77-year-old visitor from Canada, said the royal procession was “absolutely magnificent. It couldn’t have been better.”
“But we’re ready to go back home and watch it all on television,” she said.
But for millions more, the day was greeted with a shrug, the awe and respect the ceremony was designed to elicit was largely gone.
And for some, it was a reason to protest. Hundreds of people who want to see Britain become a republic gathered to say “No to my king”. They see the monarchy as an institution that stands for privilege and inequality in a country that deepens poverty and erodes social ties. A handful were arrested.
As the day begins, the abbey buzzes with excitement and is filled with fragrant flowers and colorful hats. Notable people streamed: US First Lady Jill Biden, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, French President Emmanuel Macron, eight current and former British Prime Ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers with glittering medals, and Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Celebrities including Richie.
During the traditional Anglican service, slightly modified for modern times, Charles, dressed in crimson and cream velvet and ermine-trimmed garmentsswore on a Bible that he was a “true Protestant”.
But a preamble was added to the coronation oath, which stated that the Anglican Church would “promote an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs can live freely.” It was the first ceremony to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths, as well as the first attended by female clergy.
Charles was anointed from the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land – a part of the ceremony so sacred it was concealed behind a screen – before being presented with the Sovereign’s Orb and other regalia.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby then placed the crown on Charles’ head while he sat in the Coronation Chair – once gilded, now worn and covered with frescoes. Beneath the seat was a sacred slab known as the Stone of Scone, upon which ancient Scottish kings were crowned.
For 1,000 years and more, grand ceremonies like this one confirmed the right of British kings to rule. Charles was the 40th sovereign to be enthroned at the Abbey – and the oldest at the age of 74.
These days, the monarch no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial because Charles automatically became king upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.
The monarch remains the UK’s head of state and symbol of national identity – and Charles will have to work to bring together a multicultural nation and rally support for the monarchy at a time when it is waning, especially among young people Middle.
While most Britons view the monarchy on a spectrum from indifference to mild interest, some are opposed to it. Anti-monarchy group Republic said several of its members, including its chief executive, were arrested as they arrived at a protest in central London.
Police, who warned they would have “low tolerance” for people seeking to disrupt the day, said they made 52 arrests. Human Rights Watch said that the arrests of peaceful protesters were “something you would expect in Moscow, not London.”
The multi-million-pound cost of all the fanfare – the exact figure unknown – also ranked some among the cost-of-living crisis, which means many Britons are struggling to pay energy bills and buy food .
Charles has sought to lead a smaller, less expensive royal machine for the 21st century, and his affair was smaller, smaller, than his mother’s coronation.
The notoriously feudal royal family made its own show of unity. Prince William, who is later to become king, his wife Kate and their three children were all in attendance. At the end of the ceremony, William knelt before his father and – before kissing him on the cheek – pledged loyalty to the king.
Archbishop Welby then invited everyone in the monastery to take an oath of “true allegiance” to the Emperor. He added that people watching on television could also pay tribute – although cut that part of the ceremony short after some criticized it as a tone-deaf attempt to demand a public oath of allegiance to Charles. I went.
Prince Harry, William’s younger brother, who has publicly feuded with the family, arrived alone. His wife Meghan and their children remained at home in California, where the couple have lived since stepping down as senior royals in 2020.
As Charles and leading royals attended the ceremony in a spectacular military procession, Harry waited outside the monastery until a car arrived to whisk him away.
Large crowds cheered as Charles and Queen Camilla, who was also crowned, rode in gold state carriages from the abbey to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a procession of 4,000 soldiers and military bands playing merry tunes. From the balcony of the palace, the king and queen waved to a sea of people who were cheering and shouting “God save the king!”
For many other Britons, the day’s events aroused mild curiosity.
Cherie Duffy, traveling from Anglesey in Wales to London on a planned trip before the coronation date was set, saw the ceremony on TV – but only because someone else turned it on.
Regarding how she and her friends felt, she said, “There’s not a normal anxiety.”