After the longest gap between coronations in the history of Great Britain, King Charles 111 and his Queen Consort, Camilla were today formally crowned in a most colourful ceremony. The last such coronation in Britain took place 70 years ago in 1953 during the coronation of the mother of the new king, Queen Elizabeth 11.
The ceremony which also took place in Westminster Abbey was stately but nevertheless full of music and rich in symbolism.
About 2,300 people, including the Royal Family, celebrities, faith leaders and heads of state, were inside the abbey to witness the event which went off like clockwork.
Hundreds of people had worked meticulously to ensure that every little part of the ceremony was executed perfectly.
King Charles 111 who had previously praised the masterful manner the British tend to execute these ceremonies and the Queen Consort were resplendent in priceless robes as they took their prime place in a deeply Christian ceremony of prayer and praise — steeped in 1,000 years of British history and tradition.
In taking his oath, the King intoned the famous words, “ I swear to govern the people with justice and mercy, and to uphold the Anglican Church of England and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.”
Much of the two-hour Anglican service, in which Charles pledged “I come not to be served but to serve”, would have been recognisable to the 39 other monarchs crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066.
Oceans of people, both young and old, braced the inclement weather as they lined up The Mall to catch a glimpse of the royal couple as Charles III on Saturday finally met his date with destiny after a lifetime as heir to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.
At 12:02 pm, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid gold St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head as a sacred and ancient symbol of the monarch’s authority.
Cries of “God Save the King” rang out from the 2,300-strong congregation at Westminster Abbey and trumpet fanfares sounded at the climax of the solemn religious confirmation of his accession.
Outside, ceremonial gun salutes blasted out across land and sea while bells pealed in celebration at churches across the country.
Rishi Sunak — Britain’s first prime minister of colour, who gave a reading from the Bible at the service — has described the coronation as “a proud expression of our history, culture and traditions”.
While every poll conducted in recent time show the British people are supportive of the royal family there were pockets of protesters at the event. They held aloft banners on the route of the procession route, declaring: “Not My King.”
London’s Metropolitan Police has some 11,500 officers on the streets in one of its biggest ever security operations. 9000 military personnel also lend gravitas to the ceremony as well as showing off the might of the nation’s celebrated army.
As only the second coronation to be beamed live on Television, the ceremony also witnessed some of the appurtenances of modern society including selfies and social media posts that are recording the event for posterity.
