King Charles III was crowned as the new King of the United Kingdom on Saturday at Westminster Abbey in London
Charles III was officially crowned as the King of the United Kingdom (U.K.) in a glittering coronation ceremony on Saturday, i.e., May 6, 2023.
His wife – Camilla was officially crowned as the Queen of the U.K. Prior to the coronation, Charles and Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey in a splendid coach drawn by six horses, accompanied by the Household Cavalry.
The once-in-a-generation royal event witnessed hundreds of high-profile guests inside Westminster Abbey, as well as tens of thousands of well-wishers who gathered in Central London despite the rain.
Besides being the Head of State of the U.K. and 14 other countries, King Charles III is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
While Charles III became King on the death of his mother – Queen Elizabeth II in September 2023, the formal coronation was held yesterday. The coronation lasted just over two hours, about an hour shorter than Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
It followed a traditional template that has stayed the same for over 1,000 years. However, it has been modernized in certain key ways. The Archbishop acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the U.K. during the ceremony, saying the Church of England will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely.
The Archbishop, for the first time in coronation history, invited the British public, as well as those from other Realms, to recite a pledge of allegiance to the newly crowned monarch and his heirs and successors.
Once King Charles III was crowned, Queen Camilla was crowned in her own, shorter ceremony with Queen Mary’s Crown, marking the first time in recent history that a new crown wasn’t made specifically for this occasion. After the ceremony, the newly crowned King and Queen rode back to Buckingham Palace in a much larger parade, featuring 4,000 members of the armed forces, 250 horses and 19 military bands.
The pomp and pageantry concluded with a royal salute and the customary balcony appearance by the King and family members.
More than 100 Heads of State from around the world and dozens of members of foreign royal families travelled to London for the occasion. While the President of the United States (U.S.) – Joe Biden did not travel to London, the First Lady of the U.S. – Jill Biden was present for the ceremony. The First Lady of Ukraine – Olena Zelenska was also present for the ceremony.
The Prime Minister of Canada – Justin Trudeau, The Prime Minister of Australia – Anthony Albanese, the President of the European Commission – Ursula Von der Leyen, the President of the European Council – Charles Michel and the President of France – Emmanuel Macron also attended the service. The Prime Minister of the U.K. – Rishi Sunak and all his predecessors including Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major were also present.
Taking it to twitter, Ursula tweeted,
The Coronation is a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy. A symbol of stability and continuity.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 6, 2023
My congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla. pic.twitter.com/rhLM9iAFrG
Congratulating the King and Queen, Macron tweeted,
Congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, friends of France.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 6, 2023
Proud to be by your side on this historic day.
Despite the splendor of the occasion, some have objected to millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money being spent on a lavish ceremony at a time when millions of Britons are suffering a severe cost-of-living crisis.
Besides, as per a CNN poll, Britons are more likely to say their views of the monarchy have worsened than improved over the past decade. As per the results, King Charles’ heir – Prince William is viewed with greater affection than his father.
