History has been created! King Charles III was crowned the King of the United Kingdom in a lavish Coronation ceremony that was held on Saturday, May 6. The Archbishop of Canterbury placed the solid-gold crown on King Charles’ head in Westminster Abbey. The whole crowd that had gathered outside filled the air with the chants of ‘God save the king!’. It was indeed a spectacle to watch!
Thousands of troops and spectators emerged along the route which the king took from Buckingham Palace to travel to Westminster Abbey in a horse-drawn carriage. Here are some key moments from the Coronation that will give you a peek inside the magnificent ancient tradition.
– Westminster Abbey saw a plethora of people outside to catch the glimpse of their new King. A number of royal guests were also seen marking the occasion with their presence amongst fragrant flowers and colorful hats! To name a few, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British prime ministers as well as Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie, were seen at the ceremony among many others.
– King Charles’ wife, who was till now the Queen Consort, was also anointed and crowned in a more simple ceremony. Camilla was crowned with Queen Mary’s crown, which as per reports, was actually designed for Mary to wear at the coronation ceremony of George V. Part of the ceremony also involved both Charles and Camilla to get symbolically re-married in the eyes of God so that they could take the oath of service together.
– The lavish traditional ceremony was not all about loud cheers. Republican protesters had assembled who chanted slogans of ‘Not my king’. They believe that the royal ceremony celebrates an institution which stands for privilege and inequality, in a country that is currently facing one of the worst political, economic crises. A handful of protestors were arrested.
– For the first time, a preface was added to the coronation oath which said the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.” Also, a few lines were read from the King James Bible by Britain’s first Hindu Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. The PM seemed quite ecstatic and said, “No other country could put on such a dazzling display – the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties.”
– Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar represented India on the historic occasion and sat alongside other Commonwealth Heads of State. Hundreds of soldiers in scarlet uniforms and black bearskin hats lined the route along The Mall, the grand boulevard to Buckingham Palace. The crowd ignored the light rain to be a part of and witness this moment in history.
– Speaking of the ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the jewel-studded gold crown on the head of Charles midway through the two-hour ceremony. The crown features a purple velvet cap, ermine band and criss-crossed arches topped by a cross. It’s set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines.
– Lord Indarjit Singh, the British Sikh peer, handed over a key item of the regalia to King Charles III during his Coronation. The traditional ceremony also saw a choir perform a newly composed ‘Alleluia’ and for the first time, a female clergy took part in the ceremony.
– London streets were lined with tens of thousands of well-wishers who chanted the King’s name and waved flags. Once the King reached Westminster Abbey, he was greeted by a congregation of around 2,200 people.
(With Agency Inputs)