After being heir to the throne for seventy years, King Charles III was crowned as Monarch of the United Kingdom at the Westminster Abbey yesterday.
The 40th Monarch to be crowned at the Abbey, Charles, who watched his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s own Coronation as a four-year old boy in 1953, was crowned several minutes ahead of Camilla, The Queen Consort, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
About 100 Heads of State and dignitaries from around the world and the Commonwealth, as well as the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, attended the service in the company of the over 2,000 members of the congregation invited to the historic service .
Welby prayed for the King that he may exercise his duties in righteousness and with wisdom. The Archbishop and other officiating ministers also prayed for the Queen Consort too.
The royal couple’s journey to the Coronation service started shortly after 9am, when they were driven from their official residence at Clarence House to Buckingham Palace.
From there, they later journeyed in the newest state carriage, the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was built to mark the King’s late mother’s 60th anniversary of her reign.
Like in 1953, the heavens opened and though it continued till well after the service, the rain wasn’t as much as during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Hundreds of people defied the drizzling showers and gathered at some of the public viewing centres in central London, where huge screens were mounted for people to follow the service when it started at 11am. Crowds also gathered at pubs, drinking and following every bit of the two-hour historic occasion.
The Guardian stayed at one of such viewing centres at St James’s Market Pavilion, where about 200 gathered and watched. Huge cheers and applause followed the moment the King was anointed at around 11.45am.
But shortly afterward, chants of “who elected the King?” went up in the nearby vicinity as about 50 anti-monarchy protesters were marching through Regent Street, St James’s and Waterloo Place and onwards to Pall Mall. With a huge “Abolish the Monarchy“ banner, The Guardian followed them as they chanted and made their voices heard, but under the watchful eyes of no-nonsense Metropolitan Police officers. An overzealous protester who appeared from nowhere and wanted to join from the front was quickly muscled off track and to the side by an officer.
Besides that one group and a few anti-monarchy banners that were seen around the human traffic at Trafalgar Square, it was cheers and shouts of “God Save the King” all the way.
When The Guardian joined punters at the packed Three Crowns Pub on Babmaes Street (off Jermyn street, near Piccadilly Circus), the mood was of a celebration. The crowd joined in singing “God save the King,” as the King and The Queen Consort made their way out of the Westminster Abbey.
From the Abbey, they returned to Buckingham Palace in the 260-year old Gold State Coach, which has been used at every Coronation since William IV’s own in 1831.
As they journeyed back, a huge image of the newly crowned King and three of the officiating ministers was beamed unto the giant viewing screen at Piccadilly Circus.
Speaking ahead of the Coronation on ITV Good Morning yesterday, Prince William’s former press secretary, Ed Perkins, described the occasion as both: ” a family and national event. “Former Spice Girl, Mel B, told the programme that the King is: “going to be in his element,” as “he’s been preparing all his life.”
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