Alexandra Hornyak, 57, flew in from Montreal. She remembers the day the date was announced: her husband phoned her as she drove to work and said, “May 6.” She booked a hotel straight away. On Saturday she stood on The Mall in the rain, one of thousands who had camped overnight to see Charles and Camilla crowned.
The King left for Westminster Abbey shortly after 10:00 BST in the horse-drawn Diamond Jubilee State Coach, past an honour guard of 1,000 service members. Faith leaders and Commonwealth leaders walked in ahead of the royal couple. Around 2,300 people sat inside for a two-hour service, the first coronation in 70 years. The Foreign Office said 90 heads of state attended. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was there, as were French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska. Jill Biden came in a three-car motorcade; the president stayed home.
“I come not to be served, but to serve,” Charles said in his first prayer after reaching the abbey. He was proclaimed “undoubted King” and the congregation answered with “God Save the King.”
Old rites, new voices
The orb, the sceptre and the gilded Sword of State all appeared. The anointing with holy oils by the Archbishop of Canterbury took place behind screens. The Palace said that was because the moment “has historically been regarded as a moment between the Sovereign and God.” While the King was hidden, choristers sang Handel’s Zadok the Priest, which has been heard at every coronation since 1727. Silence fell at the end of each stage.
This service leaned on faith more than any before it, with Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh representatives taking part. Sunak, who is Hindu, read the Bible lesson. Music was sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish.
Prince William pledged his loyalty and kissed his father on the cheek. Then the congregation was invited to offer its own support.
The Mall
The route back to the palace was the biggest state occasion since the late Queen’s coronation in 1953, with 4,000 armed forces personnel and 19 military bands. Rain fell constantly. The crowd started Mexican waves and cheered the police. Gun salutes sounded across the country.
The King and Queen waved from the balcony while the Red Arrows trailed red, white and blue overhead. Prince Harry, who sat two rows behind William in the abbey in their first public meeting since his memoir Spare came out, was not invited onto the balcony, the BBC understands. He flew to the US straight after the ceremony.
There was also a sizeable protest from Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state. About six protesters unloading placards from a van were arrested. The Metropolitan Police said it arrested 52 people in all, for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, and put 11,500 officers on duty, its biggest single-day deployment. Commander Karen Findlay said the police acted “in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation.” Yasmine Ahmed, Human Rights Watch UK director, called the reports of arrests “incredibly alarming.”
Sources
- King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned in historic Coronation
- King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned in historic Coronation
