The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla took place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 2023. It’s the first coronation ceremony in over 70 years, since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953. King Charles III, the son of Late Queen Elizabeth II has been crowned in the ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury placing the St Edward’s Crown upon his head. As the crown was placed, the Archbishop led a chant of “God Save the King”, the Abbey bells rang, trumpets sounded and gun salutes were fired across the country.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, then knelt in front of his father, read an oath of loyalty and kissed him on the cheek.
The pledge of allegiance was taken by people in attendance at the Abbey as one.
Queen Camilla was then coronated in a simpler ceremony by placing Queen Mary’s crown on top of her head. Her coronation did not include an oath. Over 2300 people were invited to attend the King Charles III’s coronation. Many of the guests were from Royal families. Along with the British Royal family, leaders of the government were also present.
Prince William, the heir to the throne, arrived at the Abbey with his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, and their children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte. Prince Harry, who is no longer a member of the royal family since stepping down in 2020, arrived at the coronation with his cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Meghan Markle, Harry’s wife, who holds the title of Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, did not attend the coronation. Harry’s son Archie, celebrated his fourth birthday on the day of the coronation.
Prince George, the second-in-line-to-the-throne was enlisted among his grandfather’s pages of honour. He carried the corner of King Charles’s robe as the procession was made through the Abbey. Queen Camilla’s pages of honour included her grandsons: Freddy, Louis and Gus. The boys carried the train of their grandmother’s robe down the aisle.
LEADERS OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AT THE CEREMONY
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak on Saturday made history as the first Indian-origin British Prime Minister to perform a reading at the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. He and his wife Akshata Murty led the procession of flag-bearers as the UK’s Union Jack flag was carried into the Abbey by a high-ranking Royal Air Force (RAF) cadet.
Former British Prime Ministers John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Teresa May and Liz Truss were also there. Some celebrities were also present, including actress Emma Thompson and singer Lionel Richie.
Non-British Royals at the ceremony included:
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
Prince Radu and Margareta of Romania
Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan
Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba and wife Sylvia Bongo Ondimba
King Felipe VI and Letizia of Spain
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and many others
Some of the leaders from around the world who attended the coronation are:
First lady Jill Biden
French President Emmanuel Macron
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins
President of Israel Isaac Herzog
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau
First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf
THE CORONATION PROCESSION:
After the ceremony, the King and Queen were carried in the Gold State Coach, drawn by eight Windsor Greys, in the Coronation Procession as they returned to the Buckingham Palace in London.
The Princess Royal led the Coronation Procession as the “Gold-Stick-in-Waiting.” Princess Anne has held the distinguished position since 1998. It dates back to the 15th century, when two officers — a Gold Stick and a Silver Stick — were put close to the king to defend them from danger.
Princess Charlotte joined her parents in the first horse-drawn carriage behind the Gold State Coach. Catherine, Princess of Wales; Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; Princess Alexandra; Lady Louise Windsor were among the royal family members who participated in the procession to Buckingham Palace.
Harry, who is not a working royal, did not participate in the return procession to Buckingham Palace with the other members of the royal family. He also did not take part in the tradition of appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The procession route passed some monuments honouring the Royal Family, including statues of King George VI and the Queen Mother. The procession path from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace was only 1.3 miles long, compared to Queen Elizabeth’s 4.5-mile parade after her coronation in 1953.
THE FAMOUS BALCONY WAVE:
Joining the King and Queen on the balcony were their pages of honour, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, Princess Anne the Princess Royal, her son Peter Phillips, and Prince Edward the Duke of Edinburgh and his family. After disappearing inside, the King and Queen re-emerged for an encore appearance and one last wave.
