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King Charles III and Queen Camilla can be seen on the Buckingham Palace balcony ahead of the flypast during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England.
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King Charles III is now the anointed sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, after 70 years as heir to the throne — the longest wait in history — to claim a destiny ordained at birth.
Charles, 74, was crowned Saturday in an ancient and often moving religious ritual that bowed to tradition, displayed Britain’s honed sense of organized pageantry, and added touches of modernity aimed at updating a 1,000-year-old monarchy for an uncertain future. He is the oldest monarch ever to take the throne in the U.K.
It was a normal spring day, a bit wet, as it was for the 1953 and 1937 coronations. But it wasn’t torrential, just a drizzle, nothing that would dampen the enthusiasm of the cheering crowds of royal fans lining the Mall for the procession to Westminster Abbey; some of them had been camped out there for days.
Charles’ consort, Queen Camilla, 75, was crowned as well, and his heirs to the throne — son William, the Prince of Wales, 40, and grandson Prince George of Wales, 9 — took part in the two-hour ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
The king emerged from the abbey wearing the heavy imperial state crown and with Queen Camilla returned to Buckingham Palace in an antique horse-drawn carriage accompanied by ranks of colorfully clad troops, horses and bands through central London streets lined with enthusiastic crowds.
Later, the royal couple, wearing their crowns and coronation robes, appeared on the palace balcony with most of his immediate family to acknowledge the cheers from the jam-packed Mall, and to watch the traditional, always impressive fly-past by military aircraft trailing British red, white and blue.
Here are some of the highlights of the day, widely carried by broadcasters around the world for hours before the ceremony began at 11 a.m. London time. The British outdid themselves again, pulling off a massive and complicated coronation ritual that was almost flawless.
The Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Reverend Justin Welby places the St Edwards Crown on King Charles III.
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Balancing the weight of the crown ... literally!
The St. Edward’s Crown wobbled. After placing it on Charles’ head, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, seemed to twist it a bit to make sure it stayed put, then briefly lifted it again to secure it. The crown tipped forward, so the archbishop adjusted it some more before he was satisfied.
Aside from being old, the crown is heavy and tall, but it was specially fitted for the king’s head after being removed from the Tower of London, where it is usually part of the display of the crown jewels.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, talks to his aunt, Princess Anne, Princess Royal at Westminster Abbey.
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Where is Prince Harry?
Not at the back, as predicted by some hostile tabloids, but not in the front, either. The Duke of Sussex was seated in the third row, far from estranged elder brother Prince William and his family in the front row.
Harry, the rebel younger son of the king, who is fifth in line to the throne and a Councilor of State, paid a price for his decision to give up his royal role and move with his American wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to California: He walked into the abbey alone (Meghan stayed home with their two children) behind his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and their husbands, who followed their father, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the king’s younger, scandal-scarred brother. All of the Yorks are far behind Harry in the succession.
Harry was not wearing a uniform because he was stripped of his military associations and roles by his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after he left the U.K. And he was not on the palace balcony after the ceremony; he was expected to return to California immediately after the ceremony, thus missing the coronation concert on Sunday at Windsor Castle.
Prince William touches the St Edward's Crown on the head of his father, King Charles III.
AFP via Getty Images
Prince William bows to the King
Prince William, first in line to the throne now, was first after the archbishop to pay homage to the king — and he was the only one because the Homage of the Peers of past coronations was dropped. He pledged to be the king’s “liege man,” and kissed him on the cheek.
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