The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla takes place at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
The coronation ceremony of the British king, which has been followed for nearly a thousand years, is now the only ceremony of its kind in Europe.
However, the coronation was shorter and smaller than Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation and represented a greater diversity of religious beliefs.
On the morning of the coronation day, Charles and Camilla, accompanied by the Royal Horse Guard, traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, passing by a series of London landmarks, including The Mall, Admiralty Arch ), around Trafalgar Square, along Whitehall and across Parliament Square. This is called “The King’s Procession”.
After the coronation, the King and Queen and the rest of the royal family returned to Buckingham Palace to wave to the public from the iconic balcony.
The King’s motorcade arrives at Westminster Abbey, the site of the coronation.
More than 6,000 members of the British Armed Forces took part in the parade, making it the largest ceremonial operation in the past 70 years. People from across the UK and the Commonwealth also took part in the march.
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The king and queen travel to Westminster Abbey in a relatively modern carriage, the Diamond Jubilee, which was first commissioned in 2014 and has electric windows and air conditioning.
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During the “King’s Parade”, the British people gathered on both sides of the street and welcomed Charles’ carriage with cheers. There were also protesters against the monarchy, holding signs, and some protesters were taken away by the police.
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Protesters held signs reading “Not My King”, “Parasite King”, “This Country Is Ours”.
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The coronation of British monarchs follows the tradition of being held at Westminster Abbey. The exclusive chapel of the British royal family at Westminster Abbey has witnessed important moments such as the coronation of monarchs, royal weddings, and royal funerals. William I the Conqueror was the first British monarch to be crowned at Westminster, while Charles III was the 40th.
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Prince Harry attended the coronation, but his wife, Meghan, did not attend. The day of the coronation coincided with the fourth birthday of their son, Prince Archie. King Charles’ younger brother Prince Andrew, who has been plagued by scandal in recent years, also attended the coronation.
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The king enters Westminster Abbey with his grandson Prince George behind him, holding his robes. George is currently second in line to the throne.
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Prince William and his two other children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Prince William is currently first in line to the throne.
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The anointing is an important part of the ceremony – the king takes off his coronation robes and sits in the coronation chair. The Archbishop of Canterbury anointed the king’s hands, chest and head with a secret recipe of holy oil known to contain ambergris, orange blossom, rose, jasmine and cinnamon. Additionally, the holy oils formulated for Charles do not contain any ingredients derived from animals. In order to protect the king’s privacy, the process of the anointing ceremony was covered with a screen.
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The investiture ceremony, where items bestowed on the monarch include the Royal Orb, which represents religious and moral authority, the scepter, which represents power, and the “royal scepter”, a golden rod with a white enameled dove on it, a symbol of justice and mercy. Finally, the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the St. Edward’s Crown on the king’s head.
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King Charles’ son and first in line Prince William kissed his father after the coronation.
Queen Camilla is crowned.
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Enthronement and Tribute – The king leaves the coronation chair and moves to the throne. Archbishops, members of the royal family and others knelt down to pay respects.
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Charles and Camilla returned to Buckingham Palace after their coronation in the “golden coach” that has been used for every coronation since the 1830s.
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Prince William and Kate Middleton returned to Buckingham Palace together in another carriage.
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Eight Commonwealth countries sent troops to participate in the parade, escorting the king’s carriage.
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The king and queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and waved to the crowd, marking the end of the whole ceremony. Most of the royal family were on the balcony together, and Prince Harry was not invited to the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the BBC has learned.
On June 2, 1953, at the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II, the four-year-old Prince Charles rested his chin on his hand, with his grandmother Queen Mary on the left and his aunt Princess Margaret on the right.
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