British Royal Family

King Charles III Is Officially Crowned in Ancient Rite at Westminster Abbey in London

These days, the king no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September

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The two-hour ceremony was built on ancient traditions at a time when the monarchy faces an uncertain future.

King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony built on ancient traditions at a time when the British monarchy faces an uncertain future.

Trumpets sounded inside the medieval abbey and the congregation shouted “God save King Charles” as the ceremony began in front of more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Outside, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged along a route that the king traveled from Buckingham Palace in a gilt-trimmed, horse-drawn carriage.

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It was the final mile of a seven-decade journey for Charles from heir to monarch.

To the royal family and government, the occasion — code-named Operation Golden Orb — is a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world.

The rite was expected to be watched by millions, though the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke are largely gone — and many greeted the day with apathy.

Some even met it with disdain. Republican protesters gathered outside to holler “ Not my king ” for a celebration of an institution they say stands for privilege and inequality, in a country of deepening poverty and fraying social ties. A handful were arrested.

As guests arrived, the church buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colorful hats. Among them were U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British prime ministers as well as Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie.

Thousands of people from across the U.K. and around the world camped overnight along a 1.3-mile (2-kilometer) route that the king and his wife, Camilla, traveled to reach the abbey.

At a traditional Anglican service slightly tweaked for modern times, Charles, clad in crimson and cream robes, swore on a Bible that he is a “true Protestant.”

But for the first time, a preface was added to the coronation oath to say the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely," and the epistle from the King James Bible was read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain's first Hindu leader.

A gospel choir performed a newly composed “Alleluia,” and, for the first time, female clergy took part in the ceremony.

For 1,000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in grandiose ceremonies that confirm their right to rule.

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Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation ceremony, in London, Saturday, May 6, 2023.
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Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with their pages and other working royals, wave to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation ceremony, in London, Saturday, May 6, 2023.
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The military procession, the largest of its kind since the 1953 Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, makes its way down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla sets off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace during their coronation on May 6, 2023 in London.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla sets off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace during their coronation, May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Protesters at Trafalgar Square hold signs and shout as King Charles III and Queen Camilla pass by in the state carriage after the coronation ceremony on May 6, 2023, in London, England.
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The Coronation Procession passes along The Mall to Buckingham Palace following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in central London.
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Anne, Princess Royal, takes part in a procession following the coronation ceremony for Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla sets off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Britain’s Prince Louis of Wales travel back to Buckingham Palace with his parents from Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023, after the coronations of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Princess of Wales depart from the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla sets off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex looks on as King Charles III leaves Westminster Abbey after the Coronation Ceremonies in central London on May 6, 2023.
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King Charles III departs the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Penny Mordaunt leads King Charles III wearing the St Edward’s Crown during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London.
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Britain’s King Charles III wearing the Imperial state Crown, and Queen Camilla, wearing a modified version of Queen Mary’s Crown leave Westminster Abbey after the Coronation Ceremonies in central London on May 6, 2023.
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Prince William, Prince of Wales touches the St Edward’s Crown his father’s, King Charles III during the King’s Coronation Ceremony inside Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London.
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King Charles III with the St Edward’s Crown on his head at the Coronation Ceremony inside Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023.
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King Charles III is crowned with the St Edward’s Crown at the Coronation Ceremony inside Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023.
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King Charles III receives the St Edward’s Crown as he sits on the Coronation Chair, over the Stone of Scone, during the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London, Saturday, May 6, 2023.
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Queen Camilla is crowned by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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King Charles III during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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King Charles III attends his coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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From left: Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the coronations of Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Camilla, Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023.
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Britain’s Prince George of Wales, center, at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023, ahead of the coronations of his grandfather, Britain’s King Charles III.
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King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, at their coronations at Westminster Abbey, in central London on May 6, 2023.
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King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, attend their coronations at Westminster Abbey, in London, May 6, 2023.
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Prince George, left, with King Charles III during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Camilla, Queen Consort, arrives ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and herself on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte arrive ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales arrive at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales arrive with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London.
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Prince Edward and Sophie, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, arriving with Lady Louise Windsor, right, and the Earl of Wessex, left, at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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King Charles III travelling in the Diamond Jubilee Coach built in 2012 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, flanked by over a thousand Armed Forces route liners and The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry sets off along the Mall from Buckingham Palace on route to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London, England.
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King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort seen in the Diamond Jubilee Coach built in 2012 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023, in London.
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Princess Charlotte of Wales travel in the state car during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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First lady Dr. Jill Biden, and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden, ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Katy Perry and Edward Enninful arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Representatives of the Commonwealth realms arrive in Westminster Abbey ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Cherie Blair, former prime minister Gordon Brown, Sarah Brown, former prime minister David Cameron, Samantha Cameron, former prime minister Theresa May, Philip May, former prime minister Boris Johnson, Carrie Johnson, former prime minister Liz Truss and Hugh O’Leary seen ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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From left: Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, Crown Prince Akishino, Jayde Adams, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Princess Kiko, Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and wife Jetsun Pema arrive at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023, ahead of the coronations of Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Camilla, Queen Consort.
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From left: Queen Anne-Marie, Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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From left: King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia of Spain, King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium attend the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Flag bearers during the Coronation of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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A view of preparations at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023, ahead of the coronations of Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Camilla, Queen Consort.
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The Orb, the Sceptre with Dove and the Imperial State Crown are brought to the thrones before the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
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Members of the anti-monarchist group Republic stage a protest close to where Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Camilla, Queen Consort will be crowned at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023.
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Supporters of the Republic pressure group protest against the coronation on the edge of Trafalgar Square at the top of Whitehall on May 6, 2023 in London, England.

These days, the king no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.

The king remains the U.K.’s head of state and a symbol of national identity — and Charles will have to work to unite a multicultural nation and keep the monarchy relevant at at time when support for it is waning, especially among younger people.

The anti-monarchy group Republic said six of its members, including its chief executive, were arrested as they arrived at a protest. Police have said they will have a “low tolerance” for people seeking to disrupt the day, sparking criticism that they are clamping down on free speech.

A cost-of-living crisis is also making everyone in the U.K. poorer, raising questions about the cost of all the pomp.

Charles has sought to lead a smaller, less expensive royal machine for the 21st century. So this will be a shorter affair than Elizabeth's three-hour coronation.

In 1953, Westminster Abbey was fitted with temporary stands to boost the seating capacity to more than 8,000, aristocrats wore crimson robes and coronets, and the coronation procession meandered 5 miles (8 kilometers) through central London so an estimated 3 million people could cheer for the glamorous 27-year-old queen.

Organizers this time shortened the procession route, trimmed the coronation service to less than two hours and sent out 2,300 invitations to world royalty, heads of state, public servants, key workers and local heroes. There were judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals attached to red tunics and members of the House of Lords in their red robes.

Heir to the throne Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their three children were all in attendance. William’s younger brother Prince Harry, who has publicly sparred with the family, arrived alone. His wife Meghan and their children remained at home in California.

Built around the theme “Called to Serve,” the coronation service began with one of the youngest members of the congregation — a boy chorister — greeting the king. Charles responded by saying, "I come not to be served but to serve.”

The moment is meant to underscore the importance of young people — and is a new addition in a service laden with the rituals through which power has been passed down to new monarchs throughout the centuries.

The symbolic peak of the two-hour service came halfway through when Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid gold St. Edward’s Crown on the monarch’s head. Trumpets sounded and gun salutes were fired across the U.K.

In another change, Charles has scrapped the traditional moment at the end of the service when nobles were asked to kneel and pledge their loyalty to the king.

Instead, Welby will invite everyone in the abbey to swear “true allegiance” to the monarch. He'll invite people watching on television to pay homage, too — though that part of the ceremony has been toned down after some criticized it as a tone-deaf effort to demand public support for Charles. Welby will now suggest people at home take a “moment of quiet reflection” or say “God Save the King.”

The public’s response to Charles, though, during the service and along the parade route, is key, said George Gross, a visiting research fellow at King’s College, London and an expert on coronations.

“None of this matters if the public doesn’t show up,’’ Gross said. ‘’If they don’t care, then the whole thing doesn’t really work. It is all about this interaction.’’

And today's public is very different from the audience that saw Elizabeth crowned.

Almost 20% of the population now comes from ethnic minority groups, compared with less than 1% in the 1950s. More than 300 languages are spoken in British schools, and less than half of the population describe themselves as Christian.

Although organizers say the coronation remains a “sacred Anglican service,” the ceremony will for the first time include the active participation of other faiths, including representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh traditions.

Copyright The Associated Press
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