King Charles III is crowned in Westminster Abbey, amid pomp and pageantry

King Charles III, the man who waited almost 74 years to become King, was crowned at Westminster Abbey with all the pomp and pageantry Britain could muster.

Shouts of “God save the King” and trumpets blared in the abbey after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby laid the Crown of St. Edward on the queen’s head.

Charles has vowed to rule the people of England with “justice and mercy” and to build an environment where people of all religions and beliefs can live freely. The oath is the second of five elements of the historic coronation rite that is based on more than 1,000 years of tradition.

The King said that he was willing to take the oath, and after showing his hand to the Bible, he solemnly promised to do so. He then kissed the scriptures.

Camilla, the Empress, was then anointed and crowned with the Crown of Queen Mary. The priest hands over the Queen’s Scepter with the Cross, and the Queen’s Scepter with the Dove.

After the service, Charles moved to the lighter Imperial State Crown. The King and Queen rode in the Golden State Coach on their way back to Buckingham Palace – where they appeared with other royals on the balcony to wave to the crowd below and watch a military aircraft flypast.

Around 4,000 soldiers marched towards the palace in a post-ceremony procession, making it Britain’s biggest military parade for 70 years.

high-profile guests

Westminster Abbey buzzed with excitement and abloom with fragrant flowers and colorful hats as guests arrived two hours before the ceremony began.

Streaming to the monastery were celebrities such as Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie, in addition to politicians, judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals attached to red tunics and members of the House of Lords in red robes.

Officials and world leaders in attendance include US First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and eight current and former prime ministers of the United Kingdom.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in central London in the rain, and cheers erupted among supporters lining The Mall, the main thoroughfare leading to the palace, as Charles and Camilla were seen waving from their Bentley as the motorcade arrived at Buckingham Palace.

The couple then left the palace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, and after a two kilometer journey, arrived at Westminster Abbey, where they were crowned.

The heir to the throne, Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their three children were in attendance. William’s brother Prince Harry, who has sparred publicly with the family, came alone. Meghan’s wife and children remain at home in California.

William’s eldest son, Prince George, was one of four pages of honor who carried his grandfather’s robe train.

During the service at the monastery, William knelt before his father to pledge his allegiance to the king.

“I will bring to you, as a liege of life and limb. So help me God,” William said.

Earlier, the anti-monarchy group Republicans said six members, including chief executive Graham Smith, were arrested near Trafalgar Square in central London as they prepared to protest the coronation.

On the south side of the square, thousands swell behind the metal fence along the procession route. In the middle of the crowd, dozens of anti-monarchy protesters, who held high yellow banners with the words “not my king” are often said.

Those who were among the crowd shouted: “Yes, it is,” or “My queen, and I am proud.”

Thousands dressed in their best Union Jack attire, as well as raincoats and ponchos easily cut off the noise from the protest, but were angered as protesters took center stage and blocked any view of the flag.

“They can protest, but they can’t hold the flag,” shouted Karen from Devon, south-west England.

‘People will stop and stare’

“Even in a world that is comfortable with entertainment on demand, people will stop and look,” said Michael Cole, former BBC royal correspondent, “because it will be a spectacular procession and a ritual, a ceremony, unlike anything that takes place anywhere in the world this.”

But like the best dramas, this is a show with a message.

For 1,000 years and more, British kings have been crowned in grand ceremonies that confirm their right to rule. Although the King no longer has executive or political power, he remains the head of state of England and a symbol of national identity.

At a time when double inflation was impoverishing everyone in England, Charles was eager to show that he could still be a unifying force in a multicultural country that was very different from his mother’s.

As such, it was a much shorter and less formal affair than Queen Elizabeth II’s three-hour coronation.

In 1953, Westminster Abbey was equipped with a temporary stand to increase its seating capacity to more than 8,000, the aristocrats wore robes and crimson coronets, and the coronation procession traveled eight kilometers through central London, so that approximately three million people could cheer the 25-year-old Queen- old

Meeting ceremony

Organizers shortened Charles’ service to less than two hours and sent out 2,300 invitations. Aristocrats were told to be rich in ceremony and the procession traveled shorter, the direct route back to Buckingham Palace from the monastery. It follows Charles’ instructions for pared-down ceremonies as he seeks to create a smaller, cheaper royal machine for the 21st century.

Charles did away with the traditional moment at the end of the service when nobles are asked to bow and pledge their allegiance to the king. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury called on everyone in the abbey and those watching on television to swear “true loyalty” to the king.

The pledge sparked debate in Britain, with some observers suggesting it was a tone-deaf attempt to garner public support for Charles. Welby responded by saying that it was not an order and that people could decide whether to participate.

Almost 20 per cent of the UK’s population now come from ethnic minority groups, compared to less than one per cent in the 1950s. More than 300 languages ​​are spoken in British schools, and less than half of the population identify themselves as Christians.

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

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered a reading from the New Testament in the Bible.

Officials said Sunak was a Hindu, he read as prime minister, so there was no issue about his personal faith during the Anglican service.