Live Updates: Charles III crowned King at first UK coronation in 70 years

 

By AFP

Charles III on Saturday finally met his date with destiny after a lifetime as heir to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, as he was officially crowned king in the first coronation in Britain since 1953.

At exactly 12:02 pm (1102 GMT), the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid gold St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head as a sacred and ancient symbol of the monarch’s authority.

Cries of “God Save the King” rang out from the 2,300-member congregation at Westminster Abbey and trumpet fanfares sounded at the climax of the solemn religious confirmation of his accession.

Outside, ceremonial gun salutes blasted out across land and sea while bells pealed in celebration at churches.

Charles, 74, will wear the St Edward’s Crown only once during his reign. His wife, Camilla, 75, was crowned queen in a simpler ceremony soon afterwards.

The build-up to the Christian ceremony of prayer and praise — steeped in 1,000 years of British history and tradition, with sumptuous robes and priceless regalia — has been mostly celebratory.

But even before Charles and Camilla left Buckingham Palace for a rainy procession to the abbey, police arrested dozens of protesters using new powers rushed onto the statute book to crack down on direct action groups.

The anti-monarchy movement Republic — which wants an elected head of state — said six of its organisers were detained, while climate activists Just Stop Oil said 19 of its number were held.

Nevertheless, dozens of Republic activists held aloft banners on the route of the procession route, declaring: “Not My King.”

Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International voiced concern at the arrests. “This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London,” HRW said.

London’s Metropolitan Police has some 11,500 officers on the streets in one of its biggest ever security operations. It has warned that it has an “extremely low threshold” for protests.

As well as being the first coronation in 70 years, it was the first of a king since 1937. It was only the second to be televised and the first in colour and streamed online.

– Changes –

Much of the two-hour Anglican service, in which Charles pledged “I come not to be served but to serve”, would have been recognisable to the 39 other monarchs crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066.

But while many of the intricate rituals and ceremony to recognise Charles as his people’s “undoubted king” remained, the king sought to bring other aspects of the service up to date.

Female bishops and choristers participated for the first time, as did leaders of Britain’s non-Christian faiths, while its Celtic languages — Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic — featured prominently.

A gospel choir sang for the first time at a coronation while a Greek choir intoned a psalm in tribute to Charles’s late father, Prince Philip, who was born on the island of Corfu.

As king, Charles is supreme governor of the Church of England and has described himself as a “committed Anglican Christian”.

But he heads a more religiously and ethnically diverse country than the one his mother inherited in the shadow of World War II.

As such, he sought to make the congregation more reflective of British society, inviting ordinary members of the public to sit alongside heads of state and global royalty.

In another change, the coronation themes mirrored his lifelong interest in biodiversity and sustainability.

Seasonal flowers and foliage were brought from the wind-battered Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland to Cornwall at the tip of England’s southwest coast to fill the abbey.

Ceremonial vestments from previous coronations were reused, and the anointing oil — created from olives on groves on the Mount of Olives and perfumed with essential oils — was vegan.

Charles was anointed out of sight of the congregation behind a three-sided screen in front of the High Altar, to the strains of Handel’s soaring anthem “Zadok the Priest”, sung at every coronation since 1727.

In a related development, World leaders have extended their heartfelt felicitations, marking the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The US President Joe Biden congratulated the King and Queen, noting the “enduring friendship” between the United Kingdom and United States in a tweet.

French President Emmanuel Macron said King Charles III and Queen Camilla are “friends of France.”

“Proud to be by your side on this historic day,” Macron tweeted in French.

President of the European Council Charles Michel extended his “best wishes” to King Charles III and Queen Camilla in a tweet, adding that the council appreciates the King’s dedication to environmental efforts.

“EUGB friendship,” he tweeted.

Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin congratulated the King and Queen on Coronation Day, “a very important day for many across these islands.”

He said, “We will continue to work in support of the bonds of friendship between our peoples and the strong connections we share.”

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said “it was a great pleasure and honour” to be at the coronation in London.

In a tweet, Niinistö said, “On behalf of Finland, we extended Their Majesties our very best wishes for a long and successful reign.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tweeted in Italian, “The ancient Cosmatesque mosaic in Westminster Abbey, on which today the throne was placed for the coronation of King Charles III, was masterfully created by Italian craftsmen some eight centuries ago.”

“Today it is still there to amaze the world, and to tell the story of the historic and fruitful cooperation between Italy and the United Kingdom, which we are sure with King Charles III -;

“…who once again reminded yesterday that he loves Italy – will further strengthen, as we have already begun to do with PM Rishi Sunak,” she said.

“My best wishes to King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the entire British people,” she said.

Switzerland President Alain Berset extended “best wishes for a long and happy reign 👑🇬🇧 ” in a tweet.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, in a shaort message, tweeted, “God Save The King.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was at the ceremony and said in a statement, “His Majesty King Charles III has trained and served alongside military personnel, and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Thousands of sailors, soldiers and aviators are marching together in the Coronation procession.”

“The UK is a founding member of NATO and a strong and committed Ally, with a long history of stepping up to support Allies and partners,” the statement said.