Celebrations as King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned
King Charles has been crowned at his Coronation, the first in the UK for 70 years. Shortly afterwards, his wife Camilla was crowned Queen.
After the crown was placed on Charles’ head, cries of “God Save the King” were heard inside and outside Westminster Abbey.
Gun salutes were made across the UK, the abbey bells rang for two minutes, and corks were popped on the Mall in London where thousands had gathered.
After the ceremony, the crowds who lined the procession route watched the newly-crowned couple make their way to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach.
And on the Mall in front of the palace, the public peered from under their umbrellas to see the family’s balcony appearance.
But the BBC understands Prince Harry – who was at the ceremony in Westminster Abbey – was not invited to join his family on the balcony.
The Duke of Sussex arrived at the abbey alongside his cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
He was sitting two rows back from his brother, Prince William – the first time they had been seen together since Harry’s memoir, Spare, was released.
It is thought Prince Harry is already on his way back to Heathrow Airport, as his son Archie is celebrating his fourth birthday in the US.
Plans for a military flypast as the family appeared on the balcony were scaled back due to the “unsuitable weather conditions”, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
The ceremony itself was watched on TV around the world, as well as some 2,300 people who were invited to the abbey.
Celebrity guests were also at Westminster Abbey – including actress Emma Thompson and US singer Katy Perry.
US First Lady Jill Biden, and her granddaughter Finnegan, arrived in a three-car motorcade, although President Biden did not travel to the UK.
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska were also in the abbey, as were Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and leaders of the Commonwealth countries.
In all, 90 heads of state attended, the Foreign Office said.
The Coronation began at 11:00 BST and ended at 13:00, with the main theme being the importance of service.
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That theme was reflected in the oaths and prayers King Charles made, and the sermon delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
“I come not to be served, but to serve,” the King said in his first prayer after reaching the abbey.
“We are here to crown a King, and we crown a King to serve,” the Archbishop began his sermon with.
In the abbey, Charles was proclaimed as the “undoubted King” in the first stage of the ceremony.
The congregation was then asked to show their homage and service, shouting “God Save the King”.
Yet among the music and oaths, there were moments of complete silence as each stage of the ancient ceremony finished.
In the most sacred part of the service, the King was shielded from public view by anointing screens while choristers sang Handel’s Zadok the Priest – performed at every coronation since 1727.
Prince William also made a pledge of loyalty to King Charles, and kissed him on the cheek, before members of the congregation were invited to offer their own support.
Despite the very English weather, there was a celebratory atmosphere on The Mall on Saturday morning, with periodic Mexican waves and police officers being cheered.
Among the spectators was Alexandra Hornyak, 57, from Montreal, Canada.
“I’ve known for years that I would want to attend this day, and the day that it was announced, I was driving to the office, and my husband just called me and said ‘May 6’,” she told the BBC.
“I knew exactly what it was. And I jumped on the phone to get a hotel reservation and we went from there.”
Karen Daly, 54, from Birmingham, said: “We could have done this at home, but the atmosphere is so good and everyone’s really happy.
“When the Queen died, we couldn’t make it because we all couldn’t get out of work. So we booked off as soon as we knew about the coronation.”
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Charles became King of the United Kingdom and 14 other realms in September, when his mother Elizabeth died after 70 years on the throne.
Months of intense planning have gone into the Coronation celebrations – the 40th to take place at Westminster Abbey since 1066.
Unlike the procession route, there were no crowds outside the abbey, as it was closed to the public ahead of the service.
The service was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, assisted by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.
The ceremony emphasised diversity and inclusion, with more multi-faith elements than any previous coronation, with contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh representatives.
A Bible lesson was read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu, and music was sung in Welsh and Scottish and Irish Gaelic.
The Coronation drew hundreds of protesters from Republic, the group campaigning for the abolition of the monarchy, and others.
Around six protesters, who were unloading a van of placards, were arrested.
The Metropolitan Police put 11,500 officers on duty in what it said would be its biggest ever single-day deployment.
Anti-monarchy groups have defended their right to protest, but the police have warned that “tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low”.
The guest list was also questioned – with criticism of the invitation of Chinese vice-president Han Zheng, who is accused of presiding over a crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong.
Source: BBC
