Saturday is coronation day for Britain’s King Charles III and his second wife, Queen Consort Camilla. It is the first British coronation spectacular in 70 years. Queen Elizabeth II was the last British monarch to be crowned. The 74-year old Charles became king the moment his mother died in September.
The crowning ceremony will be held in Westminster Abbey, where all the British monarchs have been crowned since 1066.
The royal couple will emerge from Buckingham Palace on Saturday morning and travel past cheering crowds to the abbey in the modern Diamond State Jubilee Coach.
However, not all the crowds may be cheering the couple along. There is growing grumbling, especially among Britain’s younger citizens, that the monarchy has outgrown its usefulness and relevancy. There may be some jeering among the cheering crowds.
King Charles III's Coronation
The ceremony at Westminster Abbey will be a combination of the old traditions and new innovations.
Handel’s Zadok the Priest, sung at every coronation since 1727, will be performed Saturday. New music from famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber will also be part of the program, and a gospel choir will perform.
After Charles is anointed with holy oil consecrated in Jerusalem, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will crown the king. Then, his son Prince William will kneel before the king and pledge his loyalty.
Charles’ other son, Harry, does not have an official role in Saturday’s ceremony. Harry has been on tense terms with the royal family after giving revealing television interviews and writing a book about the royal family’s interactions and concerns. For many people, Harry’s public revelations about the family harken back to revelations that his mother, Princess Diana, made about her marriage and Charles’ ongoing relationship with Camilla, following Diana’s marriage to Charles.
After the ceremony, Charles and Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace and the couple will make a traditional balcony appearance.
British police say that 11,000 officers will be on duty throughout the day.
Source: VOA