Eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96, her son, Charles III, was crowned with his wife on Saturday at Westminster Abbey in London.
The United Kingdom had not experienced such an event since June 2, 1953. Seventy years after Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III, 74, was crowned with his wife, Queen Camilla, on Saturday May 6 in London (UK). Nearly 2,300 guests attended a grand two-hour religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey, while many onlookers came to London for the festivities.
> DIRECT. Relive as if you were there the coronation of Charles and Camilla at Westminster Abbey
Procession, moment of the official coronation, salute to the balcony… Franceinfo looks back on the highlights of this day of the coronation of Charles III.
1 Crowds greet the royal couple during an early procession
At 11:20 a.m. Paris time, the coronation day began with a procession of the royal couple between the Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, site of the coronation ceremony. The couple followed a 2 km course in the “Diamond Jubilee State Coach”, a carriage created for the Diamond Jubilee – the sixty years of reign of Queen Elizabeth -, drawn by six horses. The procession took the long avenue from the Mall to Trafalgar Square, then passed through Whitehall, the government district, before arriving at the Abbey. The sovereign and the queen were cheered by an already dense crowd: at 10 a.m. Paris time, the places of observation of the procession were already complete, according to the BBC (article in English).
2 Prince Harry arrives alone at Westminster Abbey
Over 2,000 guests were invited to Westminster Abbey to watch the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Among them, celebrities such as Emma Thompson or Lionel Richie, many British and foreign political figures – including Emmanuel Macron and the American First Lady, Jill Biden – and of course, members of the British royal family. Prince Harry, youngest son of Charles III, answered present, but he was not accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle, nor their children. The arrival of Prince Harry, second son of Charles III, was particularly expected after the revelations of strong tensions between the prince, his wife Meghan Markle and part of the British royal clan.
3 The king takes the oath
After his presentation to the assembly, King Charles III was sworn in, answering a series of questions from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. “Do you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the realms and territories belonging to you, according to their respective laws and customs? (…) Go- you keep in the United Kingdom the reformed Protestant religion established by law? “I, Charles, solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God, profess, testify and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will uphold and maintain, in accordance with the true intention of the texts which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, the said texts to the best of my powers in accordance with the law”, then said the monarch.
4 Charles III is officially crowned
It was perhaps the most anticipated moment of the ceremony. Around 1 p.m. (Paris time), King Charles III was officially crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The sovereign was crowned with the crown of Saint Edward, which is only worn on the occasion of coronations. This crown, which dates from 1661, weighs no less than two kilos. She is in solid gold, set in particular with rubies and sapphires, and equipped with a purple velvet cap. “May God save the king!”, To shouted the audience after this coronation.
5 Queen Camilla is in turn crowned
After the king’s coronation, Queen Camilla in turn was sworn in at Westminter Abbey, before being crowned with Queen Mary’s crown, created for the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. Six months before her death, Queen Elizabeth II had announced her desire to see Camilla, Charles’s second wife, become queen consort. The adjective has since disappeared from official documents of the royal family.
6 A new procession sets off from Westminster to Buckingham
On leaving Westminster Abbey, after the coronation ceremony, Charles III and Camilla took their place in the “Gold State Coach”, a 18th century carriage drawn by eight horses. They then headed back to Buckingham Palace, passing through Whitehall and The Mall. The couple were accompanied other members of the British Royal Family, escorted by around 4,000 servicemen, as well as representatives of the Commonwealth and the Royal Legion. This procession, acclaimed by the crowd, is “the largest military procession in seventy years”, according to the British Ministry of Defence.
7 The royal couple wave to the crowd at Buckingham Balcony
After the procession accompanying Charles III and Queen Camilla to Buckingham, the crowd was able to reach closer to the royal palace to witness one of the last highlights of this coronation day: the salute on the balcony. Around 3:30 p.m. French time, the royal couple appeared on the Buckingham balcony, greeting a cheering audience. The King and his wife were accompanied by several members of the royal family, including the Prince of Wales and his family. The second son of Charles III, Harry, present at the ceremony in Westminster, was absent this time.