The Press in London | “I am living a dream”

(London) The coronation of Charles III seems to have fulfilled the expectations of thousands of people who had traveled to London to closely follow this historic event. But bad weather, organizational problems and demonstrators spoiled the party a bit.

“It’s so much above all my expectations, I get caught out from time to time. I’m living a dream, I’m having trouble realizing it, ”says Audrey Houle, stars in her eyes. Barely 21 years old, this Quebecer, who has been passionate about the British monarchy since childhood, could not help but attend the coronation in person. “As soon as we knew the date, we planned everything for the following week. »

With two friends and her boyfriend, she came to spend ten days in London. And to be sure not to leave disappointed, they spent the night from Friday to Saturday sleeping very close to the huge Mall so as not to miss anything. “It’s her childhood dream, so we came to make it happen. It’s not every day that there is a coronation, we take advantage of it, ”explains Alex Boisvert, who, for lack of great interest in the monarchy, even hesitated to accompany him.

Aware that the subject divides, especially in Quebec, Audrey Houle responds to the joke that she would like independence and monarchy to coexist one day. In the meantime, she savored every little royal moment.

As day broke and these Quebecers were delighted to have a good place to observe the procession of the king, at the other end of the Mall, near Trafalgar Square, the atmosphere was quite different. Yellow t-shirts and placards in hand, hundreds of people were not there to cheer the new king, quite the contrary. “I am anti-monarchist. I think that the monarchy is not compatible with our democracy, it perpetuates a system of inequalities”, says a demonstrator who came with a sign which reads “Abolition of the monarchy”.

To the cries of Not my king!, their presence clashed a little in the midst of thousands of people in royal attire waving hundreds of British flags. If this movement says to oppose the monarchy, it seems however to have broader demands. Many demonstrators spoke of the significant economic difficulties facing the United Kingdom, evoking a country on the edge of the abyss.

British police, who have deployed 11,000 officers, said they arrested 52 protesters on Saturday on the sidelines of the coronation and defended the much-criticized arrests by explaining that they had been informed of plans to disrupt the historic event. “It’s something you expect to see in Moscow, not London,” protested the organization Human Rights Watch.

A grand ceremony, but disappointed

Janny, in her seventies, didn’t want to miss the coronation for anything in the world. The one who lives in the county of Cumbria arrived in the early morning to be sure to have a good place. “It’s going to be a wonderful day, apart from the fact that I had to wake up very, very early, but hey, it seems that grannies do that,” she jokes, still a little out of breath after a walk. a frantic pace.

Even if the popularity rating of Charles III is less than that of his late mother, for Janny, it was just as important to follow this event.

For many, the coronation took place under umbrellas and in raincoats, the rain not having stopped throughout the ceremony. But it was not likely to put off the most passionate. “It was wonderful, the parade was beautiful, we had so much fun even though it was raining,” said Martin, a resident of Essex County, who came to see the event with his daughter. But for others, the experience was less pleasant.

“It was an organizational disaster, a real shame. I will not return for another royal event, ”laments Lynn, from Liverpool, who could not find a place where it was possible to see the ceremony, even though she had arrived early Saturday morning. Same thing for this family who came especially from Worcester, a city in central England. “We are disappointed, we didn’t see anything except the rain. We’re going to watch the coronation tonight at our hotel, it’s kind of sad,” Debbie said.

Which king will be Charles III?

By becoming the 40^e crowned monarch in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, Charles III is writing a new page for the monarchy. If some people met during the coronation seemed to be more passionate about the monarchy than for his person, they still want to give him a chance while waiting for him to prove himself.

“I think there will be continuity with Charles III and that we will revisit old traditions, but I also expect changes, given the economic context here. He will have to find a balance, ”says Louise D’Costa, in a dress in British colors. This Londoner came with her friend, also dressed in her best clothes for the occasion. For Paul Clifton, Charles III will have a major challenge, that of listening to society as it evolves.

“Let’s be honest, if the royal family wants to survive, they have to listen to public opinion and cultural demands. If she ignores them, I don’t think she will survive another 100 years, ”believes the one who came from Birmingham for the occasion. Indigenous leaders from 12 Commonwealth countries also sent a letter to the new king this week asking for an apology and the return of cultural objects that were looted, such as the largest diamond in the world claimed by South Africa. South.

This Briton of South African origin wonders about these claims. She’s not sure that’s the right way to get things done. “Sometimes the story is the story. You have to forget the past and move on, you can’t keep bringing it up again. We are all children of the British Empire,” says Pammy Raydemir, whose family of Indian origin was taken to South Africa under the British Empire. It remains to be seen now what will be the first actions of Charles III as the new king.

With Agence France-Presse