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London: King Charles III He was crowned on Saturday in Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony built on the ancient traditions of his time British monarchy He faces an uncertain future.
Trumpets sounded inside the medieval abbey and the congregation shouted “God save King Charles” as the celebration began in front of more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Outside, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators, and a few demonstrators gathered along the route the King took from Buckingham Palace in a carriage drawn by a gilded horse.
This was the last mile in Charles’s seven-decade journey from heir to king.
For the royal family and government, the occasion — codenamed Operation Golden Orb — is a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unparalleled across the world.
Millions were expected to witness the ritual, though the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke are largely gone—and today many greet it with indifference.
Some even met her with disdain. Republican demonstrators gathered outside shouting “not mine” to celebrate an institution they say represents privilege and inequality, in a country where poverty is increasing and social bonds are frayed. handful were caught.
As the guests arrived, the chapel was filled with excitement and was resplendent with fragrant flowers and colorful hats. Among them were US First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British prime ministers as well as Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie.
Thousands of people from across the United Kingdom and around the world camped overnight along the 1.3-mile (2-kilometre) road the king and his wife Camilla traveled to reach the abbey.
In a traditional Anglican service slightly modified for modern times, Charles, dressed in robes of scarlet and cream, swears on the Bible that he is a “true Protestant”.
But for the first time, a preface to the Coronation Oath was added to say that the Church of England would “seek to promote an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs can live freely,” the letter read from the King James Bible. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first Hindu leader.
The gospel choir performed the newly formed “Hallelujah”, and for the first time, female priests participated in the ceremony.
For 1,000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in lavish ceremonies that confirm their right to rule.
These days, the monarch no longer holds executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.
The monarch remains the UK’s head of state and symbol of national identity – and Charles will have to work to unite a multicultural nation and keep the monarchy relevant while support for him wanes, especially among young people.
The anti-monarchy group Republic said six of its members, including its chief executive, were arrested upon arrival at a demonstration. Police said they would have “low tolerance” towards people who seek to disrupt their day, prompting criticism that they were suppressing free speech.
The cost of living crisis is also making everyone in the UK poorer, which raises questions about the cost of all this pomp.
Charles sought to drive a smaller, more affordable royal machine for the 21st century. So this would be a shorter affair than Elizabeth’s three-hour coronation.
In 1953, Westminster Abbey was fitted with temporary grandstands to increase the seating capacity to over 8,000, the aristocrats donned scarlet robes and diadems, and the coronation procession meandered 5 miles (8 km) through central London so that an estimated 3 million people could cheer. The glamorous 27-year-old queen.
This time the organizers have shortened the route of the procession, reducing the duration of the coronation service to less than two hours and sending 2,300 invitations to royalty, heads of state, public servants, key workers and local heroes. There were judges in wigs, soldiers with shiny medals attached to their red tunics and members of the House of Lords in their red robes.
The heir to the throne, Prince William, his wife Kate and their three children were all present. William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, arrives alone, who has openly quarreled with the family. His wife, Megan, and their children stayed home in California.
Built around the theme “They are called to serve,” the coronation service began with one of the youngest members of the congregation – a serious lad – saluting the King. Charles replied, “I have come not to serve, but to serve.”
The moment is meant to underscore the importance of youth — a new addition in a ritual-laden service through which power has been passed down to new kings over the centuries.
The symbolic climax of the two-hour service came at the halfway point when Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby laid St Edward’s Crown of solid gold on the King’s head. Trumpets were sounded and cannon salutes were fired throughout the United Kingdom
In another change, Charles abolished the traditional moment at the end of the service when nobles were asked to kneel and pledge allegiance to the king.
Instead, Welby would invite everyone in the abbey to swear “true loyalty” to the king. He will invite people watching on television to honor them too – although this part of the ceremony has been toned down after some criticized it as a silent effort to appeal to public support for Charles. Welby will now suggest that people in the house spend a “moment of quiet reflection” or say “God save the King”.
George Gross, a visiting research fellow at King’s College London and an expert on coronations, said the audience’s response to Charles, during the service and along the course of the parade, is key.
“None of this matters if the audience doesn’t show up,” Gross said. “If they don’t care, the whole thing isn’t really working. It’s all about that interaction.”
Today’s audience is very different from the one that witnessed Elizabeth’s coronation.
Nearly 20% of the population now comes from ethnic minorities, compared to less than 1% in the 1950s. More than 300 languages ​​are spoken in British schools, and less than half the population describes themselves as Christian.
Although the organizers say that the coronation is still a “holy Anglican service,” the ceremony will for the first time include the active participation of other religions, including representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh traditions.



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