From Reuters:
“King Charles III crowned in ceremony blending history and
change”
King Charles III was anointed and crowned on Saturday in
Britain's biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a display of pomp and
pageantry that sought to marry 1,000 years of history with a monarchy fit for a
new era. In front of a congregation including about 100 world leaders and a
television audience of millions, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual
leader of the Anglican Church, slowly placed the 360-year-old St Edward's Crown
on Charles' head as he sat upon a 14th-century throne in Westminster Abbey. During a historic and solemn two-hour service,
which dates back to the time of King William the Conqueror in 1066, Charles'
second wife Camilla was also crowned queen. A huge military procession
followed, gun salutes were fired, thousands of soldiers roared three cheers,
and there was a scaled-down flypast by military aircraft as the newly-crowned
king and queen waved from the balcony of Buckingham Palace to cheering crowds
who gathered on The Mall boulevard.
While rooted in history, the ceremony - televised for only
the second time - was also an attempt to present a forward-looking institution
and to reflect a more diverse country with all its religions. "No other
country could put on such a dazzling display - the processions, the pageantry,
the ceremonies, and street parties," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. With
Britain struggling to find its way in the political maelstrom after its exit
from the European Union and maintain its standing in a new world order, the
monarchy's supporters say the royal family provides an international draw, a
vital diplomatic tool and a means of keeping it on the world stage. But despite
Sunak's enthusiasm, the coronation took place amid a cost of living crisis and
public scepticism, particularly among the young, about the role and relevance
of the monarchy.
Charles, 74, automatically succeeded his mother as king on
her death last September. The coronation is not essential but regarded as a
means to legitimise the new sovereign in a public way. Saturday's event was on
a smaller scale than that staged for Queen Elizabeth in 1953, but still sought
to be spectacular. There was an array of historical regalia from golden orbs
and bejewelled swords to a sceptre holding the world's largest colourless cut
diamond. After the service, Charles and Camilla, 75, departed in the four-tonne
Gold State Coach built for George III, the last king of Britain's American
colonies, to ride to Buckingham Palace in a one-mile procession of 4,000
military personnel from 39 nations. Meanwhile hundreds of soldiers in scarlet
uniforms and black bearskin hats lined the route along The Mall in what was the
largest ceremonial event of its kind in Britain since the coronation of
Charles' mother. Tens of thousands of people ignored pouring rain to mass on
the streets to watch what some saw as a moment of history. "When I was a
young girl, I was able to watch (the coronation of) Queen Elizabeth on
television in Hartford, Connecticut, at a friend's house because we had no
TV," said retired U.S. teacher Peggy Jane Laver, 79. "So I'm thrilled
to be here for the coronation in person."
GREAT AND GOOD Inside the abbey, which was bedecked with flowers and flags,
politicians and dignitaries from around the world such as U.S. first lady Jill
Biden took their seats alongside charity workers and celebrities, including actors
Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and U.S. singer Katy Perry. Charles
looked solemn as he swore oaths to govern justly and uphold the Church of
England - of which he is the titular head. He was then hidden from
watching eyes by a screen for the most sacred part of the ceremony when he was
anointed on his hands, head and breast by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
with holy oil consecrated in Jerusalem. After being presented with
symbolic regalia, Welby placed the St Edward's Crown on his head and the
congregation cried out "God save the King". Gun salutes were fired
at the Tower of London and across the capital, the nation, in Gibraltar,
Bermuda and on ships at sea.
His eldest son and heir Prince William, 40, knelt before his
father to pledge his loyalty as his "liege man of life and limb",
both moments greeted by cheers from crowds outside. As he left the abbey,
Charles wore a silk and ermine robe. Much of the ceremony featured elements
that Charles' forebears right back to King Edgar in 973 would recognise,
officials said. Handel's coronation anthem "Zadok The Priest" was
sung as it has been at every coronation since 1727. But there was also the new,
including an anthem composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, famed for his West End and
Broadway theatre shows, a gospel choir, and an "unprecedented"
greeting from faith leaders. However, there was no formal role for either
Charles' younger son Prince Harry, after his high-profile falling out with his
family, or his brother Prince Andrew, who was forced to quit royal duties
because of his friendship with late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted
sex offender. They sat in the third row behind working members of the royal
family and neither appeared on the palace balcony. Not everyone who came to
watch was there to cheer Charles, with hundreds of republicans booing and
waving banners reading "Not My King". The Republic campaign group
said its leader had been arrested along with five other protesters.
The royal family has enjoyed massive global media attention,
celebrating everything from weddings, births, and significant anniversaries to
mourning last year's death of Queen Elizabeth, and now Charles' coronation. But,
no major event is likely for some years, and with polls indicating a decline in
support for the monarchy, especially among the young, commentators say staying
relevant is the greatest challenge to the institution. Neil Edward, 72, a
retired salesman who travelled from southwest England to watch, said the
experience had been a mixture of pride and nostalgia with a touch of sadness
that this might be the last big royal event he attends. "Without them, I
don't know how we would come together to celebrate big events like this,"
he said.
^ I watched it on TV and thought it was pretty good. ^
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