King Charles III Officially Takes the Throne in Coronation Ceremony
King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2023 (Image courtesy of UK DCMS Department).
King Charles III was crowned King of England on May 6th.
Article by Georgia Simon, Assistant Editor
LONDON - Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8th, Britain has crowned a new monarch for the first time in 70 years. The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey where thousands gathered to celebrate their newly crowned King and Queen.
Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden were in attendance. Prince Harry, son of King Charles III, attended solo without Meghan and their kids. Harry and Meghan stepped back from their royal duties in 2020. They now reside in Los Angeles.
Prince Andrew was also in attendance. The prince stepped down from his royal duties in 2019 following a scandal over sexual assault allegations and connection with the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Upon arrival in the Diamond Jubilee Carriage, King Charles wore King George IV's robe from the 1800s under his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s, robe that was worn for her coronation in 1953. Closely following King Charles were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children in a carriage while Princess Anne was seen to be atop a horse.
The St. Edward's Crown full of 444 jewels was placed on King Charles by the Archbishop of Canterbury while Queen Mary’s crown was laid upon Queen Camilla. This was the first time in history an existing crown would be crowned onto a queen consort. Queen Mary’s crown was made in 1911 for her coronation. It was customized with Queen Elizabeth’s diamonds for Camilla.
As the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the crown on the queen, he said "May thy servant Camilla, who wears this crown, be filled by thine abundant grace and with all princely virtues; reign in her heart, O King of love, that, being certain of thy protection, she may be crowned with thy gracious favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
As he left Westminster Abbey, with the Bishop of Bath and Wales as well as the Bishop of Durham alongside him, those in attendance sang “God Save The King,” the country's National Anthem. A military jet fly by was seen on the ride back to Buckingham Palace.
Throughout the ceremony, the weather did not cooperate and it began to rain. The newly crowned King and Queen rode back to Buckingham Palace for the traditional balcony appearance. The King and Queen were alongside King Charles’s son Prince William, Duchess Kate and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as Princess Anne and other cousins of the king participated. Prince Harry and Prince Andrew did not join their family on the balcony.
Although not in attendance, President Joe Biden congratulated the king and queen, in a tweet saying “Congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their Coronation. The enduring friendship between the U.S. and the U.K. is a source of strength for both our peoples.”
Although Coronation Day was over on Saturday, British citizens were encouraged to spend time with friends and to host “Big Lunches.” The royals however will be attending a private concert by Katy Perry and Lionel Richie at Windsor Castle.