Coronation Live Updates: King Charles III Arrives at Westminster Abbey: In a millennium-old ceremony, Britain’s first new monarch in seven decades will be crowned, with pomp that some view as out of place in modern life and others as part of tradition.
Britain will crown King Charles III on Saturday, staging an eighth-century ceremony in a modern metropolis with a few modern concessions but the unabashed pageantry of a fairy tale that has not been seen since the 1953 coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite the rain, tens of thousands of people have congregated in central London to catch a glimpse of the king and his queen, Camilla, as they travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, escorted by four divisions of the Household Mounted Cavalry regiment.
Thousands gather in London for King Charles III’s Coronation: Charles will be anointed with holy oil in a ceremony that is both intimate and grand, representing the sacred nature of his rule. The archbishop of Canterbury will crown him with the ancient crown of St. Edward after he receives the imperial mantle. Charles and Camilla will ride back to Buckingham Palace in a golden stagecoach that Elizabeth used for her coronation procession after they are crowned.
Indeed, even in a nation familiar with illustrious scene, the parade on Saturday will hobo depiction: A mile away from the palace gates, there were 19 military bands and 4,000 troops. From the balcony, the king and his family will watch as more than 60 aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters, and Spitfires from World War II, roar overhead in a show that is traditionally the grand finale of a royal celebration.
This is what to be aware of the royal celebration occasions:
In Westminster Abbey in London, the coronation service begins at 11 a.m., which is 6 a.m. Eastern time. The major occurrences are listed below.
Thousands gather in London for King Charles III’s Coronation: Charles will swear to uphold the Church of England during the ceremony, but the king will be urged by the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, to “foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs can live freely.” It is one of a few changes to the sacrament, as the congregation and Buckingham Royal residence have looked to adjust a 1,000-year-old support of the present ecumenical world.
In Westminster Abbey, invited dignitaries, including the first lady Jill Biden, have seated themselves. The approximately 2,300 attendees to the ceremony represent not only Charles’s efforts to embrace a modern, multicultural Britain but also the dynastic identity of the monarchy. They include new faces, old lineages, world leaders, pop music icons, and others.
Prince Harry is attending his father’s coronation on his own after years of family conflict. Prince Archie, who turns four on Saturday, and Princess Lilibet, who is one year old, are staying at home in California with Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
The coronation procession of the King and Queen Consort has arrived at Westminster Abbey.
A tactical band played the public hymn as they set off from Buckingham Castle, and groups ejected into booming cheers.
The King was seen waving and smiling as the couple boarded the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.
The service will be attended by approximately 2,300 people, including Prince Harry and his cousins.
Additionally, guests from the celebrity world are present, including US singer Katy Perry and actress Emma Thompson.
A three-car motorcade carrying US First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan arrived. There is no President Joe Biden in the UK.
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, and Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, have also seated themselves.
Along with their respective flag bearers, Commonwealth leaders, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, entered the abbey.
The service will commence at 11:00 BST and last approximately two hours.
Service will be a big part of King Charles’ Coronation, and when he first prays at the Abbey, he will say, ” I come to serve, not to be served.”
The King and Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is also on the guest list. He flew commercially from the United States on Friday.
It will be the initial occasion when he will have been out in the open with his sibling, Sovereign William, since his diary, Spare, was delivered.
Because their son Archie is celebrating his birthday, it is possible that Prince Harry will fly back to the United States just a few hours after the ceremony to see his wife, Meghan.
As the rain begins to fall, umbrellas have begun to appear along the route of the procession.
However, despite the extremely English weather, there has been a jubilant atmosphere on The Mall, with periodic Mexican waves and cheers for police and security personnel.
Alexandra Hornyak, 57, of Montreal, Canada, will be watching from Green Park among the spectators.
According to her statement to the BBC, “I’ve known for years that I would want to attend this day, and the day that it was announced, I was driving to the office, and my husband just called me and said ‘May 6’.”
“I knew precisely very thing it was. Additionally, I immediately called to make a hotel reservation, and we proceeded from there.”
“We could have done this at home, but the atmosphere is so good and everyone is really happy,” stated Birmingham resident Karen Daly, 54.
“We couldn’t make it when the Queen died because we couldn’t all get out of work. As soon as we learned of the coronation, we booked our flight.
Charles became Ruler of the Unified Realm and 14 different domains in September, when his mom Elizabeth kicked the bucket following 70 years on the privileged position.
Long stretches of extreme arranging have gone into the crowning ceremony festivities – the 40th to occur at Westminster Monastery starting around 1066.
Since the abbey is closed to the public prior to the service, there are no crowds outside, unlike on the route of the procession.
The help will be driven by the Ecclesiastical overseer of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will be helped by the Diocese supervisor of York, Stephen Cottrell.
He stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, “There have been wall-to-wall rehearsals this week, and indeed last week.”
“Not a single one of us have done this for quite a while, so figuring out the movement has been mind boggling”.
The moment when the King receives the St. Edward’s Crown, which will be accompanied by a gun salute in the nearby Horse Guards Parade, will be the highlight of the event.
Camilla and Charles will share the throne, and as a result of their lengthy and frequently contentious relationship, she will now be referred to as “Queen Camilla.”
More multifaith elements than ever before will be present at the coronation, including contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Sikh representatives.
Hindu Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will read a Bible lesson, and music in Welsh, Scottish, and Irish Gaelic will be sung.
In a coronation ceremony that dates back nearly 1,000 years, women bishops will be present for the first time.
After the help, at around 13:00 BST, Ruler Charles and Sovereign Camilla will go in the Gold State Mentor back to Buckingham Castle, in a tremendous mile-long (1.6km) parade, with 4,000 fighters and 19 military groups.
When they get to the palace, it’s not clear who will be on the traditional balcony with the King and Queen.
When the senior royals are on the palace balcony, there will be plans for a flypast; however, there will be concerns regarding the weather, as cloud and showers are expected.