Charles III crowned king at first UK coronation in 70 years

LONDON — Charles III finally met his date with destiny Saturday. After a lifetime as heir to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, he was officially crowned king in the first coronation in Britain since 1953. By the time the ceremony had commenced, police had already arrested dozens of protesters critical of the UK monarchy.

At 12:02 pm exactly (1102 GMT), the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid-gold St Edward’s Crown on Charles’ head as a sacred and ancient symbol of the monarch’s authority.

Cries of “God Save the King” rang out from the 2,300-strong congregation at Westminster Abbey and trumpet fanfares sounded at the climax of the solemn religious confirmation of his accession.

Outside, ceremonial gun salutes blasted out across land and sea while bells pealed in celebration at churches across the country.

The build-up to the Christian ceremony of prayer and praise — steeped in 1,000 years of British history and tradition, with sumptuous robes and priceless regalia — has been mostly celebratory.

Even before Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, left Buckingham Palace for a rainy procession to the abbey, police, brandishing new powers rushed onto the statute book to crack down on direct action groups, had arrested dozens of protesters.

The anti-monarchy movement Republic — which wants an elected head of state — said six of its organizers were detained, while climate activists Just Stop Oil said 19 of its number were held.

Nevertheless, dozens of Republic activists held aloft banners on the route of the procession route, declaring: “Not My King.”

Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International voiced concern at the arrests. “This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London,” HRW said.

London's Metropolitan Police has some 11,500 officers on the streets in one of its biggest ever security operations. It has warned that it has an “extremely low threshold” for protests.

As well as being the first coronation in 70 years, it was the first of a king since 1937. It was only the second to be televised and the first in color and streamed online.

Changes

Much of the two-hour Anglican service, in which Charles pledged “I come not to be served but to serve,” would have been recognizable to the 39 other monarchs crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066.

While many of the intricate rituals and ceremony to recognize Charles as his people’s “undoubted king” remained, the king sought to bring other aspects of the service up to date.

Women bishops participated for the first time, as did leaders of Britain's non-Christian faiths while its Celtic languages — Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic — featured prominently.

A gospel choir sang for the first time at a coronation while a Greek choir intoned a psalm in tribute to Charles’ late father, Prince Philip, who was born on the island of Corfu.

As king, Charles is supreme governor of the Church of England and has described himself as a “committed Anglican Christian.”

He heads a more religiously and ethnically diverse country than the one his mother inherited in the shadow of World War II.

As such, he sought to make the congregation more reflective of British society, inviting ordinary members of the public to sit alongside heads of state and global royalty.

In another change, the coronation themes mirrored his lifelong interest in biodiversity and sustainability.

Seasonal flowers and foliage were brought, from the wind-battered Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland to Cornwall at the tip of England's southwest coast, to fill the abbey.

Ceremonial vestments from previous coronations were reused, and the anointing oil — created from olives on groves on the Mount of Olives and perfumed with essential oils — was vegan.

Charles was anointed out of sight of the congregation behind a three-sided screen in front of the High Altar to the strains of Handel’s soaring anthem “Zadok the Priest,” sung at every coronation since 1727.

Ahead of the coronations, police arrest protesters near to the ‘King's Procession,’ a two-kilometer trip from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in central London, May 6, 2023. (Credit: Susannah Ireland / AFP)

Opposition

Rishi Sunak — Britain's first prime minister of color, who gave a reading from the Bible at the service — has described the coronation as “a proud expression of our history, culture and traditions.”

Not everyone is convinced: polling indicates waning support for the monarchy, particularly among younger people.

Charles’ eldest brother Prince Andrew — sidelined due to his friendship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein — was booed as he headed to the abbey.

Another royal exile Prince Harry, who has criticized the family since leaving for the United States in 2020, attended the coronation on his own.

Overseas, Charles’ position as the hereditary monarch and head of state of 14 Commonwealth countries looks increasingly fragile. Jamaica and Belize both signaled this week that they are moving toward becoming republics, while Australia, Canada and others may eventually follow suit.

Britons struggling with the soaring cost of living have meanwhile questioned why taxpayers should stump up for the coronation, with the bill estimated to be over £100 million ($126 million).

Britain’s King Charles III captured during his coronation at Westminster Abbey, May 6, 2023. Charles is the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at the central London church since King William I in 1066. (Credit: Victoria Jones / POOL / AFP)

Support

Yet the huge crowds of royal fans that have been building all week on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace indicate that the royals still play a role in British culture and history.

Christine Wilen travelled from Niagara Falls in Canada for the event.

“I’m very excited to be here, to be part of this history,” said Wilen, wearing a visor and sweatshirt in Canadian colors.

“It’s just too good an opportunity to miss,” said Nick Demont, 60, outside the abbey. “There's a good chance I won't see another one.”