Charles III, crowned King of England

London is the scene of the first coronation of a monarch in seven decades this Saturday. Carlos III, king from the moment his mother died, on September 8, 2022, has been formally crowned in a ceremony practically governed by tradition but open to details of the time, from an air-conditioned carriage to a detailed audiovisual follow-up. from start to finish and from all angles.

Elizabeth II made history as the longest reigning monarch, so the last coronation dates back to June 2, 1953. The ceremony, the first of its kind to be televised, will be repeated 70 years later with the novelty that, for the first time since 1937, a queen consort is crowned in addition to the king, in this case the Queen Camilla.

Procession

The celebrations formally started with a procession from Buckingham Palace at around 10:20 am (11:20 am in the Basque Country). The monarchs have had military custody and family supervision, but the entourage has been considerably smaller than the one that accompanied Elizabeth II in 1953, which included members of other royal families and political leaders.

Carlos III also has as a novelty the rapid used for getting around as it would not ride in a carriage built in 1762 and used at all coronations since 1831. Instead it has used another carriage built in 2012, to celebrate Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, and that it is lighter and more comfortable.

The procession arrived at Westminster Abbey shortly before 11:00 am (12:00 noon in the Basque Country). The temple has already served 13 previous coronations (the first was in the year 1066) and will host the main events of the day, for which the royal family has issued some 2,000 invitations.

The guest list includes members of the current government, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and former Downing Street tenants, as well as representatives of royalty and heads of state and government from other countries, although much of the focus is on members of the British royal family.

He Prince of Wales, William, the first in the line of succession, has figured prominently, as has his eldest son, Prince George, who has served as page of honour. Carlos III’s youngest son, Enrique, publicly confronted by his family, also attended the ceremony, although not his wife, Meghan Markle, nor their children, who remained in the United States.

Ceremony

Thus was Carlos III presented to the people, proclaimed “undisputed king” next to a 700 year old chair of history (it is considered the oldest piece of furniture in the UK and has seen 26 kings pass by). The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, read the first statement and those in attendance chanted “God save the king” after each public proclamation.

After this first phase comes that of oaths, of a juridical and also religious nature (as king, Carlos III also heads the Anglican Church), before giving way to one of the great images of this ceremony. The monarch has taken off his ceremonial robes before taking his seat in the coronation chair and being anointed by the archbishop, a moment traditionally kept private as it is considered intimate.

Next, Carlos III received an embroidered “super tunic” and was shown some of the great emblems of his house, including the Sovereign’s Sphere, the Coronation Ring, the Sovereign’s Scepter with the Cross, and the Sovereign’s Scepter with the Cross. the pigeon. For the first and last time in his life, the king has put on the crown of Saint Edward, made in the 17th century for Carlos II and weighing more than two kilograms.

The abbey bells rang for two minutes, before Charles III was enthroned and began to gain public loyalty, including that of his eldest son and heir apparent.

Later, and more briefly, the queen’s time has come, who has also been anointed, crowned and enthroned, albeit in a simpler ceremony and not having had to take an oath, as she is a consort. In his case, the crown of Queen Mary, which dates from 1911, has been imposed on him.

Last goodbye

The King and Queen will leave the Abbey around 1pm (2pm in the Basque Country) to head back to Buckingham Palace, now in the historic carriage. Another 2.3 kilometer route that will be overcrowded with civilians and in which strict security measures will apply.

Since Edward VII’s coronation in 1902, it has been a tradition for the new monarch to greet citizens from the palace’s central balcony as they watch the planes fly by. The Royal House has already confirmed that Carlos III, who went onto the balcony as a child in 1953, continues this tradition.

Obliged

America’s top leaders, with the notable exclusion of Brazil’s Lula da Silva and Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, were absent from the ceremony and were represented by their foreign ministers, ambassadors and even spouses.

The White House announced on April 4 that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, would not attend the event, and the first lady, Jill Biden, would attend instead. That same day, the North American president telephoned the monarch to congratulate him on the coronation.

Those who have been are the French president, Emmanuel Macron and the Kings of SpainFelipe VI and Letizia.

Senior officials from seven former British Caribbean colonies also attended the ceremony: Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, Saint Kitts, Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, represented the Pope Francisco at the coronation ceremony of King Carlos III, as Francisco, who is already 86 years old, suffers from knee problems that prevent him from moving normally and had to be hospitalized for a few days after “acute pneumonia” at the end of March.