Next Saturday, the eyes of the world will be on what happens in the United Kingdom with the coronation of King Charles III. The event could be one of the most watched in the history of that country considering that, due to the length of the mandate of Queen Elizabeth II, there had not been a change of the throne for more than 70 years.
The ceremony of the heir to the Crown since 1952 will paralyze London with a series of events to celebrate the official beginning of his reign; although he is already acting king since the death of his mother last September 8. Thousands of people are expected to flock to the center of the capital to follow a ceremony that will be projected on giant screens across the country.
The coronation formalizes Charles III’s position as head of state and head of the Anglican Church. It also continues a long tradition of crowning monarchs at Westminster Abbey, given that since the coronation in 1066 of England’s first Norman king, William the Conqueror, 39 British kings, and queens have been anointed there. These will be the main moments:
King Charles III’ Coronation Key Moments
1.- The Procession and the Ceremony
Following tradition, Charles and Camilla (who on that day will become Queen and will cease to be Queen consort) will make the so-called King’s Procession, from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
There, the religious coronation ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. (local time), officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of the Anglican Church, where the King will be presented with the crown, scepter, and orb.
For the first time in history, the Archbishop will ask all Britons to swear allegiance to the monarch and his heirs, an appeal that has caused much controversy. Once the liturgy is completed, the King and Queen will return to Buckingham in the Coronation Procession in a golden carriage, the same one used by Elizabeth II on the 60th anniversary of her reign.
2.- The Military Salute
Once at the palace, Charles and Camilla will receive the Royal Salute from the Armed Forces. The deployment by land, sea, and air, will bring together more than 6,000 military personnel who will participate in the parade and will pronounce three “cheers” to the King and Queen.
In the largest military ceremonial deployment in 70 years, more than 60 aircraft are expected to fly over the emblematic Mall promenade, and Navy ships deployed by the United Kingdom will fire 21 cannon salutes in honor of the sovereign.
3.- The Buckingham Balcony
After the military salute, the King and Queen, together with members of the Royal Family, will salute from the balcony to the thousands of people gathered outside the palace, putting an end to the events of the day.
Among the thousands of guests attending the Coronation, the attendance of Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia is confirmed, as well as that of French President Emmanuel Macron and the wife of U.S. President Jill Biden.
However, on the Buckingham balcony will not be the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, undoubtedly the most notable absence, who will stay in California with her children. Her husband, Harry, will be present, and the media will closely follow his interactions with his older brother and heir to the throne, William.
4.- The Concert and the Big Lunch
The following day, Sunday, May 7, the Coronation Concert will be held at Windsor Castle, featuring a large orchestra accompanied by a selection of musical stars ranging from Andrea Bocelli to Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That, and classical pianist Lang Lang.
Landmarks across the UK will also be illuminated with projections and drone displays. Continuing the festivities on the same day will be the Big Lunch, where neighbors and communities are encouraged to share food and fun in cities across the country.
To conclude the celebrations, on Monday, May 8, declared a public holiday, citizens will be encouraged to participate in “The Great Help,” an initiative to collaborate in volunteer work in their areas of residence.
Do the British People Want This Luxurious Ceremony?
A new poll has shown that most Brits don’t care nor want this ceremony to happen. The popularity of the Royal Family has fallen dramatically in the past months since Queen Elizabeth’s passing and the new King and Consort Queen have never been the most popular members of the family. The most recent popularity poll has shown that the member of the Royal Family most people like is the new Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, but her fame isn’t enough to carry with the entire family.
It isn’t only a matter of popularity what’s going on with King Charles’ Coronation ceremony, it’s also about money. It’s estimated that the entire Coronation will cost the taxpayers between £50 million to £100, a ridiculous amount of money in a country where 90k people are dying of starvation a year. Great Britain is showing a census of 271k homeless people, and the living costs are becoming more and more difficult to solve. Bearing this in mind is understandable that people aren’t happy with a costly ceremony that is seen as outdated and unnecessary when this money could be used for the betterment of the economic situation. Also, King Charles’ assets are estimated at 1.8 billion pounds, money that he could use for his own promotion party instead of the people’s money.
Story partly written by Miguel Fernández in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva News