King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been crowned in a service at Westminster Abbey in the first Coronation service for nearly 70 years.
King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, have been crowned as the King and Queen of the UK and other Commonwealth realms at a service in Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony that garnered global attention.
The King was anointed with holy oil and swore the oath before the Archbishop of Canterbury, in a ceremony attended by more than 100 heads of state.
Tens of thousands gathered around the procession route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey despite the London rain to get a glimpse of the UK's first coronation in 70 years.
The royal couple were cheered throughout the procession to and from Westminster Abbey, ultimately appearing in front of an anticipating crowd from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
The appearance was followed by a fly past, which had to be scaled down due to poor weather conditions.
However, London police were accused of stifling free speech after they arrested more than a dozen environmental activists and six anti-monarchy protesters ahead of the coronation procession.
Hundreds of "Not My King" signs were also seized in the process, according to the anti-monarchy group Republic.
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Follow the coronation as it happened
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You can see how the day unfolded from the procession to the crowning moment and the flypast after the balcony appearance of the newly crowned monarchs.
The King and the Queen have returned back to Buckingham Palace, putting an end to the formal ceremony for the day.
However, celebrations will continue in the UK and other Commonwealth realms throughout the weekend. Here are some official weekend events organised by the Palace:
May 7: The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, The Coronation Big Lunch
May 8: The Big Help Out
The flypast has begun with 16 helicopters, after being scaled down due to poor weather.
The flypast was due to last six minutes with nearly 60 aircraft initially.
King Charles and Queen Camilla appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony
The newly crowned monarchs appeared in front of thousands anticipating in the Mall, later accompanied by their pages and other members of the royal family.
Flypast scaled back due to weather
The flypast will now be formed of helicopters and The Red Arrows only due to poor weather conditions.
The balcony appearance has also been delayed for a few minutes for crowd control reasons.
Environmental activists arrested for protesting during coronation
The environmental activism group Just Stop Oil said around 20 of its supporters were arrested Saturday for protesting during the coronation celebrations.
The group, which demands no new licenses for any fossil fuel projects in the UK, said that the protesters were arrested at the Mall outside Buckingham Palace and outside Downing Street.
(AP)
Read more:
Thousands are now flocking towards the Admiralty arch to catch a glimpse of the new monarchs, who are scheduled to make a balcony appearance soon.
Photo: Members of the armed forces stand in formation in the Buckingham Palace garden after the coronation of King Charles III.
The King and the Queen will now receive a salute from the troops at the Buckingham Palace garden.
What Britain’s new monarch means for the environment
Throughout his life, King Charles III has been a champion for environmental issues. But, there is now an expectation of political neutrality that will likely bring an end to his grand statements about the health of the planet.
As the gold crown is lowered onto His Majesty’s head, it’s a moment to reflect on what metaphorical hats are coming off:
Photo: Moments after Prince William swore allegiance.
The Coronation day so far, in pictures
Italian Prime Minister wishes to continue UK-Italy ties under King Charles
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has conveyed her best wishes to the new King and Queen of the UK through a tweet.
Referring to the Cosmati mosaic, crafted by Italian craftsmen some eight centuries ago, Meloni said she aims to strengthen the historic cooperation between the two nations.
Who are in the Coronation Procession carriages?
The following members of the Royal family are travelling back to Buckingham Palace by carriages, in addition to the King and the Queen:
- The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales.
- The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Lady Louise Mountbatten Windsor and Earl of Wessex.
- The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
- The Princess Royal, as Colonel of the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), will be Gold Stick-in-Waiting, riding in the Procession.
Procession back to Buckingham Palace commences
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are now on their way back to Buckingham Palace after the coronation ceremony.
The procession will be bigger than the earlier one, and the royal couple will travel in the Gold State Coach. The coach is drawn by eight horses and has been used in every coronation since that of William IV in 1831.
The King is on his way out of the church now, crowned, with the orb and spectre. The national anthem is ringing in the background.
Queen Camilla's crown
Queen Camilla was crowned with Queen Mary's crown, which was first used in 1911.
Unlike the King's anointment, Queen Camilla was anointed in public, without the anointing screen.
What is the Cosmati pavement?
Underneath King Charles III's coronation chair, during the private anointing rite, was the Cosmati pavement -- a symbol of the whole cosmos on the day of judgement.
Read our piece about the intricate mosaic floor and its significance:
After crowning King Charles III as the 40th monarch of the UK, we now have hymns and prayers to wrap up the service.
The crowning moment
Here are some pictures from King Charles III's crowning moment:
Queen Camilla has been presented with the royal sceptre and the rod of equity and mercy.
Both the King and the Queen Consort are now enthroned as the choir sings Andrew Lloyd Webber's composition, based on Psalm 98.
Queen Camilla crowned in Westminster Abbey
Archbishop of Canterbury has crowned Queen Camilla, following the pledge of loyalty.
The religious leaders are next in the series of exchanges, presenting highly symbolic elements from the past.
Prince William has now presented his father with the coronation robes, in a series of exchanges to the newly crowned monarch.
The King will now be presented with the coronation spurs, the next being the jewelled sword of state.
King Charles III anointed in private
King Charles III was anointed in private behind the anointing screen for his "most sacred" moment.
A choir is singing "Zadok the Priest" as the ceremony is taking place.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has delivered his coronation sermon, praising volunteers who "live your lives for the sake of others."
Ascension Choir is now singing an Alleluia, after the reading of the Gospel of Luke by Dame Sarah Mullally.
How much will King Charles III's coronation cost?
King Charles III's coronation differs from that of his mother seventy years ago, in more ways than one. The new King reportedly planned a "less expensive" and shorter coronation.
Watch our report for more details:
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is now reading Epistle to the Colossians from the bible, after the Archbishop of Canterbury's prayer.
Prince Harry is in attendance at Westminster Abbey but will have no formal role in the ceremony.
He is sitting in the third row, beside Jack Brooksbank - husband of Princess Eugenie.
King Charles takes the oath
King Charles III takes the oath, promising to uphold and maintain "the Protestant reformed religion established by law."
A choir sings in the background as the King signs copies of the oath.
Photo: King Charles III arrives for his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
Recognition under way
King Charles has now faced all four points of the compass and is now being presented with the Holy Bible.
King Charles was greeted with the music composed for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902, based on Psalm 122.
The service is now underway at Westminster Abbey.
King Charles III has entered the Westminster Abbey
King Charles III is accompanied by his page boys, including his grandson Prince George, into Westminster Abbey.
The procession has arrived at Westminster Abbey
The King's procession has arrived at Westminster Abbey, and both the King and the Queen Consort have descended from the carriage. The service will start in ten minutes and will last for about two hours.
The royal superfans
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla were cheered by the public throughout the procession despite the rain pouring down.
Some of the most ardent royal supporters waited for days in advance to witness the procession, camping in the British capital:
The King and the Queen are being escorted by the Sovereign’s Escort, comprising of about 160 soldiers on horseback. The Household Cavalry Mounted Band is leading the military procession.
It’s a much smaller procession than the one planned for the return route from the abbey when some 4,000 troops will feature in a spectacular display of pageantry.
The procession to Westminster Abbey is expected to take 23 minutes.
(AP)
Coronation procession starts
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla are on their way to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
The procession is using the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, built in Australia in 2012 commemorating the 60th anniversary of late Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
Who is behind #NotMyKing?
Read our story on the anti-monarchy group Republic – whose members were arrested earlier today in the build-up to the coronation.
Key events and timings
Here are all the key events lined-up for the coronation day, in BST:
10:20 am: The King and the Queen Consort's carriage procession starts from Buckingham Palace.
10:53 am: The King and the Queen Consort arrive at Westminster Abbey.
11:00 am: The service begins after King Charles III and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, enter through the great west door.
12:00 pm: The Archbishop of Canterbury crowns King Charles III.
1:00 pm: The service ends, and the newly crowned King and Queen's procession back to Buckingham Palace begins.
1:45 pm: The King and the Queen receive a royal salute from the military in the garden after entering Buckingham Palace through the Centre Arch.
2:15 pm: The King and the Queen appear on the palace balcony with the members of the royal family to watch the Fly Past (if weather permits).
Members of anti-monarchy group arrested near Trafalgar Square
The anti-monarchy group Republic says several of its members have been arrested as they prepared to protest the coronation of King Charles III.
Police have said they will have a “low tolerance” for people seeking to disrupt the day, sparking criticism that they are clamping down on free speech.
(AP)
Which royals from Europe are attending the coronation?
The World's attention will be on Westminster Abbey today – yet, there are only a few invited to witness the coronation in person.
Here is a list of European royals who will be present to watch the defining moment unfold, and how they are related to King Charles III:
How is the UK preparing to welcome a new king?
The coronation of King Charles III has been the talk of the town for more than a week now, and the day is finally here. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has claimed that "no other country could put on such a dazzling show," attesting to the ceremony.
Watch how the UK built up to the pomp and pageantry:
https://www.euronews.com/video/2023/05/02/how-the-uk-is-preparing-to-welcome-a-new-king
Coronation live blog
Welcome to Euronews' live coverage of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla set to begin at 10:00 GMT.
We'll be updating throughout the day with the latest developments, starting with the procession all the way to the Fly Past.