His face betrayed nothing more than a calm composure. For a man of restless energy and uncertainty, Charles chose his coronation day to reveal a new royal demeanor.
There was nervousness, of course, but nothing to spoil the expression of benevolent glee as he stepped onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
For once, he even knew what to do with his hands. There was no fidgeting or tugging at his cuffs. Hidden beneath his robes, they emerged only to acknowledge and wave to the crowd.
Here he was finally the king.
So much history has been written about this famous balcony. Charles was there for decades – but only as a support act.
Step by step, ancient rituals that gave Charles his coronation. First, starting with the taking of the oath
1. The Archbishop of Canterbury takes the Coronation Oath asking the King to confirm that he will uphold the law and the Church of England. Charles also kisses a special edition Bible
Yesterday he was the center of attention for the first time. No wonder he came back for an encore, gazing at the rhapsody of red, white and blue that blanketed the Mall while a river of kind humanity flowed among the plane trees.
His life was one of preparation. He called it the “eternal waiting”. Now you could see his relief at having finally arrived at his destination after such a long journey.
Everything went like clockwork. Even the ink from his fountain pen flowed as he signed his oaths to uphold the Protestant line of succession.
And while yesterday’s spectacle was a grand tale of pageantry and symbolism, ritual and faith, surely the king’s greatest consolation was the presence of Camilla, anointed and crowned at his side.
He seemed to gain confidence from her mere presence.
His Camilla. For years he had feared that when the solemn moment came, he would be a king alone, cursed for marital unhappiness and a tragedy that briefly threatened to jeopardize the monarchy.
But for all its contradictions and weaknesses, perseverance must be its greatest quality. To make Camilla acceptable, he first had to win his family — no easy feat when the future of the institution was at stake — and then the country.
Just when he felt the moment was right to marry Camilla in 2005, fate and his late mother were in his favor.
Queen Elizabeth lived to see the steadfastness and confidence that Camilla gave her son. But she also knew that being a monarch requires not only erudition and humility—traits Charles has always possessed—but also partnership.
2. The Anointing Screen: In the most sacred part of the service, the King is anointed privately behind a specially made screen. The sacred oil used is made from olives harvested in Jerusalem
3. The Royal Robe: Now the Investiture, where Charles is draped in a dazzling ‘supertunica’ of golden silk. It is based on priestly robes worn in royal ceremonies dating back to Byzantine times
4. Exchange of Swords: The sword of state is exchanged for the jeweled sacrificial sword, which is blessed and then presented to the king. Charles is told to use it to “do justice” and “stop the growth of injustice”.
5. Bracelets of Sincerity and Wisdom: Charles is now presented with the Armmills or Bracelets of “Sincerity and Wisdom”. These represent a link between the sovereign and the people
For her, it was with Prince Philip. That’s why, on the occasion of her platinum anniversary, she expressed her sincere wish that former Mrs. Parker Bowles would hold the title of Queen Consort when Charles ascended the throne.
Up to this point, the consensus was that she would be known as the Princess Consort.
It meant his page in history would be shared. Chivalry, tradition and solemnity – along with military precision – all played a role, but what really mattered to Charles was that Camilla was there every step of the way.
She had supported and prepared him. Practiced in wearing her crown, just like him, she accompanied him to rehearsals and was the first to compliment him on the bone-shuddering ride back to the palace in the golden carriage.
Of course there were fears. Waiting in the carriage before leaving the palace for the abbey, for example, when it was raining.
Charles, the oldest crowned sovereign in British history, might not have been impressed by the splendor that London offered him, but he was acutely aware of the occasion.
In times past his eyes would have swept the gathering, searching left and right for a familiar face to exchange a look or smile with.
Yesterday his eyes were fixed, betraying only concentration on a sacred ceremony that reflected his deep-rooted beliefs.
Up and down the abbey, on all sides was a sea of bobbing hats and stiff-necked bows. His daughter-in-law Kate made the deepest curtsy. Had he tried to seek out his son Harry, he would have looked in vain.
6. William gives him the royal stole: William has a role to play in wearing the royal stole and representing what the king has received from God. The prince puts it around his father’s neck
7. The Sovereign’s Orb: The 17th-century golden orb is now presented to the king and symbolizes the world under the cross of Chris
8. Ring of the Sovereign: Charles places his hand on the coronation ring, composed of diamonds, rubies and a sapphire
As well as sitting next to the non-working members of the royal family, the prince was obscured by the plume of his aunt Princess Anne’s tricorne hat.
For 21 years, Charles has been tinkering and tweaking the details of his own coronation, relying on a combination of 1,000 years of tradition fused with a touch of modernity.
It was a mixture of the sobriety and color we expect from the king. In fact, with so many working parts, there was plenty of room for error. But everything had gone through exhaustively.
Charles knew he couldn’t bring with him the youth and vigor his mother displayed at her coronation in 1953, but he could balance those qualities with his years of experience and wisdom. Every element from kissing the Bible to receiving the orb and scepter was performed with a sense of majesty. The age of chivalry, like the age of awe, may be long gone for modern monarchs.
In its place has come an age of insatiable curiosity. Somehow Charles managed to bridge past and present.
When he first spoke to make his vow to the Almighty – to serve, not to be served – his voice was clear and strong.
This was at last a man who was no longer wracked by the frustration that characterized so much of his former life as Prince of Wales when he competed for attention with a glamorous younger woman.
Once or twice he licked his dry lips and spoke only to thank those who had brought him the instruments of coronation.
But there was no sign of impatience as the service inexorably drew toward its defining moment.
The outfit changes were seamless, like he was in costume drama, which of course he was. There was a “thank you, William” as his son gravely strapped him into a stole for the coronation.
And he allowed himself the faintest smile as William, in homage to his father, declared himself his “liege man for life and limb” and uttered the same words Charles himself said to his mother when he was inaugurated as Prince of Wales 54 years ago.
After waiting 70 years for this moment, Charles was remarkably cool, so much so that there was no sense of excitement or urgency when this heavy St Edward’s crown – a whopping 4.9 pounds of it – was lowered onto his head.
And if he felt a moment of triumph, he certainly didn’t show it.
9. Coronation Gauntlet: A single white glove is placed on Charles’ right hand
10. The two sceptres: The scepter with a cross and the scepter with a dove are given to the king and symbolize both power and peace
11. St. Edward’s Crown: Archbishop Welby lowers St. Edward’s Crown to King Charles’ head in a poignant moment. The extravagant 17th-century solid gold crown contains 444 jewels and precious stones, including sapphires and rubies. Cheers resound from the crowds gathered outside
12. God save the King: The Archbishop loudly declares “God save the King,” which is repeated by the congregation before a dramatic fanfare is played to punctuate the historic event
For most of that two-hour service, Camilla was a spectator, her face as impassive as her husband’s. But when it was her turn to be anointed and crowned, the king looked on with kind approval.
These two crowning moments heightened the tension. For many of the years of his marriage to Diana—and after—there was talk of skipping a generation and that Charles would never become king. But when the weight of both the crown of St. Edward and history fell upon the king, such talk seemed foolish and false.
Charles has fulfilled his destiny. It just took longer than many thought. If he has regrets, he doesn’t show it.
He has always approached Providence fatalistically. If he was determined to ensure his wife was crowned queen, he was also uncompromising about the type of coronation he wanted and the people he wanted to witness. Family, yes – but not all, for he knew he had to make adjustments that would fit well with modern Britain.
So many other monarchies have faded or withered due to extravagance or an inability to adapt to change.
Britain’s is the best known in the world and its members are global celebrities. Its survival lies in its willingness to embrace change.
Charles wants to be an agent of change. Therefore, when he emerged to accept the applause of the crowd on the palace balcony, all eyes were on the supporting cast behind him.
William and Kate were there, of course, but a little apart, careful not to overshadow the King on his big day. There was no Harry and Prince Andrew, but it was certainly busier than last year’s Platinum Jubilee Showpiece.
Was that a rethink? Or did Princess Anne’s words of warning about the pressure to lose weight have an immediate effect on the monarchy?
In fact, neither. But the king wanted to share this moment of public applause with all family members, young and old, who have supported his journey.
Years ago, a younger and more insecure Charles told a friend fragments of memories of his mother’s coronation. He recounted how, in the 1950s, after their long journeys abroad, crowds spilled onto the streets of London to welcome them home.
As they cruised around the Victoria Monument, ironically the epicenter of yesterday’s joyful celebrations, then-Prince Charles turned somberly to his companion and said: “Of course they will never do that for me.”
How wrong he was. Tens of thousands of loyal supporters poured into the mall yesterday – and roared to tell him.