- By Sean Coughlan, Royal Correspondent and James Gregory
- BBC News
May 5, 2023
Updated 24 minutes ago
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How King Charles’ coronation day unfolded
King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned on a historic day of splendour, crowned by cheers from the crowd outside Buckingham Palace.
Thousands packed the Mall despite the rain after a deeply religious coronation service at Westminster Abbey and a huge procession through London.
The king and queen waved to admirers from the palace balcony as planes painted the sky red, white and blue.
But the BBC understands Prince Harry was not invited to join them.
The Duke of Sussex had previously attended the ceremony at the Abbey, sitting two rows behind his brother Prince William – the first time they have been seen together since Harry’s sensational memoir, Spare, was published. Immediately afterwards he went to the USA.
King’s Day began just after 10am with the procession to Westminster Abbey in the horse-drawn Diamond Jubilee State Coach, past cheering crowds and an honor guard of 1,000 military personnel.
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The King leaves Westminster Abbey with the Imperial Crown and the Orb and Scepter of the Sovereign
Faith and Commonwealth leaders began the processions, followed by the King and Queen.
The two-hour ceremony – the first coronation of a monarch in 70 years – was watched on television worldwide, as were around 2,300 people at the abbey.
After the crown was placed on Charles’ head, shouts of ‘God save the King’ were heard from inside and outside, and gun salutes were fired across Britain.
Celebrity guests were among the guests at Westminster Abbey – including actress Emma Thompson and US singer Katy Perry.
US First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan arrived in a three-car motorcade, despite President Biden not traveling to the UK. French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska were also at the Abbey, as were Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and leaders of Commonwealth countries.
A total of 90 heads of state took part, the Foreign Office said.
The main theme of the coronation was the importance of service.
“I do not come to be served, but to serve,” said the king in his first prayer after reaching the abbey.
Charles was proclaimed “The Undoubted King” in the first phase of the ceremony. The congregation was then asked to show their reverence and service while shouting “God save the king.”
Yet between the music and the oaths there were moments of utter stillness as each phase of the ancient ceremony ended.
Traditions rarely found elsewhere in modern life were retained – such as the incorporation of the royal regalia or the orb and scepter, and the carrying of the gilded sword of state.
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Watch: Penny Mordaunt carries the sword before King Charles
In the holiest part of the service, the king was shielded from the public by ointment umbrellas while choirboys sang Handel’s Zadok the Priest – performed at every coronation since 1727.
Prince William also made a pledge of allegiance to King Charles, kissing him on the cheek before inviting members of the community to offer their own support.
Returning to the palace, it was a spectacle of pageantry and pomp as the newly crowned king and queen rode up the Mall in the golden state carriage, escorted by thousands of soldiers and soldiers.
Despite the very English weather – a constant light downpour – there was a celebratory atmosphere in the mall, with intermittent Mexican waves and cheering police officers.
Among the audience was Alexandra Hornyak, 57, from Montreal, Canada.
“I’ve known for years that I wanted to attend this day and the day it was announced I drove into the office and my husband just called me and said ‘6. May,'” she told the BBC.
“I knew exactly what it was.
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The King and Queen walk up the crowded Mall as they return to Buckingham Palace
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The King and Queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the ceremony
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The Royal Family watches a Red Arrows flyby on the balcony
While the vast majority of the assembled crowd came out to cheer the king, there was also a sizeable protest presence.
The coronation drew hundreds of protesters from The Republic, the group campaigning for the abolition of the monarchy and its replacement with an elected head of state, and others.
Commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrests and defended Scotland Yard’s actions, saying: “It is our duty to do so in a reasonable manner and in accordance with the relevant laws.”
Anti-monarchy groups had defended their right to protest, but police had warned that “tolerance for disruption, whether by protest or otherwise, will be low”.
“The reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly alarming,” said Yasmine Ahmed, director of Human Rights Watch UK.
The Metropolitan Police deployed 11,500 officers in what they believed would be the largest one-day deployment ever.
The coronation did not officially change the king’s status. Charles became king of the United Kingdom and 14 other kingdoms in September when his mother Elizabeth II died after 70 years on the throne.
Since then, months of intense planning have poured into the coronation celebrations – the 40th to be held at Westminster Abbey since 1066.
This time the ceremony emphasized diversity and inclusion, with more multi-religious elements than at any previous coronation, with contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh representatives.
A Bible lesson was read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu, and music was sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish.
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The Duke of Sussex has not been invited to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, according to the BBC
Image source, Getty Images
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The King and Queen wave to well-wishers from the balcony of Buckingham Palace
What else happened in Britain on Coronation Day?
Additional reporting from Marie Jackson, Alys Davies and Aoife Walsh.
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