LONDON (AP) — King Charles III. was crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday and received the jeweled St Edward’s Crown in a ceremony that builds on ancient tradition at a time when the monarchy is struggling to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain.
Trumpets blared in the medieval abbey and the congregation shouted “God save the king!” at a service attended by more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Thousands of soldiers, tens of thousands of spectators and a few demonstrators gathered outside.
The crowd of well-wishers swelled into the hundreds of thousands as newly crowned Charles and Queen Camilla emerged to wave alongside younger generations of royals from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
It was the culmination of the king’s seven-decade journey from heir to monarch.
For the royal family and government, the occasion – codenamed Operation Golden Orb – was a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched anywhere in the world.
For the crowds gathered under the rainy sky – thousands of them had camped overnight – it was a chance to be part of a historic event.
But for millions more, the day was greeted with a shrug, the awe and awe the ceremony was meant to inspire has largely disappeared.
And for some, it was cause for protest. Hundreds who want Britain to become a republic rallied to shout ‘Not my King’. They see the monarchy as an institution that represents privilege and inequality in a country where poverty is increasing and social ties are crumbling. A handful were arrested.
As the day began, the abbey buzzed with excitement and was awash with fragrant flowers and colorful hats as the gathering of international dignitaries, nobles and other notables arrived. Among them were US First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British Prime Ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers with shiny medals and celebrities like Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie.
During the traditional Anglican service, slightly adapted for modern times, Charles, dressed in crimson and cream robes, swore on a Bible that he was a “true Protestant”.
However, a foreword was added to the Coronation Oath stating that the Church of England “will endeavor to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely” and the epistle was adapted from the King James Bible read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Britain’s first Hindu leader.
A gospel choir performed a newly composed “Alleluia,” and for the first time, female clergymen attended the ceremony. It was also the first to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths.
In an ancient display of royal power, Charles was anointed with oil from the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land – a part of the ceremony so sacred it was hidden behind partitions – and presented with an orb, swords and sceptres.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, then placed the solid gold crown adorned with more than 400 jewels on Charles’ head while sitting in the 700-year-old oak Coronation Chair – once gilded, now worn and etched with graffiti. Under the seat was a sacred slab known as the Stone of Scone, on which ancient Scottish kings were crowned.
For over 1,000 years, British monarchs have been crowned in such grandiose ceremonies as confirming their right to rule. Charles was the 40th ruler to be enthroned at the abbey – and at 74 the oldest.
Nowadays, the king has no executive or political powers, and worship is purely ceremonial, as Charles automatically became king after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.
The King remains the UK’s head of state and a symbol of national identity – and Charles will have to work to bring a multicultural nation together and strengthen support for the monarchy at a time when it is waning, especially among younger people.
Today’s audience is very different from the audience that saw Elizabeth crowned. Almost 20% of the population is now from minority ethnic groups, compared to less than 1% in the 1950s, and less than half of the population identify themselves as Christian.
Anti-monarchy group Republic said six of its members, including its chief executive, were arrested when they came to a protest. Police, who had warned they would have a “low tolerance” for people who wanted to disrupt the day, said four people had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
Environmental group Just Stop Oil said more than a dozen of its members were also arrested.
The arrests prompted criticism that police are cracking down on freedom of expression, and Human Rights Watch said the arrests were “something you would expect in Moscow, not London.”
The multimillion-pound cost of all the pomp – the exact figure is unknown – has also angered some amid a cost-of-living crisis that has left many Britons struggling to pay energy bills and buy groceries.
Still, Charles has attempted to lead a smaller, less expensive royal machinery for the 21st century. His affair was shorter than Elizabeth’s three-hour coronation, with fewer guests and a shortened procession.
The notoriously feuding royal family showed their own unity. Present were heir to the throne Prince William, his wife Kate and their three children. Towards the end of the ceremony, William knelt in front of his father and pledged allegiance to the king – before kissing him on the cheek.
Welby then invited everyone in the abbey to swear “true allegiance” to the monarch. He said people watching on TV could also pay homage – although that part of the ceremony was toned down after some criticized him as a lackluster effort in demanding a public oath of allegiance to Charles.
William’s younger brother Prince Harry, who has publicly fought with the family, arrived alone. His wife Meghan and their children stayed home in California, where the couple has lived since they retired as working royals in 2020.
As Charles and key royals joined a grand military procession after the ceremony, Harry stood in front of the Abbey and waited for a car to drive him away.
Large crowds cheered as Charles and Camilla rode the Gold State Carriage from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a procession of 4,000 soldiers and military bands playing merry tunes.
As the king and queen waved to a sea of people outside the palace, the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, zoomed overhead, trailing red, white and blue feathers.
“It’s just about being surrounded by love and seeing our King Charles. He’s our mainstay,” said Jill Coughlin, a Royal fan from Essex, east of London. “We loved our Queen and that’s just more generations. So it’s wonderful for us, absolutely wonderful.”
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Associated Press contributors Sylvia Hui and Brian Melley contributed to this report.
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