King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned in lavish, archaic British ritual

King Charles III and Queen Camilla were on Saturday crowned at Westminster Abbey in a glittering but archaic ritual not seen in Britain since 1953. Thousands of poncho-clad royal fans turned out in central London to offer their support to the new monarch as he was officially declared king of 15 countries.

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation on May 06, 2023 in London, England. © Handout via REUTERS - BUCKINGHAM PALACE

More than 2,000 guests – including a hundred heads of state – watched on as King Charles received the golden St Edward's Crown in a medieval service that comes as the monarchy's relevance is also called into question.

Charles, 74, is now the 40th sovereign, and the oldest, to be enthroned at Westminister. 

In the heavily guarded streets fanning out from the abbey to Buckingham Palace, police and troops worked steadily to control crowds that included both spectators and anti-monarchy protesters.

Rainy procession

Along The Mall, where King Charles and Queen Camilla rode past twice, crowds swelled to their tens of thousands as fans jockeyed for a prime viewing position along the main procession route.  

With many people camping out overnight, the boulevard had reached capacity earlier in the day. Police barricaded the side streets leading down to The Mall and instead directed crowds to several official screening sites.

An image from the coronation of King Charles III is projected onto a giant screen at London's Piccadilly Circus on 6 May, 2023. © RFI Amanda Morrow

The drizzling rain saw thinner-than-expected crowds at a screening site in Hyde Park, but the weather did little to dampen the spirits of royal fans – many dressed in red, white and blue – who brought tarpaulins along with their picnic blankets and deck chairs.

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"It was amazing – the sceptre, the orb, and the whole ritual. There were so many fascinating facts that we didn’t know about," one royal fan told RFI.

Meanwhile another fan said: "Charles looked like he was reflecting on his mother and how he had seen her all his life.

"Then when his own son comes and vows to him as well, that had to be incredibly emotional."

Later on, the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, staged a flyby with red, white and blue plumes as King Charles and Queen Camilla waved to spectators gathered outside the palace.

The coronation will be followed on Sunday by a concert at Windsor, while luncheons are to be held in streets across the country.