A historic gospel choir performance, a scaled-back flypast and a controversial invitation for public participation: Saturday’s coronation of King Charles III was filled with notable moments.
If you’re just now catching up, here are other highlights from the once-in-a-generation royal event:
The procession: The rainy day kicked off when King Charles III and Queen Camilla travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. In a slight deviation from tradition, the couple rode in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach drawn by six Windsor Grey horses. They were accompanied on the 1.3-mile route by the sovereign’s most trusted bodyguards, the Household Cavalry, and were greeted by cheering and waving crowds.
The service: The intricate service lasted just over two hours – about an hour shorter than Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 – and followed a traditional template. However, it has been modernized in certain key ways: The archbishop acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the UK during the ceremony. And when the King took the Coronation Oath, he became the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation.
The King was then anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was also presented with coronation regalia.
Then, for the first time in coronation history, the archbishop invited the British public and those from “other Realms” to recite a pledge of allegiance to the newly crowned monarch and his “heirs and successors.” (When those plans were unveiled, it caused some controversy around the country — and the Church of England changed the wording of its invitation following the response.)
The ceremony also included a reading from the Bible by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and, in another coronation first, gospel music.
Once the King was crowned, his wife, Queen Camilla, was crowned in her own, shorter ceremony with Queen Mary’s Crown.
The flypast: The Royal Air Force’s famous Red Arrows flew over a rainy Buckingham Palace, ending a brief and slimmed down display. The national anthem was played, and Charles and Camilla gave a few waves from Buckingham Palace to the crowd before going inside, then making a balcony encore.
The guests: The coronation ceremony was the hottest ticket in town, with scores of foreign dignitaries, British officials, celebrities and faith leaders gathered in the Westminster Abbey. Still, the congregation, while including some 2,300 people, was much smaller than it was in 1953 when temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people who attended.
Celebrations: On Sunday, thousands of events and street parties are expected to take place across the country as part of the “Coronation Big Lunch.” And on Sunday evening, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle. Britons will then enjoy an extra day off on Monday.
Protests: Police said they arrested more than 50 people during the coronation, after controversially promising a “robust” approach to protesters. Nonprofit Human Rights Watch said the arrests were “something you would expect to see in Moscow not London.”
Watch a 3-minute recap of the day’s festivities here:
