Coronation of a King: What to know about King Charles III's coronation
Charles became heir to the throne at the age of 3, and now he will finally get to be crowned as king. Here is every little detail you need to know.
LEARN MOREPosted: 7:06 p.m. EDT May 6, 2023
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla were officially crowned at a historic coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.
The 360-year-old St. Edward’s Crown was placed upon the king’s head by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Queen Consort Camilla was crowned with St. Mary’s crown, which was made in 1911 and had to be sized down to fit her. This marked the first time in recent history that a queen consort used an existing crown for coronation.
King Charles III is crowned with the 360-year-old St. Edward's Crown #Coronation pic.twitter.com/bRUrmncYPe
— Scripps News (@scrippsnews) May 6, 2023
After taking his coronation oath, the king was heard praying aloud for the first time.
"Grant that I may be a blessing to all the children of every faith and belief," said King Charles, signaling his efforts to be a more inclusive and globally-friendly king.
Leaders from other faiths played a part in the ceremony.
The King’s son, Prince William of Wales, played a pivotal role in his father's coronation. During the Presentation of Regalia, where the king received a number of special items, Prince William helped deliver the robe and stole royal to his father.
Prince William later became the first to kneel before his father when he officially took the throne.
“I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith, in truth, I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb, so help me, God," William said.
Prince William and Princess Kate's children acted as pages during their grandfather's ceremony.
While the king's other son, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was in attendance, he did not play a role in his father’s ceremony. His wife, Meghan Markle, did not attend.
More than 2,000 people attended the ceremony, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska. The two were seated next to each other.
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla received Holy Communion towards the end of the service.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the king and queen made their way to Buckingham Palace in a gold state coach. Thousands lined the streets along the 1.3-mile route during the king's procession.
About 38,000 church bells are expected to ring throughout the day in England, as every church in the nation will take part in what's known as "Ring for the King."
A coronation ceremony has not been seen in almost 70 years, since the crowning of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Along the procession route, anti-monarchists took the opportunity to protest the first changing of the crown in 70 years.
"I mean, it's fine to have a party, but we just don't want the monarchy to be part of our political institutions and establishment," said protester Malcolm Sparks.
Finally, the balcony moment was the first view of the new royal family for the British public.
Capped off with a flyover from the famous red arrows, a colorful finale to the ceremonial beginning of King Charles III.
Notably absent from that balcony appearance was the King’s younger son, Harry, who was at the coronation but made no further public appearance as he is no longer a working royal.
