The most important event for the British monarchy in 70 years takes place today when King Charles III is crowned with Queen Consort Camilla. A magnificent ceremony that breaks several records and will bring tens of thousands of people to the streets of London.

The coronation day events are the most expensive in the history of the British monarchy for such an event, estimated at 100 million pounds, twice the cost of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Charles and Camilla are also the oldest royal couple to be crowned, he at 74 and she at 75.

We will also witness some premieres. Orthodox Greeks will sing for the first time at a coronation in honor of Charles III’s father, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99. The Byzantine Singing Ensemble was created especially for this occasion under the leadership of Orthodox music teacher Oleksandr Lingas. The Ascension Choir will also be the first gospel choir to perform at the coronation, signaling the new king’s commitment to modernity.

HotNews.ro will present the event and highlights of the ceremony LIVE.

Who will attend the coronation of King Charles

Prince William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, will attend the ceremony in London, along with the King’s two siblings, Anne, Princess Royal, and Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. After much speculation, Prince Harry has confirmed that he will attend, but his wife Meghan will not. The coronation coincides with the fourth birthday of the couple’s son, Prince Archie.

The ceremony in London will also be attended by representatives of royal houses, heads of state and government from around the world. US President Joe Biden will not be there, instead his wife Jill will attend the event. So is French President Emmanuel Macron.

For the first time, the President of the Republic of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, will be present at the coronation of the British monarch. But even more significant is the presence at the coronation of Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill, who will attend as the leader of the republican formation in the British province of Northern Ireland and the elected chief minister of the autonomous government, which, however, is still suspended for more than a year.

On the Romanian side, President Klaus Iohannis and his wife, as well as His Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu, will be present in London.

The ceremony begins with the “Procession of the King”

The coronation ceremony of King Charles III takes place at Westminster Abbey in London and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. During the ceremony, His Majesty King Charles III is crowned with Queen Consort Camilla. Charles III will become the 40th monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066.

Charles and Camilla will arrive at Westminster Abbey in a procession from Buckingham Palace, known as the Royal Procession. This first procession will start at 10.20am London time.

They will travel in a Diamond Jubilee state coach drawn by six Windsor Gray horses. The King’s Walk includes a journey through the Mall, through Admiralty Arch, then heading south to the statue of King Charles I in Trafalgar Square and Whitehall. The procession continues down Whitehall, along the east and south sides of Parliament Square, arriving at Westminster Abbey.

What’s happening at Westminster Abbey

The religious coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey will start at 11:00, 13:00 Romanian time.

Westminster Abbey has hosted almost all coronations since 1066, when William the Conqueror ascended the throne of England at Christmas. 38 coronation ceremonies took place here, 39 monarchs were crowned. King Charles III will become the 40th monarch to be crowned here on May 6, 2023.

The ceremony, which lasts almost two hours, is divided into several stages.

Recognition: As he sits next to the 700-year-old coronation chair, the monarch is introduced to the audience by the Archbishop of Canterbury. They shout: “God save the king!”

Oath: The sovereign swears to uphold the law and the Church of England

Anointing: The Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the king’s arms, chest and head with a holy oil made from a secret recipe known to contain amber, orange blossom, roses, jasmine and cinnamon. The butter created for Charles will not contain ingredients of animal origin

Investment: Objects are presented to the sovereign, including the Royal Globe, symbolizing religious and moral authority; Scepter, a symbol of power; and the Scepter of the Sovereign, a golden rod topped by a white dove, a symbol of justice and mercy. Finally, the archbishop places the Crown of St. Edward on the king’s head

Enthronement: The king leaves the coronation chair and sits on the throne. People kneel before the monarch to pay their respects.

The queen consort will follow a similar ritual and be crowned. Queen Camilla will be anointed, crowned and enthroned in a simpler ceremony, although she will not have to take an oath. She will be crowned with Queen Mary’s crown, made in 1911 for her coronation with George V, but altered and altered for Camilla, the Queen’s consort.

Symbolic objects of the coronation ceremony

According to the Royal Family website, Britain is the only European country that still uses the regalia – symbols of royal power such as the crown, globe and scepter – at coronations. Individual objects symbolize different aspects of the monarch’s service and duties. At key moments in the ceremony, Charles will be presented with the Sovereign’s Sceptre, the Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross and the Sovereign’s Scepter with Dove, among other items.

Crown it is studded with 2,901 precious stones, including the Cullinan II Diamond, the St. Edward Sapphire, the Stewart Sapphire and the Black Prince Ruby.

In the cross of the crown is an octagonal sapphire, the sapphire of St. Edward, whose history is older than any other gem in the royal collection.

The crown, which is the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels, was removed from the Tower of London last December to allow for the necessary changes in preparation for today’s ceremony.

Sovereign globe it was created for the coronation of Charles II in 1661. The globe is a 16.5 cm diameter gold ball with a band of pearls and precious stones in the center. Amethyst on the globe. The globe is a religious symbol and symbolizes the monarch’s role as defender of the faith as head of the Church of England.

Royal scepter it is 92 centimeters long and topped with the Cullinan I diamond.

“Coronation Procession” and salute from Buckingham Palace

After the religious coronation ceremony, King Charles and Queen Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession known as the Coronation Procession, joined by other members of the royal family. They will travel in a Gold State Coach drawn by eight Windsor Gray horses. The carriage, which was last used for Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in June 2022, entered service in 1760 and was first used by King George III for a trip to the Opening of Parliament in 1762. The carriage has been used at every coronation since William IV in 1831. .

Upon their return to Buckingham Palace, they will be met with honors by the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The honors will be followed by three standing ovations from the combined services in honor of the Armed Forces at the King and Queen Consort’s Coronation Day parade.

At Buckingham Palace, the King and Queen, accompanied by members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony to conclude the day’s festivities.

Differences from Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 ceremony

Coronations remained unchanged for hundreds of years. The British ceremony is the only event of its kind left in Europe.

However, Charles III’s coronation ceremony is likely to be shorter and smaller than Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, with a wider range of religions.

Queen Elizabeth II traveled both to Westminster Abbey and back to Buckingham Palace in the 260-year-old Gold State Coach, decorated in gold but lacking in comfort.

On the return journey, Charles and Camilla will use only traditional carriage.

During the trip to Westminster Abbey, they decided on a modern “Diamond Jubilee State Coach”, equipped with shock absorbers and air conditioning.

In addition, Charles and Camilla will travel a much shorter route (two kilometers each way) compared to Queen Elizabeth II’s seven kilometer route, which took two hours.

Compared to the 29,000 members of the armed forces present in 1953, the return procession to Buckingham Palace will be less imposing.

The royal couple will be accompanied by almost 4,000 soldiers, including musicians.