King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey. In front of world leaders, foreign royals, dignitaries, and a smattering of celebrities, the monarch declared, “I come not to be served but to serve.” The ceremony was steeped in tradition and brimming with bling at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a divided modern Britain.
To the royal family and government, the occasion was a display of heritage, tradition, and spectacle. To the crowds gathered under rainy skies, it was a chance to be part of a historic event.
To a few, it was reason to protest. Hundreds hollered, “Not my king.” They view the monarchy as an institution that stands for privilege and inequality in a country dealing with worsening poverty and fraying social ties. Police arrested a handful of protesters.
Millions of others greeted the day with a shrug. Cherie Duffy watched the ceremony on TV—but only because someone else turned it on. How did she and her friends feel about the event? She says, “There’s a general not-botheredness.”
These days, the king no longer has executive or political power. The service is purely ceremonial: Charles automatically became king upon 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. But Charles must work to shore up support for the monarchy at a time when it is waning, especially among younger people. Most Britons view the monarchy on a scale from apathy to mild interest. But some fervently oppose it.
The multimillion-pound cost of the all the pomp—the exact figure unknown—rankled some folks. After all, the country is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis that has seen some Britons struggling to pay energy bills and buy food. Charles did attempt to keep the ceremony less ostentatious than his mother’s in 1953. (Read Coronation To Reflect Old and New.)
As the ceremony began, the abbey buzzed with excitement and bloomed with fragrant flowers and colorful hats. The United States’ First Lady Jill Biden, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, French President Emmanuel Macron, eight current and former British prime ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals, and celebrities streamed in.
The traditional Anglican service was slightly tweaked. For example, this was the first ceremony to include representatives of several other faiths and female clergy. A preface was also added to the coronation oath saying the Anglican church “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.” Yet Charles still swore on a Bible that he is a “true Protestant.”
Charles was anointed with oil from the Mount of Olives. After that, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the crown on Charles’ head. The congregation of more than 2,000 shouted, “God save the King!”
Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their three children attended the ceremony. Toward the end, William knelt before his father and pledged loyalty to the king.
William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, who has publicly sparred with the family, arrived and left alone.
Large crowds cheered as King Charles and Queen Camilla, who was also crowned, left the abbey in the Gold State Carriage and rode to Buckingham Palace amid throngs of well-wishers.
(King Charles III and Queen Camilla ride back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage after the coronation ceremony in London, England, on May 6, 2023. AP/Vadim Ghirda)
