Britain is all set to witness a historic moment—in the first coronation in 70 years, Charles III will be crowned king in a solemn Christian ceremony at the Westminster Abbey on Saturday. Witnessed by over 2,000 guests, including members of the royal family and 100 heads of states, the Coronation Service ceremony is the highlight of a slew of rituals and celebrations being held over the last few days.
The event is being held at a much smaller scale this year; more than 8,000 guests were present at the Abbey to witness the crowning of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Order of events
The formal celebrations begin with King Charles and Queen Camilla travelling to the Abbey from the Buckingham Palace in the regal Diamond Jubilee state coach. This air-conditioned coach, pulled by six horses, was built in 2012 in Australia to mark 60 years of Queen Elizabeth's reign.
The king, wearing a red velvet robe of state, will be presented to the congregation with chants of 'God save King Charles'. Breaking with tradition, Charles will reportedly wear a military uniform underneath the robe. Before the King arrives, there will be processions outside the Abbey involving faith leaders and representatives, and representatives from some Commonwealth countries. The ceremony at the Abbey is expected to begin at 11am (3:30 pm IST).
Some of those who walk ahead of the King through the abbey before the service will carry the regalia, BBC reported. Charles will be presented with the sovereign's orb and sceptres at key moments in the ceremony. The sceptre, with a cross and embedded with Cullinan I diamond, has been the subject of debates recently as the South Africans demand the diamond, also known as the Star of Africa, be returned. Camilla will be presented with the Queen Consort's rod with dove and the Queen Consort's sceptre with cross—mirroring the King's sceptres. With his hands of the Holy Bible, Charles will take the accession declaration oath.
In the 'anointing ceremony', the King, seated on St Edward's Chair, will be anointed, emphasising the spiritual status of the sovereign who is also the head of the Church of England. The archbishop will pour special oil, brought in from Jerusalem, and anoint the King in the form of a cross on his head, breast and hands. Considered the most scared part of the service, this is only part of the ceremony that will not be visible to the public.
In the final crowning moment, King Charles will wear the St Edward's Crown for the only time in his life. The historic centrepiece of the coronation, it was made for King Charles II in 1661, and is housed in the Tower of London.
He will then be seated on the throne. Traditionally, the archbishop, royal dukes and heir to the throne kneel before him and swear allegiance. This time, however, heir apparent Prince William will be the only royal duke to pay homage to Charles.
Queen Camilla will be anointed, crowned and enthroned in a simpler ceremony after this.
The king and queen will return to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach in a larger ceremonial procession. Built in 1760, the coach is made of gilded wood, which is covered with a layer of gold leaf . The Gold State Coach will be pulled by eight Windor Greys. Over 4,000 members of the UK's armed forces will be taking part in the procession. The king and queen will appear on the palace balcony at about 2:15 pm (7 pm IST) to greet the crowd and witness a fly-past.
Where to watch
The ceremony will be aired by the BBC and live-streamed by YouTube channels including that of the UK's Department of Culture and Media.
