King Charles III's coronation shows off diverse Britain to world

Leaders of a number of faiths, including Muslim and Jewish, played active role in ceremony

Alleluia is sung by the Ascension gospel choir during the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, at Westminster Abbey, in London, Saturday, May 6, 2023. Andrew Matthews / AP

Follow the latest news from the coronation of King Charles here

World leaders hailed King Charles III as he was crowned sovereign of the United Kingdom, in a ceremony affirming his place in the 1,000-year history of the British monarchy while striving to keep it relevant for modern times.

The coronation was diverse and inclusive and hopes to show off a new era for Britain.

While rooted in history, the ceremony — only the second British coronation to be televised — was also an attempt to present a forward-looking institution and to reflect a more diverse country.

The King has long made efforts to showcase and praise Britain's diversity, and he ensured representatives of a number of faiths took part, with Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders all playing an active role.

The coronation featured female clergy members for the first time and a Bible reading from the practising Hindu Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“I come not to be served but to serve,” Charles said at the start.

The King waved to his adoring people from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in a made-for-television moment after a gilded carriage brought him back from Westminster Abbey in his newly-acquired Imperial State Crown.

He was accompanied on the balcony by Queen Camilla, working members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, and pages of honour in front of cheering crowds. Notably absent was the king's son Prince Harry.

It was also a moment for an international get together and some sidebar diplomacy.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, represented the UAE in London. President Sheikh Mohamed sent “heartfelt wishes” from the UAE.

US President Joe Biden, being represented in London by his wife Jill, congratulated the King and Queen. European leaders all sent messages of goodwill, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who said he was “proud to be by your side on this historic day”.

Outside, the VIP contingents people from all over the world had travelled to be street side.

Phil Tagini flew in from the Solomon Islands for the coronation. “I think this is a historical moment. This was an amazing opportunity,” he said.

“The pomp, the crown, everything. It was just incredible. There was a deep sense of history. It was great to see our monarch crowned in person.”

Christina Green was over from Florida to watch the coronation in person. “I went to Westminster Abbey but it was crazy. I know I was here and that is all that matters.”

Prime Minister Sunak held a number of bilateral meetings around the coronation, including one with Canada's Justin Trudeau.

The monarchy's supporters say the royal family provides an international draw, a vital diplomatic tool and a means of keeping the country on the world stage.

“No other country could put on such a dazzling display — the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties,” Mr Sunak said.

Rain and reign

Inside the abbey, the King prayed for subjects of “every faith and conviction” during a coronation service watched by kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and dignitaries from more than 200 countries.

The Archbishop of Canterbury placed St Edward’s Crown on the King’s head at 12.02pm after anointing him with holy oil, in the 40th known coronation at Westminster Abbey in a line stretching back to 1066.

His wife Camilla was crowned Queen, capping her long journey to public acceptance after the turmoil and tragedy that came before their marriage.

The coronation of King Charles III — in pictures

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  King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, following the coronation. PA

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  Crowds fill the Mall following the coronation. PA

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  The British Royal Air Force's aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, perform a fly-past over Admiralty Arch in central London. AFP

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  King Charles and Queen Camilla are carried in the Gold State Coach, pulled by eight Windsor Greys, as the Coronation Procession passes through Parliament Square on its way to Buckingham Palace. PA

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  King Charles wearing the Imperial state Crown carrying the Sovereign's Orb and Sceptre leaves Westminster Abbey. AFP

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  King Charles is crowned with St Edward's Crown at Westminster Abbey. PA

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  King Charles sits to receive the St Edward's Crown. AP

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  King Charles rises after he is crowned. Getty

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  Queen Camilla is crowned with Queen Mary's Crown. PA

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  King Charles wearing the St Edward's Crown and Queen Camilla wearing the Queen Mary's Crown during the coronation ceremony. PA

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  Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, followed by Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, arrive for the coronation. AP

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  King Charles enters Westminster Abbey. Getty

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  King Charles at Westminster Abbey as the coronation ceremony begins. PA

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  King Charles arrives for his coronation at Westminster Abbey. PA

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  The Diamond Jubilee State Coach travels along The Mall. PA

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  King Charles in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach as the King's Procession passes along The Mall to the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. PA

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  King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla travel from Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee Coach. Getty Images

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  King Charles travels to Buckingham Palace to prepare for his coronation. Reuters

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  The motorcade of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla travel across London from St James's Palace to Buckingham Palace. PA

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  People awaiting the coronation procession to begin shelter from the rain in London. Reuters

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  Pfficers from London's Metropolitan Police gather on The Mall before the coronation of King Charles. AP

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  Members of staff prepare the balcony of Buckingham Palace. EPA

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  Coldstream Guards march in London. Reuters

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  Well-wishers line the route of the coronation procession. AP

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  Troops in full ceremonial uniform arrive at Waterloo train station from their barracks and march across Westminster Bridge in London. Reuters

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  People enter the festive spirit as they wait to watch King Charles's coronation procession on The Mall in London. Rueters

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  Metropolitan Police officers and security staff gather on The Mall. Getty

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  Crowds form along the Mall in anticipation of the coronation procession. Getty

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  Armed Metropolitan Police officers on roof of Buckingham Palace. EPA

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  Metropolitan Police officers arrive on the Mall. Getty

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  Members of the armed forces taking part in the coronation processions arrive at Waterloo train station. PA

Crowds of well-wishers turned out to see the procession despite drizzly weather on Britain’s first coronation day for 70 years. A small number of antimonarchist protests led to arrests but did not cause major disruption.

A fly-past by the British military was scaled down to a display by helicopters and the Red Arrows acrobatic team because of “unsuitable weather conditions”.

The palace did not confirm in advance who would appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony, in what has become a key moment in royal events that signals who is favoured for public appearances.

The king’s heir apparent Prince William kissed King Charles on the cheek during the service. The monarch appeared to mouth “thank you, William” in response.

King Charles's five-year-old grandson Prince Louis once again endeared himself to viewers by yawning and chattering during the ceremony.

Prince Harry sat in the third row with no formal role in proceedings in his first appearance at a state event since making stinging accusations against the family in his autobiography Spare.

Celebrity guests at the church actors Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and American singer Katy Perry.

The king and queen leave Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony in London. AP

After the service, eight Windsor Grey horses pulled the King and Queen in the Gold State Coach as the Prince and Princess of Wales followed behind and Princess Anne rode on horseback in her ceremonial role as Gold Stick in Waiting.

Saturday’s ceremony completes the formalities of King Charles’s accession after his long wait to take the throne ended with the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September.

Although he took the throne immediately after her death, the coronation marks a religious blessing for the new reign and passes him the symbols of the monarchy’s long history.

The king was handed the orb, sceptre and other royal treasures passed down over the centuries after arriving in a velvet robe worn by his grandfather King George VI.

A fanfare was played and the abbey’s bells rang for two minutes as gun salutes were fired from nearby Horse Guards Parade, the Tower of London and saluting stations across the nation and from warships at sea.

Speaking from a liturgy agreed with the archbishop, the king said: “I come not to be served but to serve.”

Britain's young Princess Charlotte and her mother Catherine, the Princess of Wales in a carriage ride after the coronation. AFP

There were twists to the service meant to reflect the social and religious diversity of modern Britain and a country where the church and monarchy are no longer universally revered.

At the end of the service, the king met leaders of the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities in Britain who promised to “unite in service for the common good” with the new king.

The king prayed that he “may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and conviction” after swearing an oath to “foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely”.

An epistle from the King James Bible was read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain's first Hindu leader.

Traditional music such as the 18th-century hymn Zadok the Priest was accompanied by singing in Welsh and the first coronation pieces composed by women.

In the first coronation in the age of modern air travel, the guests included leaders and celebrities from around the Commonwealth and other countries.

Those taking their seats in Westminster Abbey included Bahrain's King Hamad and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania.

The US was represented by first lady Jill Biden, who went to the church with her granddaughter Finnegan Biden.

While the late queen's coronation in 1953 was the first televised event witnessed by many people in Britain, King Charles's big day was billed as the first to be live-streamed via social media.

Mr Sunak called it a “cherished ritual through which a new era is born”.

Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III's coronations — 1953 and 2023