Human Interest

Four key moments to watch out for in King Charles III’s coronation

By Ines Fernandez-Pontes

London, May 1 (EFE).- As the countdown to the UK’s King Charles III’s coronation begins, here is a step-by-step guide to four key moments to watch out for.

On May 6, King Charles will be formally crowned after he assumed the British throne following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, on September 8 last year.

The coronation will formalize Charles’ position as the head of state and head of the Anglican Church and will continue a centuries-old tradition of crowning monarchs at Westminster Abbey.

England’s first Norman king, William the Conqueror, was the first to be crowned in the Abbey in 1066 sparking a tradition that has seen 39 British monarchs anointed in the temple.

PROCESSION AND CEREMONY

Charles and Camila — who will become Queen on the same day and will leave behind her current title of Queen Consort — will first embark on the King’s Procession which starts at Buckingham Palace and leads to Westminster Abbey.

The religious coronation ceremony will begin at 10:00 GMT officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the principal leader of the Anglican Church.

During the ceremony, the King will be handed the Sovereign’s Orb, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove.

For the first time in history, the archbishop will urge all Britons to swear allegiance out loud to the monarch and his heirs, a call that has caused controversy.

After the service, the newly crowned King and Queen will return to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach that Queen Elizabeth II traveled in for Diamond Jubilee.

MILITARY SALUTE

Once in the palace, the King and Queen will be greeted by gun salutes that will echo across the country to herald Charles’ ascension to the throne.

Dubbed the UK’s largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years, “over 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force” will conduct a breath-taking Coronation flypast over The Mall in Central London, according to Downing Street.

BALCONY APPEARANCE

As is customary, the King and other members of the Royal Family will greet the thousands of people gathered outside the palace from the balcony concluding the ceremonial events for the day.

Among the thousands of guests who will attend the Coronation are Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the US President’s wife, Jill Biden.

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