King Charles III and Queen Camilla Officially Crowned in Lavish Coronation Ceremony

The long-awaited coronation ceremony for King Charles III and Queen Camilla of Britain has finally taken place today, 6th May 2023 at Westminster Abbey, with hundreds of high-profile guests in attendance. Despite the rain, tens of thousands of well-wishers gathered in central London to witness the ceremony. As the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, King Charles III's coronation was a profoundly religious affair, following a traditional template that has remained largely unchanged for more than 1,000 years. However, the ceremony has been modernized in certain key ways. For instance, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the UK during the ceremony, saying the Church of England "will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely."

The coronation began with the recognition and oath, followed by a reading from the Bible by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and gospel music in a coronation first. King Charles III became the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation. In his prayer, he asked to "be a blessing" to people "of every faith and conviction." The King was then anointed with holy oil by Archbishop Welby behind a three-sided screen, which is considered the most sacred part of the ceremony. Following this, the King was presented with the coronation regalia, including the royal Robe and Stole, in what is known as the investiture part of the service. 

The most significant part of the coronation service was the crowning of King Charles III with the 360-year-old St. Edward's Crown. After crowning the King, Welby said: "God Save the King." The ceremony then moved on to enthronement and homage. King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey in a splendid coach drawn by six horses, accompanied by the Household Cavalry. They then walked down the long aisle wearing historic robes, flanked by the top officials of the Church of England as well as some of their closest family members.

The ceremony was not without controversy, as some people objected to millions of pounds of taxpayers' money being spent on a lavish ceremony at a time when millions of Britons are suffering from a severe cost-of-living crisis. The coronation also attracted anti-monarchy demonstrations, with a small number of protesters arrested in central London before the event began. 

The congregation of the ceremony, including some 2,300 people, was much smaller than it was in 1953 when temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people on the guest list. The doors to the abbey opened just before 8 a.m. local time, with the first guests taking their seats a full three hours before the ceremony began. Among the first people to arrive were singer Lionel Richie, musician Nick Cave, actresses Emma Thompson, Joanna Lumley and Judi Dench, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, and broadcaster Stephen Fry. Top British officials, faith leaders and international representatives followed in their steps.

Music played a central part in the ceremony, and five new compositions were commissioned for the main part of the service, including an anthem by Lloyd Webber, who is better known for West End musicals. Prince Harry traveled to the UK from the US without his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and their two young children to attend the ceremony. The coronation was the formal crowning of the monarch, despite King Charles III becoming King on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September last year.