King Charles III, Camilla Crowned in Coronation Ceremony (Videos)

– King Charles III

King Charles III and his wife Camilla are crowned at a lavish Westminster Abbey ceremony on a dreary, rainy day in London, as thousands line the streets in the capital.

– King Charles III and wife Queen Camilla

King Charles III will become the oldest British monarch to have the 360-year-old St Edward’s Crown placed on his head as he sits upon a 14th century throne at London’s Westminster Abbey.

The head of the United Kingdom’s main republican group and other anti-monarchist activists were arrested at a coronation protest in London hours before the historic events.

The king, after holding a jewel-encrusted orb that represents the world under Christ and a scepter depicting earthly power, had the solid gold St. Edward’s Crown placed on his head by the archbishop. A cry of “God save the king” went up, a fanfare sounded, abbey bells rang and gun salutes boomed across the nation and beyond.

In a ceremony built on ancient traditions at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain.

Trumpets sounded inside the medieval abbey and the congregation shouted “God save the king!” at a ceremony attended by more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Outside, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged.

It was the culmination of a seven-decade journey for Charles from heir to monarch.

To the royal family and government, the occasion — code-named Operation Golden Orb — was a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world. The rite was expected to by watched by millions, though the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke are largely gone — and many greeted the day with a shrug.

Prince Harry, the second son of Charles III, flew in from the United States to attend with scores of other high-profile guests.

Prince Andrew, the king’s brother, is also in attendance.
While many are celebrating, a recent YouGov poll in the UK found. that just 33 percent of those asked cared about the coronation.

The church buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colorful hats as the congregation of international dignitaries and nobles arrived. Among them were U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British prime ministers and celebrities including Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie.

At a traditional Anglican service slightly tweaked for modern times, Charles, clad in crimson and cream robes, swore on a Bible that he is a “true Protestant.”

But a preface was added to the coronation oath to say the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely,” and the epistle from the King James Bible was read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first Hindu leader.

A gospel choir performed a newly composed “Alleluia,” and, for the first time, female clergy took part in the ceremony. It was also the first to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths.

In an ancient display of kingly power, Charles was anointed with oil from the Mount of Olives in the Holy Land and presented with an orb, swords and scepters, before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid gold crown bedecked with more than 400 precious stones on the monarch’s head. As trumpets sounded, gun salutes were fired across the U.K.

For 1,000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in grandiose ceremonies that confirm their right to rule. Charles is the 40th sovereign to be crowned in the abbey — and, at 74, the oldest.

These days, the king no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.

The king does remain the U.K.’s head of state and a symbol of national identity — and Charles will have to work to bring together a multicultural nation and shore up support for monarchy at at time when it is waning, especially among younger people.