It's been 70 years since the UK saw this: King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday in a Christian ceremony full of pomp and solemnity, darkened by arrests of anti-monarchy protesters.
Despite the rain and a certain lack of popular enthusiasm surrounding this unique event in Europe, tens of thousands of people gathered to see the sovereign and his second wife greet them from the mythical balcony of Buckingham Palace after his coronation at the 'abbey.
Highlight of this moment in history as only the British monarchy knows how to produce, the Archbishop of Canterbury placed on the head of the 74-year-old sovereign the crown of Saint Edward, in solid gold and set with rubies.
Dressed in a simple white linen shirt, the king had shortly before received the anointing on his knees, protected from view by embroidered screens, while Handel's famous "Zadok The Priest" resounded.
He reappeared in the eyes of the audience and hundreds of millions of expected viewers, to put on the "supertunica", a silk coat wrapped in fine gold coins, then the imperial coat, in gold cloth.
The royal stole on the shoulders, the white leather coronation glove on the right hand, a scepter in each hand, the king then received the crown of more than two kilos, used for all coronations since 1661.
"God Save The King!" said the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the first dignitary of the Anglican religion, imitated by some of the 2,300 guests present at the abbey.
Trumpets sounded and cannon shots were heard across the UK or fired from Royal Navy boats at sea.
His heir William, kneeling, then pledged allegiance to his father.
Camilla, 75, Charles' second wife, was then blessed and crowned.
Charles III became King of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth countries, from Canada to Australia to Jamaica, in September on the death of his mother Elizabeth II, aged 96.
His coronation is the religious confirmation and the United Kingdom had not seen since 1953 this millennial rite, modernized with a shorter duration, representatives of the main religions and gospel sung in addition to the classics.
The king walked through the doors of the abbey wearing his grandfather George VI's state coat, notably followed by four pages, including his grandson George, followed by the queen, in an ivory robe embroidered with flowers.
Prince William and his wife Kate joined the other members of the royal family, including Prince Harry, relegated to the third rank and deprived of any official role, a consequence of his departure for California in 2020 followed by violent criticism against the palace.
In attendance were foreign dignitaries such as French President Emmanuel Macron or the wife of US President Jill Biden, celebrities such as rocker Nick Cave, representatives of the nobility, political leaders and representatives of civil society.
At the end of the ceremony, the royal couple, crowns on their heads, returned to Buckingham Palace in an 18th century carriage, the very uncomfortable "Gold State Coach", so heavy (four tons) that it had to be pulled by eight horses advancing at a walk.
He was escorted by an impressive procession of 4,000 soldiers, Princess Anne on horseback and William and his family in another carriage.
- "Not my king" -
The royal family gave a long wave to the crowd from the balcony of the palace.
Sam Day, who had spent the night in a tent to be in the front row on the Mall, the avenue starting from Buckingham Palace, said she was delighted and "proud". "It was great, even if the weather was not good", she assures AFP, adding that she does not understand why Harry left for California: "If he comes back, we would still love him" .
In a United Kingdom in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the event, with its gold scepters, carriages and crowns set with some of the largest diamonds in the world, was however experienced with little enthusiasm.
Another downside: the police, engaged in one of their most important security operations with more than 11,000 officers mobilized, arrested 52 demonstrators: environmentalists from Just Stop Oil known for their punching actions but also at least six organizers of an anti-monarchy rally, including Republican leader Graham Smith. She also grabbed "Not my King" signs.
"It's something you expect to see in Moscow, not London," protested Human Rights Watch.
The police, already criticized for their plan to use facial recognition technologies, said they had been informed of plans to disrupt the historic event.
The anti-monarchists remain very much in the minority, but their proportion rises especially among young people. Their presence was unimaginable under Elizabeth II, a sign of challenges for Charles III, an already elderly sovereign far less popular than his mother or his 40-year-old heir William.
After the coronation, neighborhood meals and a concert in Windsor are notably scheduled for Sunday, before a holiday Monday.
06/05/2023 19:05:14 - London (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
