The hour of consecration is approaching for Charles III, who enjoyed a walkabout in London on Friday, on the eve of his coronation, a sumptuous Christian ceremony without equal in Europe and not seen for 70 years.
On the outskirts of Buckingham Palace, the king came into contact with the crowd of fans of the crown and tourists curious about this event, promising a pomp of which only the British monarchy has the secret.
He was accompanied by his heir William, and the latter's wife Kate, who spoke at length with the public, many despite a storm shortly before, shaking hands and taking selfies.
Much more popular than the sovereign, the prince and princess of Wales had already been put to use on Thursday by going by underground to a pub in the London district of Soho, giving popular impetus to an event prepared without much enthusiasm in a United Kingdom. United in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
"It's so exciting," 57-year-old Karen Chamberlain told AFP as she arrived on The Mall, the avenue leading to Buckingham Palace, with her big backpack and tent. . She is going camping with her sister, her husband and their eight-year-old son. "None of us has experienced a coronation."
"To meet the eyes of the royal family, it's incredible. You can't imagine what it's like just by watching television," says Bill Powell, a 52-year-old Canadian who just got off the plane.
Like him, foreign guests - Prince Albert of Monaco, Olena Zelenska and Jill Biden, the wives of the Ukrainian and American presidents - gradually arrived in London for the event.
They met Friday evening at a reception at Buckingham Palace, in the presence of the king and his heir.
Eight months after assuming the throne on the death of Elizabeth II, the 74-year-old sovereign, followed by Queen Camilla, 75, will receive the crown and anointing of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey outside 2,300 guests and certainly hundreds of millions of viewers.
Everything is regulated to the millimeter for this ritual anchored in nearly 1,000 years of history, with crowns set with diamonds, velvet outfits and gold scepters, but which few Britons have seen in their lifetime, that of Elizabeth II dating back to 1953.
Accompanied by nearly 4,000 soldiers, the royal couple will return to Buckingham Palace where active members of the monarchy will greet the crowd from the famous balcony.
Charles's youngest son, Harry, will make the trip to the abbey, without his wife Meghan and their two children, and his actions, at a distance from the front rows, will be scrutinized.
He should be absent from the balcony, unless there is a gesture of reconciliation between the family and the prince, exiled since 2020 in California and who has since fired red balls at royalty, especially his brother William and his mother-in-law Camilla.
"It's a moment of enormous national pride," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. "It is an expression of our national character and an opportunity for us to look to the future in a spirit of service, hope and unity."
Charles sought to spruce up his coronation, which was shorter than his mother's, inviting leaders from non-Christian worship.
And everything has been done to involve the public during the three days of festivities which will continue on Sunday with meals between neighbors and a concert at Windsor Castle and then Monday with a public holiday.
With the irony of which the British have the secret, Charles and Camilla even recorded an announcement which will be broadcast in the London Underground including the famous "mind the gap" alerting to the gap between the platform and the train.
But the enthusiasm remains far from the jubilation of the coronation of Elizabeth II, the young queen of a United Kingdom which was entering a new era after the Second World War. The British are currently more concerned about inflation, which is stuck at over 10%.
The approach of the coronation also provided an opportunity to reopen the debate on the future of the monarchy. Each camp has retained what suited them from the various polls carried out for the occasion: the institution remains defended by a large majority of Britons, but this support is declining, especially among young people.
Almost invisible under Elizabeth II, anti-monarchy activists are calling for demonstrations on Saturday in London, where more than 11,000 police officers will be deployed as part of Operation "Golden Orb".
Outside the United Kingdom, in the 14 other kingdoms of which Charles III is head of state, the atmosphere is sometimes icy. Belize and Jamaica have even openly said they want to quickly become republics like Barbados did in 2021.
05/05/2023 20:54:50 - London (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
