The Leader of Prophets and Spiritual Churches Council, Ghana, Nakoa Prophet Nazareth Ansah Jamson, has been officially coronated as the ‘Nor Yaa Mantse’ – the Development Chief of Onomrako, a development chief of the Adain Family of Ga.
The coronation took place at a vibrant ceremony in Accra on Saturday, witnessing the presence of high-profile dignitaries, including clergy, traditional rulers, and politicians.
National Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, who shares a close relationship with Nakoa Prophet, attended the ceremony with a powerful delegation.
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, represented by the Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey, congratulated the Pastor later in the evening.
Representatives from the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Turu II, and the Ga Traditional Council were also present at the event. The coronation of Nakoa Prophet as Nor Yaa Mantse acknowledges his significant contributions to development, both at the community and national levels.
In his gratitude speech, Nakoa Prophet expressed appreciation to the Onomrako Adain Family for the honor and pledged to continue supporting communities.
He drew parallels with the Biblical Joseph, expressing hope that his coronation would be a blessing to the Onomrako Adain Family and communities across the country.
Nakoa Prophet Jamson extended heartfelt thanks to the guests, especially Vice President Bawumia, who, although represented by the Greater Accra Minister, attended the event later.
“What Vice President Bawumia has done has touched my heart,” Nakoa Prophet said during the ceremony.
“He had national assignments outside Accra and he sent a representative here. But he has still managed to be here upon getting back to Accra. This shows how values us and I am really touched.”
“So far as the Vice President has been able to give that much respect to Allah Almighty, should he also have any request before Him may his request be granted. May God Almighty grant the Vice President his heart desire and make him great and strong,” prayed Nakoa Prophet.
A court in South Africa said that President Cyril Ramaphosa did not have the right to officially make the new Zulu king last year.
The court told him to investigate if King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini followed the traditional rules when he became the king.
The king’s half-brother, Prince Simakade Zulu, is taking legal action because he believes he should be the king.
The death of their dad in 2021 caused a big fight in the family about who would take over.
The late King Goodwill Zwelithini was the Zulu king for nearly 50 years. He had six wives and at least 26 children.
King Misuzulu seemed to have won the fight to become the next king, especially after his traditional crowning in August 2022. Two months later, Mr. Ramaphosa gave him a certificate of recognition at a big ceremony in front of many people.
In South Africa, the president officially acknowledges the new king, which allows him to be treated like a king under the country’s laws and to receive financial support from the government.
The king has a lot of land in South Africa that he controls according to the law.
Prince Simakade said that Mr. Ramaphosa made a quick decision without following the right traditional and legal steps when he recognized his younger half-brother as the leader.
Mr Ramaphosa has not said if he will agree with the decision or try to fight it in a higher court.
His spokesperson said his lawyers are still analyzing the decision made by the Pretoria high court on Monday.
The court said it wasn’t deciding who the real king is, but if the president did the right things before calling King Misuzulu the ruler.
It was said that Mr Ramaphosa did not follow the law, which told him to start an inquiry into complaints about entering a position.
The 49-year-old Zulu king’s office has not said anything about the decision.
It has caused mixed feelings among people in South Africa, and may create more problems for the Zulu royal family.
Some are worried that it could make the situation worse in a country that has had problems with poisoning and killings since the previous king died.
King Misuzulu’s followers believe he is the true king, and this includes the leader of South Africa’s third largest political party, Julius Malema.
“King, my one and only King. ” “Praise the King,” said the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) after the ruling.
However, some people who are on Prince Simakade’s side believe that he will become king one day. They see the current ruling as the first step in helping him become the ruler.
In Zulu tradition, the oldest son doesn’t always become king. In the past, there have been fights for control of the throne.
South Africa has eight kings and queens that are approved by the government and paid for with taxpayer money.
Queen Camilla will celebrate her first birthday as the monarch of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms this July, making it a very significant day.
Although we doubt they create a card only for that occasion, the Royal Family will undoubtedly ensure that Her Majesty’s day is made memorable.
The Queen has already had a very eventful year. She was crowned
So she might want to spend this birthday relaxing with her beloved rescue dogs (which she honoured on her Coronation gown) or a good book, as she’s vocal about her love for reading.
But when is the Queen’s birthday and how old is she?
Queen Camilla turned 76 today (July 17).
Being born under the Cancer star sign, Camilla, so the astrologers say, could show tendencies of loyalty, protectiveness, intuition, and being caring.
On the flip side, Cancers are overly sensitive, moody, and vindictive.
So, don’t cross the Queen! But if you’re in her good books, you’re golden. And speaking of books…
What is the Queen’s Reading Room, and what is the Queen known to like?
After a busy year, we imagine Her Majesty is looking forward to nothing more than a slice of cake and a good book today.
She spearheaded The Queen’s Reading Room, after all, a charity working to provide opportunities for the appreciation of literature among adults and children.
She is quoted as saying, ‘Reading is exciting. Reading is fun. Reading is cool. There is nothing quite like the thrill of opening a book and being drawn into another world to meet new people and to discover their stories – it’s like making new friends.’
Camilla’s love for reading starts with her parents.
She once said: ‘Just as my father read to us as children, I used to read to my own children and now read to my grandchildren.’
Where was Camilla born and who were her parents?
Camilla was born on July 17, 1947, at King’s College Hospital, London, to Bruce Shand and Rosalind Cubitt.
Her mother, Rosalind was an aristocrat. In 1939, Rosalind was named ‘Debutante of the Year.’
She would go on to marry Bruce Shand in 1946 at St. Paul’s Church in London.
Rosalind died in 1994 at age 72 from osteoporosis, and her battle with the disease has inspired Camilla to take up prevention of the disease as one of her core charitable enterprises.
Camilla’s father, Bruce Shand, was an officer in the British Army who served in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force during the Second World War.
He later became a wine merchant, before passing away in 2006.
Who are Queen Camilla’s siblings?
Camilla has two younger siblings – a brother and a sister.
Her sister, Sonia Annabel Elliot (who goes by Annabel) is a British interior designer and antiques dealer.
Annabel is the mother of British Conservative politician Sir Ben Elliot, who served as the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party.
Mark Shand was a travel writer and conservationist who had a particular focus on elephants. He died after falling and hitting his head during a party in 2014.
Who are Queen Camilla’s children?
From her first marriage to Andrew Parker-Bowles, Camilla has two children.
Tom Parker-Bowles, 48, is a food writer and daughter, Laura Lopes, 45, is an art curator.
From her children, Camilla has five grandchildren.
One of her grandsons, Freddy, stood by her side on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the day of the Coronation.
Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage is one of the few artists bringing Afrobeats to a wider audience, has spoken candidly about the emotional struggles she faced before performing for King Charles at his coronation.
Behind the captivating and applaud-worthy performance that the world witnessed on the stage at Windsor Castle’s East Lawn was a plethora of emotions that kept her from her ultimate objective.
This was the first time an African was gracing the huge stage and all she could think of was how to impress and what could go wrong.
That notwithstanding, she revealed in an interview that after having a grasp of the microphone and the warm reception she received, it was only prudent to shake away the nervousness.
“I was nervous, I will say the first few seconds. But as soon as I started singing, I said, ‘I have to just get swept away by the crowd’.”
Tiwa started melodiously to sooth the souls of the thousands gathered before transitioning into her usual Afrobeat rhythm.
She incorporated elements of Yoruba language and dance into her performance which attracted applauses from the audiences.
In all, Tiwa’s performance was spectacular and in the days afterwards, she was still the cynosure of the star-studded event.
“It was beautiful [to perform for the King]. It was such an amazing moment to represent the Commonwealth and to be on that stage,” she said amid laughter.
Ghana has shown its respect and admiration for Britain‘s new monarch, King Charles III, by presenting him with a special gift from one of its talented artists.
Anthony Jefferson Hanson, also known as Ashenso, has created a stunning portrait of the King in his royal robes, framed in gold.
The painting was handed over to Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who attended the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, 2023, along with the Asante King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and his wife Lady Julia.
The painting will be delivered to Buckingham Palace through the Ghana High Commission as a gift from Ghana to the King.
Ashenso, whose work has been recognised both in Ghana and abroad, has also painted many Ghanaian heads of state and other prominent figures.
He wrote in an instagram post:
“Always an honor… Presentation of The King Charles III painting to the President, my President His Excellency @nakufoaddo the President of Ghana. The painting will be delivered to the Buckingham Palace through the Ghana High commission as a gift from Ghana to the King of The United Kingdom His Royal Highness King Charles III.”
King Charles III was crowned on Saturday in a magnificent and deeply religious ceremony that was attended by dignitaries from around the world. He succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022 at the age of 96. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. His wife, Camilla, was also crowned as Queen Camilla during the same ceremony.
Nigerian female music musician, Tiwa Savage gave a jaw-dropping performance at the coronation concert of King Charles III at the Windsor Castle on Sunday evening.
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla was held on Saturday at the Westminster Abbey, with lots of world leaders, royals and diplomats in attendance.
Tiwa was one of about a dozen artistes billed for the concert.
She was introduced on stage as the Queen of Afro beats by the announcer as she appeared in a green gown to deliver “Keys to the Kingdom” track.
The over three-minute performance had a fusion of Nigerian local music when a drummer appeared on stage as Tiwa delivered Yoruba-like dance steps to loud applause.
Her performance ended with applause from members of the royal family and cheers from the audience.
A top official in the UK government has defended the Metropolitan Police’s tactics during the anti-monarchy demonstrations that took place in London on Saturday, stating that officers had to make “tough calls” during King Charles III’s coronation in a day that saw 52 arrests.
It follows criticism of the much-maligned Metropolitan Police for what many saw to be a harsh stance towards demonstrators. Human rights organisations and a number of opposition MPs have denounced the police’s behaviour.
Although the right to demonstrate is still “really important” in a democracy, UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer noted that protesters’ strategies have changed in recent years to disrupt people going about their daily lives.
She told the BBC that officers had to make “tough calls” on a case-by-case basis, while taking into consideration the significance of the occasion on Saturday.
Frazer said the police were tasked with balancing people’s right to protest with overseeing an international event on the world stage.
Criticism of the Metropolitan Police, the UK’s largest force, comes amid growing concern over the increase in police powers to stifle dissent in Britain, following the recent introduction of controversial pieces of legislation.
In the days leading up to the historic event, the force said its “tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low,” adding: “We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration.”
Thousands gathered in central London on Saturday to celebrate the once-in-a-generation occasion. But it also drew demonstrators, with protesters wearing yellow T-shirts booing and shouting “Not My King” throughout the morning.
Republic, Britain’s largest anti-monarchy group, told CNN Saturday that police – without providing any reason – arrested organizers of the anti-monarchy protest.
At around 7 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) police stopped six of Republic’s organizers and told them they were detaining and searching them, Republic director Harry Stratton said.
“They didn’t say why they were arresting them. They didn’t tell them or us where they were taking them. It really is like something out of a police state,” Stratton said.
Graham Smith, the chief executive of Republic, was among those detained. He was later released from police detention.
“I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name,” Smith said on Twitter.
Labour lawmaker Chris Bryant posted on Twitter Saturday: “Freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.”
Jess Phillips, also a Labour lawmaker, said on Twitter: “Our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view.”
UK director of Human Rights Watch, Yasmine Ahmed, described the police’s actions as alarming and “something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London.”
The Met said arrests were made on Saturday for offenses including affray, public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
Defending the force’s actions,Commander Karen Findlay said that, while they “absolutely understand public concern,” police also “have a duty to intervene when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption.”
Members of environmental activist group Just Stop Oil were also arrested on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, the UK’s PA Media news agency reported, adding that a large group of the protesters were seen in handcuffs.
According to PA, Animal Rising said some of its supporters were apprehended on Saturday while at a training session “miles away from the coronation.” A spokesman for the campaign group, Nathan McGovern, described the arrests as “nothing short of a totalitarian crackdown on free speech and all forms of dissent.”
During the coronation, Prince William swore allegiance to his father and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
The Prince of Wales was the sole heir to defy convention and swear loyalty to the King during the historic ceremony.
Following the coronation of the new king or queen, the heir apparent went to his father and pledged his allegiance, saying: “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and will bear unto you faith and truth, as your liege man of life and limb.” God, please help me.
Following the pledge, William touched his father’s crown and bent down to kiss him on the cheek, appearing to avoid making eye contact while doing so.
Charles then cracked a brief smile and was seen mouthing: ‘Thank you, William,’ to his son, who will one day be the King of the United Kingdom himself.
The oath of allegiance pledged by the heir to the King was given on behalf of all members of the Royal family.
Elsewhere during the ceremony, William helped to clothe his father with the Stole Royal, a golden priestly scarf.
The Prince of Wales kissed his father on the cheek after he was crowned king (Picture: Getty)
Charles was also presented and clothed with the Robe Royal, a long cloak.
Upon receiving, the Archbishop said: ‘Receive this Robe. May the Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness, and with the garments of salvation.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry sat in the third row in the Abbey to watch the coronation take place, along with more junior royals.
He attended the occasion alone, while the Duchess of Sussex and their two children remained at their home in California.
King Charles‘ coronation was observed on a South Pacific island, thousands of miles distant from the pomp and circumstance in Westminster Abbey in London.
It was a historic occasion in Tanna, a volcanic island south of Vanuatu and the birthplace of the Prince Philip movement, which claims the late monarch as a long-lost ancestor.
About 1,000 islanders gathered in the untamed highlands to commemorate the occasion, far from the crowds at Buckingham Palace.
This is where the Kastom people are based. Since the 1960s, they believe Queen Elizabeth II’s husband was the son of a mountain spirit.
Ahead of the coronation, they were sent a framed portrait of the new king from Britain’s acting high commissioner Michael Watters.
‘I am very happy because Philip’s child is Charles. I am very happy with Charles,’ chief Yabah, who once travelled to Windsor Castle and met Philip, said.
He said he would like to visit Buckingham Palace, but also extended an invitation to the new king
‘I want him to come to my place and see me here, in Tanna,’ he added.
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Villagers danced and sang as part of the celebration before drinking shells full of kava – a peppery, mildly intoxicating root drink that is a key part of Pacific culture.
British diplomats joined them on the special coronation mission, gifting them the portrait.
Tribal leaders will add it to a fading collection of pictures showing Philip in his prime, which have long been among the movement’s most treasured possessions.
Mr Watters, who flew to Tanna from the capital Port Vila, shuffled in at the end of a long procession, flanked by village elders.
He said: ‘I have been greeted with such warmth and joy by the community.
‘The ceremony was a wonderful way to pay respect to the unique relationship shared by the UK and Vanuatu.’
In 2021, the tribal community mourned the death of Philip and held a period of mourning, performing ritualistic dances and holding a procession.
Over the years, he had corresponded with the villagers, and sent pictures of himself holding a ceremonial club they gave him.
At the crowning of King Charles on Saturday, police detained the leader of the anti-monarchy group Republic along with 51 other people, citing their obligation to suppress dissent as a higher priority.
In order to stand out among the red, white, and blue-clad throng lined the procession route in central London, hundreds of yellow-clad protesters congregated there while holding posters reading “Not My King.”
The Republic campaign organisation said that its leader Graham Smith had been taken into custody before the procession started, and images of police removing the demonstrators’ banners from the streets of London appeared on social media.
‘We absolutely understand public concern following the arrests we made this morning,’ Commander Karen Findlay of the London Metropolitan police said in a statement.
‘Over the past 24 hours there has been a significant police operation after we received information protesters were determined to disrupt the Coronation procession.’
Republic had vowed to mount the biggest protest against a British monarch in modern history and protesters booed as King Charles and Queen Camilla made their way to Westminster Abbey, and as the service was relayed publicly on large speakers.
‘It is disgusting and massively over the top,’ said Kevin John, 57, a salesman from Devon who was among the protesters.
‘It is also hugely counterproductive by the police because all it has done is create a massive amount of publicity for us. It is completely crazy.’
Police did not confirm Smith’s arrest. They said they had acted because they believed protesters would seek to deface public monuments with paint and disrupt ‘official movements’.
‘All of these people remain in custody,’ Findlay said.
Protests also took place in Glasgow in Scotland and Cardiff in Wales, with participants holding up signs saying: ‘Abolish the monarchy, feed the people.’
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On social media, many contrasted the cost of living crisis in Britain with the pomp and pageantry on display at the coronation.
Although the protesters were in a minority compared with the tens of thousands gathered on London’s streets to support the king, polls suggest support for the monarchy is declining and is weakest among young people.
With the crown passing from Queen Elizabeth to her less popular son, republican activists hope Charles will be the last British monarch to be crowned.
‘It has a hereditary billionaire individual born into wealth and privilege who basically symbolises the inequality of wealth and power in our society,’ said Clive Lewis, an opposition Labour Party lawmaker.
Most of the anti-monarchy protesters on Saturday had congregated in Trafalgar Square next to the bronze statue of King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, leading to a short-lived republic.
Since Charles became king last September, there have been protests at royal events. He was heckled at a Commonwealth Day event at Westminster Abbey in March and targeted with eggs in York in November.
The death of the queen has also reignited debate in Australia, Jamaica and other parts of the commonwealth about the need to retain Charles as their head of state.
The state government of New South Wales said it had decided not to light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House to mark the coronation in order to save money. Events to mark the coronation in other countries where Charles is head of state were also low key.
While many other European monarchies have come and gone, or are far diminished in scale and importance, the British royal family has remained remarkably resilient.
In Britain, polls show the majority of the population still want the royal family, but there is a long-term trend of declining support.
A poll by YouGov last month found 64% of people in Britain said they had little or no interest in the coronation. Among those aged 18 to 24, the number voicing little or no interest rose to 75%.
At today’s coronation, Prince Harry was seated in the third row with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
Along with his relatives, the Duke of Sussex will be seated between Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank and Princess Alexandra.
Working senior royals like Prince William and Kate, Prince Edward and Sophie, and their kids are given priority seating in the front row.
Harry arrived yesterday by plane from California for the coronation, but he will likely return quickly in time for his son Archie’s fourth birthday.
A royal insider told The Sun: ‘There were discussions that the seating could be arranged on line of succession.’
But the source said this would have put Harry front and centre with William and Kate because he is fifth in line to the throne.
‘Instead the decision was working royals only at the front and work back from there. Harry will be a long way from his dad,’ they confirmed.
Harry will not be joined by wife Meghan who is staying with the kids in California (Picture: AP)
Prince Harry is there for his dad’s big day.
Harry is expected to arrive for the coronation at 10.35am alongside other non-working royals.
On a surprise walkabout yesterday afternoon Kate revealed some insight into how they are feeling ahead of the big day.
She told royal fans outside Buckingham Palace: ‘Yeah, we’re all good. Hopefully a bit like swans — relatively calm on the outside, but paddling on the inside.’
Talking about how her children are feeling, Kate said: ‘They are really well, thank you. Excited, a bit nervous obviously with the big day ahead. They can’t wait.’
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She said Charles is ‘really looking forward to it as well’ and told people ‘it’s nice to be out here and saying hello to everyone’ who were staying overnight.
Harry will fly back to California following the coronation (Picture: WireImage)
She added: ‘It’s going to be long. Are you tired? It is long hours for everybody, isn’t it? It’s a really great moment. A celebration as well. We have an early start but I think everyone has.’
At the walkabout yesterday Charles was joined by Kate and William to greet people on the packed out Mall.
Cheers erupted as the royals stepped out to ‘three cheers for the King’ and ‘God save the King’.
Buckingham Palace confirmed neither Harry or Prince Andrew will have any formal role at today’s coronation.
This morning more than 5,000 soldiers and members of the armed forces got off the train at Waterloo and marched to the coronation.
It is believed to be the biggest movement of military staff on Britain’s railways since Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965.
It may have startled viewers of King Charles III‘s coronation to hear a song they were familiar with.
Throughout the historic ceremony, which was place in downtown London’s Westminster Abbey, there was a full choir and classical music.
However, the Champions League Anthem is a more well-known adaptation of the Coronation Anthem, Zadok the Priest.
Prior to King George II’s coronation in 1727, German composer George Frideric Handel created the song’s original melody.
It has been used at the coronation of every single British monarch since.
The song is traditionally sung just before the new sovereign is anointed, out of view, with holy oil.
And it was once again performed at King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation today.
Today, Charles and Camilla are the champions (Picture: PA)The moment King Charles III was crowned with St Edward’s Crown by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (Picture: PA)The Champions League Anthem was written in 1992 after Europe’s football competition was re-branded (Picture: Getty Images)
Zadok the Priest lyrics
Zadok the priest And Nathan the prophet Anointed Solomon king And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced And all the people Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced and said
God save the king Long live the king God save the king May the king live forever Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen Amen, amen, alleluia, amen
Champions League Anthem
They are the best teams They are the best teams The main event The master The best The great teams The champions
A big meeting A great sporting event The main event The master The best The great teams The champions
They are the best They are the best These are the champions The master The best The champions
The Champions League Anthem was written in 1992 after Europe’s football competition between top-tier divisions was re-branded.
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Organiser Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) picked Zadok the Priest as the template piece which they felt would best fit the mood for the new Champions League.
Composer Tony Britten, who wrote the piece, told the BBC in 2020: ‘UEFA wanted this competition to be about the best of football, rather than the worst.
‘Some say the tune is nicked from Handel, but it’s not. It’s just the first writing string phrase, and the rest is me.’
But today, the real champions were Charles and Camilla who were crowned as His and Her Majesty – an event never seen before by the majority of the population.
Royal fans braved the weather to gather on The Mall and in nearby parks to cheer on the new sovereign and his queen.
Win VIP tickets to Frozen, luxury Afternoon Tea and tour of Theatre Royal Drury Lane in our Coronation competition
To celebrate the historic occasion of King Charles’ crowning, Metro has teamed up with The Lane to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a luxurious day out for four.
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In order to participate in the coronation, thousands of soldiers and other military personnel hopped off trains at Waterloo this morning.
This morning, more than 5,000 people rode trains to the capital in what is thought to be the largest military staff transfer on British rails since Sir Winston Churchill’s burial in 1965.
Seven South Western Railway trains, two chartered West Coast Railways trains, and personnel from the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, and Commonwealth troops were utilised for the trip.
The soldiers, sailors and aviators arrived to the sound of a special announcement recorded by the King and Queen, which is being played at stations across Britain this weekend.
All of the members of the armed forces will be taking part in the coronation later today(Picture: PA)They marched through Waterloo station before heading to Westminster(Picture: PA)The march was a sight to behold for anyone in Westminster this morning(Picture: PA)It is the largest military group to travel by train since Winston Churchill’s funeral(Picture: PA)Armed police watched on as the soldiers marched past(Picture: PA)Troops taking part in the march (Picture: AFP)Sailors were also among the troops marching through Westminster (Picture: PA)
After leaving Waterloo, they marched over Westminster Bridge to assemble ahead of the coronation.
They headed across the bridge and onto Birdcage Walk.
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The military personnel are leading processions accompanying the King and Queen to and from Westminster Abbey.
Network Rail’s Wessex route director Mark Killick said: ‘We are delighted to have welcomed over 5,000 armed forces personnel to London Waterloo this morning in what is the biggest movement of military personnel by the rail industry since 1965.
‘The coronation of the King and the Queen Consort is of huge national significance and we’re very proud of the role we are playing, not only in helping transport the armed forces but also the many thousands of customers who are travelling by train to London to take part and celebrate this occasion.
‘I would like to thank the many colleagues who are working exceptionally hard to ensure our customers experience smooth and pleasant journeys and I would like to wish customers an enjoyable and memorable coronation weekend.’
South Western Railway managing director Claire Mann said: ‘We are proud to support the armed forces in their ceremonial duties for what will be an unforgettable day for the whole country.
‘I’m very grateful for the hard work and support of all of my colleagues who have made these special trains possible, and the additional services we are providing to Windsor & Eton Riverside for the coronation concert tomorrow.
‘On behalf of all colleagues at South Western Railway, I wish everyone a happy coronation weekend.’
Lieutenant Colonel Belinda Forsythe, deputy chief of staff for the London district, who has overseen the military operation’s logistics, said: ‘The coronation is a momentous occasion and it’s with immense pride that UK and Commonwealth armed forces are taking in the largest military ceremonial operation of its kind for a generation.
‘For the thousands of soldiers, sailors and aviators from the UK and across the Commonwealth to arrive in London together by train before marching off to take part in this historic ceremony was a unique and special moment and my thanks go to all involved in making it happen.’
Later this morning the armed forces will take part in the King’s coronation as he is anointed at Westminster Abbey at lunchtime.
It is the first UK coronation since that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Finally, the big day has arrived, and those attending King Charles‘ coronation have dressed appropriately.
The Royal Family will be dressed in full regalia, and celebrities like Katy Perry, Mylene Klass, and Emma Thompson are among others who have dressed up for the event.
Some of the Abbey’s artists have already garnered attention for their extraordinary attire (yes, we’re referring to that yellow garment).
And statement headwear is the order of the day, with many guests wearing elaborate hats, headpieces and fascinators (and crowns, of course).
Which outfits do you like best? Are there any that are particularly eye-catching?
Graham Smith, the CEO of Republic, may be seen being held together with other demonstrators wearing ‘Not My King’ t-shirts in video.
According to the group, police detained six protestors, including Mr. Smith, as they unloaded placards close to the route of the Coronation parade.
Republic posted photos of officers taking details from them on Twitter.
“So much for the right to peaceful protest,” the group said, adding the officers would not give the reasons for their arrest and confirmed their CEO was among them.
Matt Turnbull, one of those arrested, said the straps holding the placards had been “misconstrued” as something that could be used for locking on.
“To be honest we were never going to be allowed to be a visible force here – they knew we were coming, and they were going to find a way to stop this,” he told the BBC.
The BBC later saw Mr Turnbull being led away in handcuffs.
The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment but has not confirmed the number of those detained.
New legislation passed this week made it illegal to prepare to lock-on to things like street furniture.
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said they would have an “extremely low threshold” for protests during coronation celebrations, adding that demonstrators should expect “swift action”.
Republic said hundreds of their placards had been seized and questioned: “Is this democracy?”
“Some ask why we’re protesting. It’s because we want to use the coronation to change the debate about the monarchy and show that we’re not a nation of royalists,” the campaign group wrote.
The number of people at the anti-monarchy protest near Trafalgar Square in central London is growing, with the crowds bursting into chants of “Not my King” and “Free Graham Smith”.
The protest has been arranged near the route of the Coronation procession, where thousands have gathered to watch the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey ahead of the ceremony this afternoon.
Around 13 Just Stop Oil protesters appear to have been been arrested on the Mall, with a large group from the climate change campaign group seen in handcuffs.
Just Stop Oil has said five demonstrators were also arrested at Downing Street.
A spokeswoman for the group said their plan was “only to display T-shirts and flags”, adding: “This is a dystopian nightmare.”
Non-profit campaign group Human Rights Watch said the arrests were “something you would expect to see in Moscow not London”.
“The reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly alarming”, its UK director Yasmine Ahmed said in a statement.
King Charles signed the oaths at his coronation without incident, and he appeared genuinely relieved when he did so.
The king made headlines in September of last year when he attempted to sign a guest book at Hillsborough Castle, which is close to Belfast, but his pen wouldn’t write.
After the pen he was using leaked on him in front of the cameras, King Charles reacted angrily.
Thankfully, his fountain pen continues to function normally, saving the day of his coronation from being ruined by such a stationery disaster.
But it seems Charles was having trouble screwing the lid back onto his pen, appearing to grimace after signing the oath.
The King, who is known to carry his own fountain pen for when he is frequently called on to sign visitors’ books during royal visits, grimaced when he screwed the top back on the pen.
Queen Camilla appeared to smirk at her husband’s stationery difficulties.
As he took the oath, the King said: ‘I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.’
He then signed copies of the oaths, presented by the Lord Chamberlain, while the choir sang.
Speaking during the pen mishap last year he said ‘Oh god I hate this (pen)!’ while standing up and handing the pen to his wife, Camilla.
‘Oh look, it’s going everywhere,’ Camilla replied as her husband wiped his fingers.
‘I can’t bear this bloody thing… every stinking time,” Charles said as he walked away.
Coronation of King Charles III latest
When completing the documents he also used the wrong date, before checking with an aide who told him it was September 13 and not September 12.
When he signed documents during his first Privy Council meeting in September, Charles was criticised on social media when he gestured for an ornate pen holder to be taken away by an aide.
Later it was back in place, after privy councillors used its pens to sign documents, but Charles once again took offence to the item, when called upon to give his signature, and pulled a face before it was removed again.
Only the second coronation has ever been broadcast live, and the pomp and circumstance-filled event at Westminster Abbey is anticipated to continue for almost two hours.
The elaborate ceremony will be broadcast live to almost 27 million homes, and 11 million people are anticipated to listen via radio.
At around 12:00, the St. Edward’s crown will be placed on the King’s head, making him the 40th monarch.
Celebrities, heads of state, and rulers from all over the world will watch on as the ceremony takes place within the Abbey.
The King listened eagerly to the choir as the national anthem was sung to mark the start of the coronation (Picture: AFP)The St Edward’s Crown will be lifted onto the King as he is crowned this afternoon(Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock)The Prince and Princess of Wales looked on while their children held hands and enjoyed a sweet moment together(Picture: REUTERS)The King’s purple robe could be seen from the heights of Westminster Abbey as it flowed out behind the monarch(Picture: via REUTERS)The Queen smiled at members of the Royal family as she walked through Westminster Abbey (Picture: Sky)Queen Camilla in her golden laced gown arriving at Westminster Abbey(Picture: David Fisher/Shutterstock)
Coronation of King Charles III latest
The king in a long purple velvet robe was escorted through to the Abbey and chatted to the Archbishops as he slowly walked into Westminster (Picture: Sky News)The King dressed in a velvet robe, complete with gold lace looked on nervously as he went past thousands of fans dressed in red, white and blue (Picture: Getty)The King’s procession was flanked by horses and military guards as it headed along Pall Mall (Picture: AFP)
Those invited included actress Dame Emma Thompson, musicians Lionel Richie and Nick Cave, presenters Ant and Dec and actresses Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Joanna Lumley.
Future kings, the Prince of Wales and his son Prince George, who will both play a role in the coronation, were in place and the Princess of Wales arrived with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Duke of Sussex was seated in the third row, two rows behind William, but his wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex has remained at home in the US.
The King will become the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, the nation’s coronation church, since William the Conqueror was anointed monarch within its walls on Christmas Day 1066.
Charles and Camilla’s Diamond Jubilee Coach arrived in the midst of a Sovereign’s Escort provided by the Household Cavalry’s Blues and Royals and Life Guards with their shining breastplates and plumed helmets and led by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment band.
The monarch and his wife’s entrance through the west door was heralded by a fanfare from four State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry and the abbey congregation stood as one.
A large ceremonial procession was lined up before the King and Queen with representatives of all elements of the nation’s ceremonial and spiritual life.
King Charles looked slightly daunted as he arrived for the coronation(Picture: PA)
There were recipients of Orders of Chivalry and Gallantry, Heralds from the College of Arms in their colourful tunics, senior clergy associated with the monarchy and the glittering coronation regalia carried by leading figures.
Among those gathered was double Olympic Gold medallist Lord Coe, a member of the Order of Companions of Honour, Willie Apiata, New Zealand’s only living Victoria Cross recipient, and Lincolnshire farmer Francis Dymoke the King’s champion carrying the Royal Standard.
St Edward’s Crown, the 17th-century artefact Mr Welby will use to crown Charles, was carried by General Sir Gordon Messenger, Lord High Steward of England.
With their lavish and unwieldy robes, the King and Queen walked single file along the nave of the abbey with Camilla ahead of Charles as the hymn I Was Glad As They Said Unto Me was sung.
At the beginning of the coronation service, a Welsh language piece was sung with the choir, together with Sir Bryn Terfel, singing Kyrie Eleison.
Earlier, the King and Queen made their first appearance of coronation day when they travelled the short distance from their Clarence House home for final preparations at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke of York was driven down The Mall in a state car, with parts of the crowd booing as he went past.
Inside the ancient abbey, the church buzzed with noise as the congregation filed in and took their seats hours before the ceremony was due to start.
A smiling Dean of Westminster, Dr David Hoyle, in his vivid red clerical robe was seen hurriedly carrying the holy oil for the anointing down the length of the abbey from the altar through the quire, clutching the precious ornate silver vessel in both hands.
The King has turned to each of the four points of the compass and has been recognised by his people as their ‘undoubted King’.
The recognition rite saw King Charles presented to the congregation at the beginning of the service, with the participation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Baroness Amos, Lady Elish Angiolini, and Christopher Finney, Chair of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association.
Each said in turn: ‘I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King.
‘Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service: are you willing to do the same?’
The congregation and choir replied: ‘God save King Charles.’
Prince George was carrying a corner of his grandfather, the King’s, trailing robes as the royal party made its way into Westminster Abbey.
His siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were earlier seen peering out of a car window as they arrived outside the church.
The King has turned to each of the four points of the compass and has been recognised by his people as their ‘undoubted King’.
The recognition rite saw King Charles presented to the congregation at the beginning of the service, with the participation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Baroness Amos, Lady Elish Angiolini, and Christopher Finney, Chair of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association.
Each said in turn: ‘I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King.
‘Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service: are you willing to do the same?’
The congregation and choir replied: ‘God save King Charles.’
specially-commissioned red leather-bound Bible has been presented to the King, upon which he swore oaths to govern the people with justice and mercy, and uphold the churches established by law in the United Kingdom.
The formal Presentation of the Bible to the sovereign dates back to the joint Coronation of William III and Mary II in 1689.
For the first time, a preface has been added to the coronation oath in which the Archbishop said the Church of England ‘will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely’.
The Coronation Oath Act of 1688 requires the King to declare during his crowning ceremony that he will maintain the established Anglican Protestant Church, rule according to laws agreed in Parliament, and cause law, justice and mercy to be executed in his judgment.
Each part of the oath was framed as a question to King Charles, and he placed his hand on the Bible as he replied.
King Charles became the first monarch to pray in public at the coronation and his grandson – Prince George – took on a number of special roles for the coronation (Picture: REUTERS)
King Charles has become the first monarch to pray publicly at a coronation – praying for grace to be ‘a blessing to all… of every faith and belief’, and to serve after the pattern of Christ.
A special personal prayer was written for the King to reflect the ‘loving service’ theme of the service, and the words were inspired in part by the popular hymn I Vow To Thee My Country.
He said: ‘God of compassion and mercy whose son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace; through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.’
As he took the Oath, the King said: ‘I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.’
The King then signed copies of the Oaths, presented by the Lord Chamberlain, while the choir sang.
The most sacred part of the ritual is now underway.
The King sits on the Coronation Chair to receive the anointing after having his ceremonial robe removed. It serves to highlight the sovereign’s spiritual stature as the leader of the Church of England.
The King is hidden from view behind a screen that has been set up around the chair.
What the anointing involves
The archbishop is pouring special oil from the Ampulla – a gold flask – on to the Coronation Spoon before anointing the King in the form of a cross on his head, breast and hands.
The Ampulla was made for Charles II’s coronation, but its shape harks back to an earlier version and a legend that the Virgin Mary appeared to St Thomas a Becket in the 12th Century and gave him a golden eagle from which future kings of England would be anointed.
TheCoronation Spoon is much older, having survived Oliver Cromwell’s destruction of the regalia after the English Civil War.
Here are ten facts about the Cullinan Diamond on the Imperial State crown and the Sovereign Sceptre
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106 carats (621.20 grams) and measuring 10.1 x 6.35 x 5.9 cm.
The Cullinan Diamond was discovered on 26 January 1905 at the Premier No.2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa, by Frederick Wells, the surface manager of the mine. He initially thought it was a piece of glass.
The Cullinan Diamond was named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine and the chairman of the Premier Diamond Mining Company. He was also a prominent figure in South African politics and business.
The Cullinan Diamond was bought by the Transvaal Colony government for £150,000 and presented to King Edward VII of the United Kingdom in 1907 as a gesture of loyalty and goodwill. The king accepted the gift and entrusted it to a Dutch jeweller named Joseph Asscher to cut it into smaller stones.
The Cullinan Diamond was cut into nine major stones and 96 smaller ones by Joseph Asscher and his team in Amsterdam. The cutting process took eight months and involved several challenges and risks. The first cut broke the knife instead of the diamond, and Asscher fainted after he successfully split the diamond into two pieces.
The largest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond was named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa. It is a pear-shaped diamond that weighs 530.4 carats (106.08 grams) and is the largest clear-cut diamond in the world. It is mounted in the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, one of the British crown jewels.
The second-largest stone cut from the Cullinan Diamond was named Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa. It is a cushion-shaped diamond that weighs 317.4 carats (63.48 grams) and is the fourth-largest clear-cut diamond in the world. It is mounted in the front of the Imperial State Crown, another British crown jewel.
The other seven major stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond are known as Cullinan III to IX and range in weight from 94.4 carats (18.88 grams) to 4.39 carats (0.88 grams). They are part of Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection and are not on public display. They include brooches, pendants, rings, and a necklace.
The Cullinan Diamond and its nine major stones have been used by various British monarchs at coronations, jubilees, state openings of parliament, and other ceremonies. They have also been displayed at various exhibitions around the world, including South Africa in 1994. They are estimated to be worth more than $2 billion today.
The Cullinan Diamond is estimated to have formed in Earth’s mantle transition zone at a depth of 410–660 km (255–410 miles) and reached the surface 1.18 billion years ago. It has a near-colourless hue and a high clarity grade. It also contains a small pocket of air that produces a rainbow effect at certain angles.
King Charles III became king immediately after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away in September at her remote Balmoral residence. He was legally proclaimed the next monarch of Britain in the days that followed, and his coronation is finally here after months of laborious planning.
Charles, who has held the throne for 70 years, will be formally crowned on May 6 in a beautiful and profoundly spiritual event. Thousands of people will assemble at Westminster Abbey and the nearby streets in the heart of London to witness a magnificent show of British pomp.
There’s a lot of speculation floating around, and some elements are still being fine-tuned, but if it’s official, we’ve got you covered. Here’s CNN’s essential guide to the celebrations – we’ll keep updating it to ensure you stay in the know.
What is a coronation?
Charles’ accession took place when the Queen died. It was, as expected, a deeply somber period when the nation came together to bid farewell to its longest-reigning sovereign. Eight months on, the coronation will feel very different. This is a moment of public celebration of the new King. It will be a fabulously over-the-top spectacle attended by dignitaries from around the world and watched by billions.
The word “coronation” is derived from the Latin word “corona” meaning a crown. But it’s so much more than literally placing the crown on the sovereign’s head. It’s a symbolic coming together of the monarchy, church and state for a religious ritual during which the monarch makes vows to both God and country.
Buckingham Palace has said it “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment begins coronation rehearsals at Buckingham Palace and The Mall.Vuk Valcic/Alamy Stock Photo
How can I watch the service?
If you’ve been checking your mailbox and an invitation has yet to drop in, not to worry. The ceremony itself is set to begin at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) on May 6, with CNN’s special TV coverage of the King’s coronation from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (5 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET). Alternatively, join us here on CNN.com for live coverage throughout the day.
How long will the ceremony be?
Charles’ coronation will beshorter than his mother’s seven decades ago. Back then, the ceremony – which was the first live royal event to be televised – ran for more than three hours.
This time, the Anglican service will be two hours with “representation from other faiths to reflect the diversity of modern Britain,” according to Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, whose family has been responsible for orchestrating state occasions since 1482.Coronations have stayed largely the same for more than 1,000 years and organizers are leaning on that structure, so there’s quite a lot to get through.
The spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster AbbeyDan Kitwood/Getty Images
What happens during the coronation service?
Right, so let’s get down to the specifics. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct the ceremony. The core elements of the service are the recognition, oath, anointing, investiture and crowning, followed by enthronement and homage. The recognition is when the sovereign stands in the theater of the abbey and presents him- or herself to the people. After taking the coronation oath – which is a vow to rule according to law, exercise justice with mercy, and maintain the Church of England – the monarch is anointed with holy oil by the archbishop.
This moment is considered the most sacred part of the service and wasn’t televised in 1953. Ahead of Charles’ big day, Archbishop Welby has explained why we won’t see the King either, writing in the official souvenir program that the moment is “a symbol of being commissioned by the people for a special task for which God’s help is needed.” He added: “It is a moment when The King is set apart for service: service of the people of this country, and service of God.”
This is what you can expect to see at King Charles III’s coronation
The next part is the investiture, when the sovereign is dressed in sacred coronation robes and presented with the symbols of the monarchy: the orb, coronation ring, scepters and others. Toward the end of the ceremony, St. Edward’s Crown is placed atop the monarch’s head before he or she takes the throne. Traditionally, princes and peers then make their way to the sovereign to pay their respects in what is known as homage. This time though, it’s thought that only Prince William will kneel before the King. Meanwhile, the peers have been replaced by the public who have been invited to swear allegiance to Charles if they wish.
Lambeth Palace, which is the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, designed the service – which is rooted in 1,000 years of tradition – in consultation with the King and the UK government, which weighed in on constitutional elements.
Which crown will King Charles use?
The service features quite a few pieces of sacred coronation regalia, but let’s talk crowns. We’ve already mentioned St. Edward’s Crown. It’s considered the centerpiece because it’s used at the exact moment of crowning. It was made for Charles II in 1661 following the restoration of the monarchy the year before. Its medieval predecessor – which was melted down in 1649 – was believed to date back to the 11th-century English king, Edward the Confessor.
It is not an exact replica of the earlier design but follows the original in featuring four crosses pattée, four fleurs-de-lis and two arches. Made of solid gold, it’s adorned with 444 precious stones – including rubies, amethysts, sapphires and other gems – and is fitted with a purple velvet cap and ermine band. Historically, it was supposed to remain at Westminster Abbey, so a second crown was created for the sovereign to wear out of the abbey.
St. Edward’s Crown is considered the centerpiece of the coronation because it’s used at the exact moment of crowning.Jack Hill/Pool/Reuters
That second crown is the Imperial State Crown, which many will be more familiar with as it’s often used for ceremonial occasions like the State Opening of Parliament. It features a dazzling 2,868 diamonds, including the massive Cullinan II. It was made in 1937 and is a near-replica of Queen Victoria’s earlier Imperial State Crown. The arches in its design were meant to demonstrate that England was not subject to any other earthly power.
Once the spiritual elements of the service are over, King Charles and Camilla will head to St. Edward’s Chapel, a stone shrine at the heart of the abbey, where the King will put on the Imperial State Crown in preparation for the return to Buckingham Palace.
What will King Charles wear for the ceremony?
The King will be reusing several historical garments worn by previous monarchs at past coronations during the Saturday service in the “interests of sustainability and efficiency,” according to Buckingham Palace.
“His Majesty will reuse vestments which featured in the Coronation Services of King George IV in 1821, King George V in 1911, King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, including the Colobium Sindonis, the Supertunica, the Imperial Mantle, the Coronation Sword Belt and the Coronation Glove,” the palace outlined.
The Coronation Vestments, comprising of the Supertunica (left) and the Imperial Mantle (right), to be worn by the King during his coronation.Victoria Jones/Getty Images
“Although it is customary for the Supertunica and the Imperial Mantle to be reused, His Majesty will also reuse the Colobium Sindonis, Coronation Sword Belt and Coronation Glove worn by his grandfather King George VI, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” the palace explained.
Will there be a procession?
This is a royal celebration – of course there’s a procession! In fact, there will be two through the streets of the British capital. One will take the King to be crowned, and after the service there’ll be a larger parade back to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch and members of the royal family will make a balcony appearance and watch a flypast of 60 aircraft. The six-minute flyover will include the famous Red Arrows, modern F-35s and Typhoons, and the Battle of Britain memorial flight.
The route itself is significantly shorter than the Queen’s five-mile journey to Westminster Abbey back in 1953. Ahead of the service, King Charles will leave Buckingham Palace and head down the Mall in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, accompanied by the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry. The procession will pass through Admiralty Arch before turning on to Whitehall and traveling along Parliament Street and on to the abbey. It will return using the same 1.3-mile route, with the monarch traveling this time in the Gold State Coach.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service has said more than 29,000 officers will be deployed in the week leading up to the coronation and over the rest of the holiday weekend.
The security operation – known as Operation Golden Orb – will be one of the largest the Met has led, the force said Wednesday.
“On Coronation Day we will have the largest one-day mobilization of officers seen in decades with just over 11,500 officers on duty,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said. “We want Londoners and visitors coming to the city to enjoy this historic and momentous occasion safely and securely.”
How is King Charles making the ceremony more inclusive?
There’s been a lot of speculation over how the King intends to make his coronation more inclusive while reflecting his vision of the future monarchy. We’ll have to wait and see, but one early indication was announced Friday when Buckingham Palace revealed that faith leaders would lead the first processions into Westminster Abbey.
They’ll be followed by representatives from each of the 15 realms where the King is head of state. Flagbearers of each nation will be accompanied by the governors general and prime ministers. This is the first time non-Protestant faith leaders have been given a role in a coronation.
How much will the coronation cost?
Well, we’re not quite sure… yet. Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that details will be shared in due course. Its comments came after questions were raised over how much was being spent on the state event during a national cost-of-living crisis.
“I’ve seen a number of different estimated figures floating around, some more fanciful than others. The true figures will be shared in due course where expenditure relates to the Sovereign Grant or Government costs,” a palace spokesperson said in a statement.
‘It’s not a good look.’ As cost of living crisis bites, some Brits are questioning spending money on glitzy coronation
The statement went on to say that great state occasions, such as the Queen’s funeral, tend to generate more money than is spent holding such events, attracting huge global interest which boosts the national economy.
“Aside from the expenditure estimates you may have seen, it has also been reported that somewhere between one and several billions are expected to flow into the economy as a result of this Coronation,” the spokesperson continued.
Beer, bunting and biscuit tins: What the coronation means for the UK economy
“It’s not for me to say how accurate those figures are but certainly the theory pertains that the celebrations are an enormous economic boost to the nation – and just as importantly, with 100 heads of State coming to Britain for the event, it’s a fantastic opportunity for networking, for Government, and for engaging the interest from those nations with everything that Britain has to offer.”
The statement concluded by assuring the British public that the planning of the King’s coronation was mindful of the “economic challenge” the country was facing, prompting organizers to look for ways to efficiently produce the event, such as “reusing many ceremonial elements, rather than commissioning new ones.”
Will Camilla be crowned Queen?
Yes. But unlike the three most recent queen consorts – Alexandra, who was Edward VII’s wife; George V’s wife, Mary; and Elizabeth, wife of George VI – Camilla is not having a crown made specially for her coronation. Instead, she’s opted to wear Queen Mary’s Crown. Back when she paid for the silver crown in 1911, Queen Mary’s intention was for it to serve as the permanent crown of future consorts.
The palace has said Camilla’s choice was “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency” but that she was making some “minor changes and additions.” Specifically, she wants to honor her late mother-in-law by resetting the crown with some diamonds – the Cullinan III, IV and V – from the Queen’s personal collection.
Will Prince Harry and Meghan fly back?
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at his father’s big day. However, he’ll be going solo. The palace confirmed in April that his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is understood Meghan opted to forgo the celebrations as the day coincides with Archie’s 4th birthday.
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at his father’s big day, but his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children.Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images
What about Prince Andrew?
As a member of the royal family, Prince Andrew is expected to attend his brother’s coronation. But as he’s no longer a working royal, he won’t have any formal roles on the day.
Who else has been invited?
Around 2,300 people were sent invitations to the service at Westminster Abbey. While the palace doesn’t release a detailed guest list, it has confirmed that the congregation will be made up of members of the royal family, as well as international representatives from 203 countries, alongside community and charity volunteers.
Coronation organizer Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk said: “For the first time, approximately 100 Heads of State from around the world will attend, together with representatives from the Realms and the Commonwealth and our government, the Lords and the Commons, local heroes and British Empire medalists and many other individuals who have contributed so much to Britain and the wider world today.”
US first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation.Leah Millis/Reuters
US first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation. You can also expect to see a number of royals from around the world make their way to London.
Additionally, 400 young people from charities selected by the King and Queen have been invited to watch the service from nearby St. Margaret’s Church, while military veterans, healthcare workers and charity representatives have been given spaces to watch on the processional route and in special stands put up along the Mall and near Buckingham Palace.
How will it be different from Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation?
We’ve already mentioned that both the processional route and service will be shorter. Another difference is the number of guests. Back in ’53, so swollen was the guest list that temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people invited.
Specific to the service itself, it will lean on tradition but also be full of firsts, according to Lambeth Palace organizers. Some of the changes to the ancient Christian ceremony – the theme of which is “called to serve” – include the King praying aloud, participation of religious leaders from other faiths, involvement of female clergy and the incorporation of other languages spoken in the British Isles.
Additionally, the traditional homage of peers has been replaced with a “homage of the people.” This tweak will see the public invited to join “a chorus of millions of voices enabled for the first time in history to participate in this solemn and joyful moment.”
Surrounded by peers and churchmen, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II sits on the throne in Westminister Abbey on June 2, 1953.AP
A Lambeth Palace spokesperson said the new homage was “an opportunity for those who wish to be given voice within the service, and for those at home to have a chance to be an extension of the abbey congregation.” The spokesperson added that the change was “very much an invitation, rather than an expectation or request.”
“We live in a wonderfully diverse society with many different perspectives and beliefs – which this coronation celebrates – and therefore it’s quite right that people decide for themselves how they wish to relate to this moment,” the spokesperson added.
What else is happening over the celebratory weekend?
On May 7, the day after the coronation, thousands of events are expected to take place across the country as part of the “Coronation Big Lunch,” while Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle in the evening.
“The Coronation Big Lunch helps you bring the celebration right into your own street or back yard,” said Peter Stewart, chief purpose officer at the event’s organizing body, the Eden Project.
“Sharing friendship, food and fun together gives people more than just a good time – people feel less lonely, make friends and go on to get more involved with their community,” he added in a statement.
Lionel Richie, (pictured), Katy Perry and Take That will headline the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening.Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
The concert will be attended by an audience of volunteers from the King and Queen’s charity affiliations as well as several thousand members of the public selected through a national ballot held by the BBC. However, some royal fans have slammed Ticketmaster over its handling of the ticketing for May 7.
Ten locations around Britain will also be lit up with light displays, lasers and drones that evening.
The final day of the long weekend will see Britons enjoying a hopefully sunny bank holiday Monday, with the public encouraged to volunteer in their communities.
The BBC is in the middle of a controversy about its coverage of the Coronation when UK news organizations were informed they would have to pay, despite international media receiving the live broadcast at no additional expense to their current contracts with press agencies supplying them with news footage.
Due to the event’s historical significance, news websites were given free access to live coverage of the late Queen’s funeral, and a similar arrangement was anticipated for the King’s Coronation.
However, the BBC has imposed a price on British websites, including Telegraph.co.uk, in order to access the live footage that its cameras will capture inside Westminster Abbey.
It means BBC licence fee payers, whose money will cover the cost of the coverage, will be denied the choice of watching it on their favourite news websites, while foreign audiences who do not have to contribute to the cost will have no such restrictions.
The News Media Association (NMA), which represents news publishers, has been negotiating with the BBC for weeks, arguing that the Coronation, as a major historical event, should be treated in the same way as the late Queen’s funeral.
BBC has monopoly on images
The BBC, ITN and Sky, which are pooling their footage of the Coronation procession and the Abbey service, want publishers to pay a six-figure sum between them to access their images.
As the BBC is the only organisation allowed to film inside the Abbey on Saturday, it will have a monopoly on the images of the Coronation service, enabling it to effectively hold publishers to ransom.
The Gold State Coach is ridden alongside members of the military during a full overnight dress rehearsal of the Coronation Ceremony on Wednesday CREDIT: HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS
Talks between the NMA and the broadcasters on Thursday broke up without agreement.
A final meeting between them is scheduled for Friday.
Under a separate agreement affecting foreign territories, news websites around the world will be able to stream footage of the entire event at no extra cost to their existing deals with the press agencies that supply them with news footage.
Historic events are different
Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, which represents the editors of news publishers, said: “Given the significant public interest in Saturday’s historic Coronation and the precedent set by the Queen’s funeral last year, we are deeply concerned that while foreign publishers will be free to use live broadcast footage of the event, UK audiences look set to miss out unless publishers meet broadcasters’ financial demands.
“Given that the BBC is funded by the licence fee payer, it is wrong that UK news audiences will be the ones set to lose out on free access via their chosen platform. We urge the broadcasters to reconsider.”
Buckingham Palace has told the NMA it has no objection to the footage being shared with UK news outlets free of charge.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The UK broadcasters who are covering this complex and historic event have asked for a fair and reasonable financial contribution from any third-parties wishing to access the live coverage for their own use.”
To commemorate the coronation of King Charles III, a school choir from the Isle of Man has recorded a brand-new song.
As a part of an RSCM project, King William’s College (KWC) encouraged vocalists to join them in singing a brand-new hymn.
The recording featured performers from all across the island, including Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer, who serves as the King’s envoy on the territory.
Steve Daykin, head of music at KWC, praised the piece’s “incredible” tone.
He said he had been “humbled” to see more than 40 singers with a range of experience “commemorate this occasion through music, because music is going to be a key part of the ceremony”.
The Coronation of King Charles III, who holds the title Lord of Mann, will take place on Saturday at Westminster Abbey in London.
The choir held the only licence on the island to record the “Sing for the King” piece, which singer and composer Joanna Forbes L’Estrange was commissioned to compose by the RSCM.
The five-minute piece, which is titled The Mountains Shall Bring Peace, is set to the words of psalms from the bible.
Dozens of others choirs across the British Isles have also rehearsed and recorded the hymn.
Image caption,More than 40 Manx singers came together to perform the new hymn
KWC pupils were joined by members of choirs from across the island in the Chapel of St Thomas for the recording on Tuesday, after rehearsing separately.
Mr Daykin said was delighted Sir John and Lady Lorimer had accepted the invitation to take part.
“It’s all about getting together and bringing the island together through music,” he added.
Louise Van Der Merwe, who was one of the college’s pupils to take part in the recording, said it had been an “amazing opportunity” to be part of how the island marked a moment in history.
“Hearing all the voices together was really special,” she added.
According to police, a man has been detained outside Buckingham Palace after he allegedly threw suspected shotgun cartridges onto the palace grounds.
Following the incident, which happened Tuesday at around 19:00 BST, a cordon was set up and a controlled explosion was conducted.
The man was detained on suspicion of having a dangerous weapon. There have been no injuries reported.
The incident is not currently being considered to be connected to terrorism.
Rehearsals for the Saturday Coronation took place as scheduled during the night.
Police say the man was searched and a knife was found but that he was not carrying a gun. They say he was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag and that a controlled explosion was carried out as a precaution following an assessment by specialists.
It is understood it is being treated as an isolated mental health incident.
The arrest comes just four days before the King’s Coronation celebrations – which will be attended by world leaders and other royals from around the world.
Security minister Tom Tugendhat described the response as “a fantastic piece of policing”, adding that “a huge security operation” is in place ahead of the Coronation.
“As you saw last night, the police and security services are absolutely ready to intervene when necessary,” he told BBC Breakfast.
The King and the Queen Consort – who live at nearby Clarence House – were not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the arrest, although the King did host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the palace earlier on Tuesday.
Chief Supt Joseph McDonald said: “Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody.
“There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public.
“Officers remain at the scene and further enquiries are ongoing.”
The BBC’s royal producer Sarah Parrish was in the broadcast compound outside Buckingham Palace when she was told to leave and wait outside.
She told the BBC News Channel that those who were evacuated had “heard the controlled explosion and then we were allowed back in again.”
The suspected shotgun cartridges have been recovered and will be examined by specialists. Roads in the area have now reopened and the cordons have been lifted.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.
Image caption,The King and Queen Consort will return from the Coronation in the Gold State Coach which was ridden alongside the military during a full overnight rehearsal of the Coronation ceremony
Rehearsals for the Coronation saw soldiers dressed in bright yellow and red uniforms file past the palace and along the Mall in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The parade also featured soldiers on horseback and the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which will carry the King and Queen Consort from the palace to Westminster Abbey.
Extra security is expected in the capital for the Coronation, which policing minister Chris Philp has described as a “huge policing operation”.
Asked about the prospect of protesters disrupting the weekend’s events, Maj Gen Chris Ghika, a senior British Army officer overseeing the ceremony, said the Metropolitan Police has “an excellent security plan in place, which will allow the parade to go ahead”.
Chris Phillips, former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office, told the BBC that police have been planning for the Coronation for years, and that an “enormous amount of planning” has gone into the security operation.
“The police should be celebrated for it, and fingers crossed it all goes well on Saturday,” he said.
King Charles III and his ‘mixed’ family to be on display at coronation on May 6.
Also undoubtedly in the spotlight at Westminster Abbeywill be members of Charles and Camilla’s blended family, a first in British history.
“This is the first time that a divorced man and divorced woman have been crowned alongside each other in Britain,” said ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy. “So this is a first for two families coming together in this way for this ceremony.”
Charles and Camilla had two children each when they entered their marriage in 2005.
Charles is the father of Princes William and Harry, his children with the late Princess Diana.
Camilla is the mother of Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, her children with ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles.
PHOTO: The Prince of Wales and his new bride Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, with their children (L-R) Prince Harry, Prince William, Laura Parker Bowles and Tom Parker Bowles at Windsor Castle, April 9, 2005, after their wedding ceremony.
Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA/WireImage via Getty Images
All four of their children will attend the coronation, along with many of their combined 10 grandchildren, some of whom will take part in the service.
William’s eldest son Prince George will serve as a Page of Honor for Charles at the coronation.
Tom Parker Bowles’ son, Master Freddy Parker Bowles will join his cousins, Master Gus Lopes and Master Louis Lopes, the twin sons of Lopes, as Pages of Honor for Camilla.
“Camilla’s family are very much front and center at this event, and that is interesting as this is a state occasion and they are usually totally private,” said Murphy. “Camilla’s family being so involved and visible does send, I think, a message about just how important she is to Charles’ reign and very much reminds us that this is their coronation, not just his.”
PHOTO: Tom Parker-Bowles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall watch The Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall on April 7, 2019 in London.
Tom Parker-Bowles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall watch The Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall on April 7, 2019 in London.
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images, FILE
Though the families of Charles and Camilla will be a united front on coronation day, they are not “especially close,” according to Murphy.
“Apart from at each other’s weddings, we have pretty much never seen them together in public and we are not aware, for example, that Camilla’s children have ever socialized with William and Harry,” she said. “However, Camilla’s granddaughter Eliza Lopes was a bridesmaid at William and Kate’s wedding, so that does signify an understanding of the significance of each other’s families, if not a specific closeness.” PHOTO: (L-R) Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton, Eliza Lopes, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, April 29, 2011, in London.
(L-R) Michael Middleton, Carole Middleton, Eliza Lopes, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, April 29, 2011, in London.
John Stillwell-WPA Pool/Getty Images
Murphy noted that Camilla kept her own property after marrying Charles, and it is there that she often spends time alone with her children and grandchildren.
“I do think in some ways they keep things quite separate,” Murphy said. “As a couple, Charles and Camilla actually do enjoy time apart as well as together, and that’s one of the things that people have often cited as being what makes their relationship work.”
In recent years, Charles has faced a divide within his own family, one that spilled into public view in 2020 when Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped down from their senior working royal roles.
The coronation will be Harry’s first public interaction with William and Charles since the January release of his bombshell memoir “Spare,” in which he shared details of his ongoing tensions with his brother and father.
PHOTO: The British royal family stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour, June 08, 2019 in London.
The British royal family stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour, June 08, 2019 in London.
Anwar Hussein/WireImage
Murphy said the coronation will be an unlikely place for “meaningful family discussions,” even behind the scenes.
“I think that Charles will be very focused on the public-facing aspects of the role,” Murphy said. “However, I think it will mean a lot to him that both his sons are there and I’m sure there will be exchanges if not long conversations.”
Noting how far apart Harry and William appear to still be, Murphy added, “This will be a public show of unity between Harry and the family, but I think it’s clear that the brothers remain deeply divided.”
Neither Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace have commented on the claims made in “Spare.”
On Saturday, May 6, 2023, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu IIand his wife, Lady Julia will witness the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort in London.
Otumfuo and Lady Julia will join monarchs and global leaders from across the globe who will assemble at Westminster Abbey for what is expected to be a feast of pageantry marking the first coronation in over 70 years.
A statement issued by the Manhyia Palace on April 28 said, “His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has been invited to attend the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort in London on Saturday, May 6, 2023. He will be accompanied by Lady Julia. Otumfuo Asantehene and Lady Julia will join monarchs and global leaders from across the globe who will assemble at Westminster Abbey for what is expected to be a feast of pageantry marking the first coronation in over 70 years”.
The Manhyia Palace in its statement noted that Otumfuo Asantehene and Lady Julia will be received by King Charles in a private audience at Buckingham Palace on May 4, 2023, before the Coronation.
“Before the Coronation, Otumfuo Asantehene and Lady Julia will be received by King Charles in a private audience at Buckingham Palace on May 4, 2023. They will also attend the King’s official reception for overseas guests on May 5, 2023,” Manhyia Palace underscored.
Charles III instantly became King after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at her rural Balmoral home on September 8, 2022.
Read below the details of the statement by Manhyia Palace
The sitting arrangement caused Prince Harry to take his time responding to his coronation invitation.
According to sources who spoke to the Daily Mail, there was ‘transatlantic ping pong’ going on between Buckingham Palace and the Duke of Sussex on the matter.
According to a source who spoke to the publication, Harry’s side was eager to learn what the seating arrangement at the Abbey is, probably because they wanted to rubber-stamp it.
There has been much back and forth on who Harry and Meghan would seat behind if they attended. And who would be behind them.
Another source added: ‘This is true. There has been a lot of questions on detail for the Abbey.’
Harry reportedly had a list of questions for the palace and ‘assurances’ about what would happen if he did attend.
Front row seats at the coronation will be reserved for working members of the royal family, with Harry expected to play no part in the official procession.
But one insider suggested he could be given a more prominent position now wife Meghan Markle has confirmed she is not attending.
Tensions between Prince William and Prince Harry remain heightened (Picture: Getty Images)
Meghan opted to stay at the couple’s California mansion with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Archie turns four on the day of the King’s coronation – which is likely why Harry is attending alone.
At the Queen’s platinum jubilee, Harry and Meghan were sat on the other side of the nave from Charles, Camilla, William and Kate.
The couple were shown to their seats without fanfare even before reports of the rift between family members grew stronger.
At the Queen’s funeral Harry and Meghan were then seated in a corner at the end of the second row.
There had been hopes the coronation would be a time of reconciliation but members of the royal family are reportedly not prepared to forgive Harry and Meghan yet.
Many are still said to be enraged about Prince Harry’s detailed book Spare which focused on the inside lives of the Firm.
William and Charles have had little dialogue if any with Harry since the Queen’s funeral.
Ahead of the coronation, it has been revealed Meghan received an invitation but Prince Andrew’s ex Sarah Ferguson has reportedly been left off the guest list.
Fergie, while invited to the Queen’s funeral, will only join the royals at a private gathering after its conclusion, despite disgraced Andrew being allowed to attend.
Buckingham Palace and Harry’s representatives have been contacted for comment.
Along with the couple’s two kids, the Duchess of Sussex will stay in the United States.
Their son Archie’s fourth birthday and the coronation both fall on the same day.
According to a statement fromBuckingham Palace,Prince Harry will attend the coronation of the King while Meghan will stay in California with their kids.
In a statement, it said: “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May.
“The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
Harry, who revealed his troubled relationship with the royal family in his controversial Netflix documentary and autobiography Spare, will be there to witness Charles and his stepmother the Queen Consort be crowned in Westminster Abbey on 6 May.
The news ends months of speculation about whether the couple would show up to the King’s big day, but will undoubtedly see Meghan accused of snubbing the monarch and the royal family.
Image:The King and Queen Consort Pic: Hugo Burnand
The date of the coronation is also Archie’s fourth birthday.
In Harry’s controversial ghost-written memoir, he admitted to regular drug-taking and laid bare his frustrations with his family.
He claimed his brother William, now the Prince of Wales, had knocked him to the floor after calling the Duchess of Sussex “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”.
The duke claimed his father, now the King, put his own interests above Harry’s and was jealous of Meghan and Kate, and that the Queen Consort sacrificed him on “her personal PR altar”.
Archewell, Harry and Meghan’s charitable foundation, issued a near identical statement to Buckingham Palace confirming the duke will join guests at the coronation.
A spokesperson said: “The Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are still expected to attend King Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, which also happens to be their son Archie’s fourth birthday, despite the fact that many royal experts have cautioned that their attendance could be a distraction. This is true despite all the confessions in “Spare” and the Netflix “Harry & Meghan” docuseries, which aired in December last year.
A royal insider reportedly told the Daily Mail that the Sussexes will “definitely” be at the coronation, but should not expect any apologies or reconciliation talks. “Members of the family have told me that both Harry and Meghan will definitely come. They fully expect that,” the insider said, adding, “And they should realize that there is only one subject that many members of the royal family will be willing to discuss… and that’s the weather.”
Another insider previously told The Independent that Prince Harry and Meghan would of course be invited, but noted that “it would be very hard” for them to be there “given everything that has been said.” Another source told The Mirror that Prince Harry doesn’t want to get on a plane to the U.K. until he has a summit with his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William.
“Harry has been very clear and his position hasn’t wavered—he isn’t going to come if he feels the atmosphere will be as toxic as it was during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and funeral,” the source said. “He’s said he wants to reconcile with his family, and it’s their call, but so far nothing has changed.”
Although the royal family was reportedly hurt and blindsided when Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan Markle, 41, shockingly announced that they would be stepping down as working royals in January 2020, rumour has it that King Charles never actually wanted Meghan to be a working royal in the first place and actually wanted her to “carry on working” as an actress. Wow!
The unexpected revelation came from the Duke of Sussex himself, when recalling a conversation he had with his father about Meghan’s future in the royal family in his bombshell memoir, Spare.
When recalling a conversation he and his father had, King Charles reportedly asked his son, “Does she want to carry on working?” to which Prince Harry replied, “Say again?” King Charles then reportedly replied, “Does she want to keep on acting?” which led Prince Harry to say, “Oh. I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so. I expect she’ll want to be with me, doing the job, you know, which would rule out Suits… since they film in… Toronto.”
King Charles then allegedly said, “Hmm. I see. Well, darling boy, you know there’s not enough money to go around.” Prince Harry then wrote in his memoir that he “stared” at his father after he said this, and then thought, “What was he banging on about? He explained. Or tried to. ‘I can’t pay for anyone else. I’m already having to pay for your brother and Catherine.’”
Buckingham Palace has revealed that the contentious Koh-i-Noor diamond won’t be displayed during the coronation.
Instead, Queen Mary’s Crown, which has been removed from the Tower of London and resized for the May 6 coronation, will be used to crown Camilla, the Queen Consort.
An existing crown will allegedly be “recycled” for a coronation for the first time in “recent history.”
There will also be diamonds added from Queen Elizabeth II’s jewellery.
After testing positive for COVID this week, Camilla, who will be crowned alongside the King at Westminster Abbey, was forced to postpone her public appearances.
Image caption,The Koh-i-Noor diamond, used in the Queen Mother’s crown, won’t be used for Camilla’s coronation
Ownership of the Koh-i-Noor, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, has been disputed, and there were concerns about a diplomatic row with India if it had been used.
India has made several claims to be the rightful owner of the diamond, which was used in the coronation of the Queen Mother.
Instead, Buckingham Palace says Camilla will be crowned with Queen Mary’s crown – and claims its re-use is in the “interests of sustainability and efficiency”.
In a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, the crown will be reset using diamonds from her personal jewellery collection, using diamonds known as Cullinan III, IV and V.
These diamonds were worn by the late Queen in brooches and were taken from the Cullinan diamond, discovered in South Africa.
What we know about the Coronation long weekend so far:
Saturday 6 May: Coronation service in Westminster Abbey; coronation carriage procession; Buckingham Palace balcony appearance
Sunday 7 May: Concert and lightshow at Windsor Castle; Coronation Big Lunch street parties
Monday 8 May: Extra bank holiday; Big Help Out encouraging people to get involved in local volunteering
Although it is far from being the largest or most flawless diamond in the world, the Koh-i-Noor’s storied history has marked it out as perhaps the most controversial.
Competing theories and myths about the origins of the stone stretch over many years but historians agree it was taken from India by Nader Shah, an Iranian ruler, in 1739.
Through plunder and conquest it changed hands several times before being signed over to a British governor-general in 1849 following the annexation of the Punjab.
The circumstances in which it was signed over to the East India Company, which had conquered vast swathes of the Indian subcontinent, by a defeated boy king, are disputed.
It was reputedly a “gift” but Anita Anand, a BBC journalist who has co-authored a book on the Koh-i-Noor, said: “I don’t know of many ‘gifts’ that are handed over at the point of a bayonet”.
As part of the coronation rites as a queen mother of Sowutuom, (Sowutuom Noya Manye), Ayisha Modi was spotted in a sacred room, where she went through fortification for her role.
In some viral pictures online, Ayisha was bathed with white paint from head to toe.
Ayisha Modi, sat on a local mat on the floor, in the said room, together with her friend who kept her company.
The interior of the room captures among other things, a molded sculpture of a skeleton and a huge statue of a lion.
Ayisha shared pictures of her ‘confinement’ on social media while labelling the sacred room as a ‘Room of 99 spirits.’
Background
Controversial Ghanaian socialite cum music investor, Ayisha Modi, was enstooled as a queen of Sowutoum in Accra on January 29, 2023.
She was crowned as a development queen-mother of Sowutoum at an illustrious ceremony held in the town’s Palace and witnessed by scores of patrons Including celebrities.
What Ayisha Modi said about her ‘new status’
Prior to her coronation, Ayisha Modi established that she is required to maintain a dignified lifestyle and also strictly abide by the rules of the chieftaincy title.
In an earlier Interview with Kwaku Manu, Ayisha disclosed her Intentions to discontinue her controversial lifestyle on social media.
“The elders have spoken to me about things I cannot do now that I am a queen mother, and I need to respect that. From today, I have stopped granting interviews and going live on social media to attack anyone.
“In fact, when I see something wrong, I will pretend I haven’t seen it, and that is because of my new position. Now I want my peace of mind,” she told Kwaku Manu in his Aggressive interview posted on YouTube today, January 25.
Buckingham Palace has squashed any suggestions of a slimmed down coronation by announcing a three-day weekend of “ceremonial, celebratory and community events”.
Taking place between Saturday 6 May and Monday 8 May, King Charles has insisted the historic moment should be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry” but also “look towards the future”.
The King’s first balcony moment as monarch at Buckingham Palace, a grand coronation procession, a concert featuring global stars and a day of volunteering will all form part of the three-day spectacle.
It isn’t clear yet exactly how the coronation ceremony on the Saturday will be modernised or changed, except guidance from royal sources that the service will be shorter than the Queen’s in 1953, which ran for three hours.
There had been suggestions that due to the cost of living crisis the events should be scaled back to acknowledge the current economic difficulties many are facing.
But royal sources have been adamant that the feedback they have received is that people want to see the full spectacle of a grand national event, showcasing the best of Britain today and celebrating the United Kingdom’s rich and unique history.
There are also similarities with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last year.
While that weekend was designed to be a celebration of her 70 years of service, Queen Elizabeth II also wanted it to be an opportunity to recognise community heroes and bring people together.
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Her son and heir wants to follow the same ethos by encouraging street parties on Sunday 7 May and a day of volunteering events on Monday 8 May.
The involvement of refugee and LGBTQ+ choirs on the Sunday concert also appears to be a part of efforts to make the weekend feel as inclusive and diverse as possible.
The coronation itinerary: Saturday 6 May and Sunday 7 May
The coronation of the King and Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on the Saturday morning, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The palace says it will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry”, and involve two processions on the day.
Charles and Camilla will arrive at the Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as “the King’s procession”. After the service a larger ceremonial procession, known as “the coronation procession”, will see them return to Buckingham Palace and join the family on the balcony.
The palace has not said exactly which family members will appear in the coronation procession or on the balcony.
On Sunday, “global music icons and contemporary stars” will descend on Windsor Castle for the coronation concert.
It will also feature “the Coronation Choir”, a diverse group of community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.
A ticket ballot will be available for members of the public, with representatives from the King and Queen Consort’s charity organisations also in the audience.
To spread the celebrations to other parts of the country there will be a “lighting up the nation” moment where landmarks across the UK are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
Meanwhile, people are invited to gather for a “coronation big lunch” on Sunday, overseen and organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project.
The coronation itinerary: Monday 8 May
On Monday, a bank holiday, has been set aside for volunteering and is being billed as “the big help out”.
The palace said in tribute to the King’s public service, the big help out “will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas”.
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https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.552.0_en.html#goog_174410164Play Video – Date set for coronation bank holidayMonday 8 May made a bank holiday for coronation
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said the coronation is “a huge milestone in the history of the UK and Commonwealth”, adding that the weekend of events will bring people together to celebrate “the mixture of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great”.
Arrangements for the coronation, like those for the Queen’s funeral in September, will be diplomatically sensitive, with world leaders expected to fly in from across the globe.
It could also pose difficulties for the Royal Family with a question mark over whether Harry and Meghan will be among those attending.
Whether Prince Harry will be present at his father’s coronation in May is not made clear in the most recent trailer for an upcoming TV interview. When asked if he will play a role in the monarchy’s future, he says he still believes in it but says, “I don’t know.”
The “door is always open” to his family for reconciliation, according to Prince Harry, but “the ball is in their court.”
In the most recent ITV clip, when asked if he would be at his father’s coronation in May, the young man responds, “There’s a lot that can happen between now and then.”
“But you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court.
“There is a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it.”
Harry says: “I don’t know how staying silent is ever going to make things better.”
Put to him that some people would say he has railed against invasions of his privacy all his life – and now he is invading the privacy of his nearest and dearest without permission – Harry replies: “That would be the accusation… from the people that don’t understand, or don’t want to believe, that my family have been briefing the press.”
Asked if he believes in the monarchy, the prince says, “yes”, but when further pressed if he will play a part in its future, he replies: “I don’t know.”
It comes after a leaked extract of his highly anticipated autobiography, Spare, to The Guardian newspaper, reportedly claims he was physically attacked by his brother over the younger prince’s marriage to Meghan.
‘I landed on the dog’s bowl… the pieces cutting into me’
The incident allegedly took place at Nottingham Cottage in 2019 when Harry was living there and started when William arrived and complained about the American actress.
He goes on to allege William had called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”.
The Duke of Sussex claims the Prince of Wales was being irrational, leading to the siblings shouting over each other and exchanging insults.
“It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor. I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me,” Harry reportedly wrote in the book.
“I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out,” the excerpt continued.
‘Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare’
Harry alleges William urged him to hit back but he refused. Shortly afterwards though, the elder brother apologised, according to The Guardian’s copy.
William then told his brother not to tell Meghan about the confrontation. Harry said: “You mean that you attacked me?” – to which William replied: “I didn’t attack you, Harold.”
According to The Guardian, Harry also recounts in the book what his father said to his mother Diana on the day of his birth.
Harry claims the King told the then Princess of Wales: “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare – my work is done.”
Sky News has approached Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, and both said they will not be commenting on the allegations.
The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or locationPrince Harry wants his father ‘back’
‘They’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile’
In a trailer released earlier this week for the upcoming ITV interview by journalist Tom Bradby, Harry says: “I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back”.
Filmed in California where the duke now lives, he says “I want a family, not an institution” and “they’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile”.
“It never needed to be this way,” says the duke, and refers to “the leaking and the planting”.
The interview will be broadcast on Sunday – two days before Harry’s autobiography Spare is published on 10 January.
In a separate interview with CBS News, due to air the same day, Harry criticises Buckingham Palace over an alleged failure to defend him and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, before they stepped down as senior royals.
Last month, the couple’s Netflix documentary series contained new allegations against the Royal Family, as the Sussexes also hit out at their treatment at the hands of the media.
South Africans are not big fans of royalty, but the upcoming official coronation of the new Zulu king has the country captivated – and marks a watershed moment in the country’s history.
The event will include a number of firsts for the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will formally recognise King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini as monarch, marking the first time a black president has been involved in a Zulu coronation.
It will be the first Zulu coronation since South Africa became a democracy in 1994. It will also finally put an end to the fierce family feud that dogged his succession to the throne – an embarrassing battle played out in public.
The last coronation took place on a rainy day back in 1971 under the apartheid government, when King Goodwill Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu was crowned.
Then, as now, South Africa’s traditional leadership was regulated by the government. But the white-minority authorities at the time expected the young monarch to wear Western attire.
He attended the event in a suit – a leopard skin sash the only nod to Zulu couture.
As the crowds gather at the Mabhida Stadium in the coastal city of Durban on Saturday for his son’s government-backed coronation, they will be hoping for a more ostentatious display of Zulu culture when President Ramaphosa hands over the certificate that endorses Misuzulu as the ninth Zulu king.
“It’s a joyous occasion, the beginning of a new era,” explains Sihawukele Ngubane, a professor of African languages at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and expert on Zulu culture.
“The apartheid-era government bestowed the certificate to the king back then. This time we expect our king to wear his traditional garb because we now live in a democracy and there’s absolutely no obligation for his majesty to wear British-inspired clothing.”
In first, the coronation is going to be broadcast live on national television.
A fifth of South Africa’s population is Zulu – the country’s largest ethnic group -and its monarchy has a yearly taxpayer-funded budget of more than $3.6 (£3.2m).
It is the money that tends to put South Africans off royalty – given the country has eight monarchs officially recognised by the government, all funded by taxpayers.
Many question the seemingly lavish lives that some of the traditional leaders lead, with luxury cars and large properties.
Saturday’s state coronation comes two months after a traditional one that took place for King Misuzulu at KwaKhangelamankengane Palace in KwaZulu-Natal province – with festivities attended by thousands of people.
The Zulu royal household receives one of the biggest budget allocations, though KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial government states that this money is not just spent on the family – it also covers staff salaries, maintenance of palaces, and programmes that deal with traditional ceremonies and social cohesion.
Political parties across the divide have welcomed the new king, including the Economic Freedom Fighters, led by controversial politician Julius Malema. The Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party says it has put aside its difference with the governing African National Congress (ANC) ahead of the event.
Only the South African Communist Party seems unhappy, its members plan to picket the event to raise awareness about the political situation in neighbouring Eswatini, as its absolute monarch, King Mswati III, is attending the coronation of King Misuzulu, his nephew.
The media fanfare that followed the succession saga has brought King Misuzulu to the attention of the South African nation – and endeared him to some.
He trended on social media as young South Africans felt they could identify with him, casually teasing him when he fluffed his first speech.
He made it a few months after his father had died and before his official succession had been resolved. It was a powerful appeal to people in KwaZulu-Natal to stop the looting and riots that broke out in July 2021 following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma, a proud Zulu, for contempt of court.
It was the worst violence the country had witnessed since the end of apartheid, but as he tried to read the speech in Zulu, he struggled and he ended up reading it much more fluently in English.
For Prof Ngubane, it shows that although King Misuzulu may only hold a ceremonial position, he is considered someone that many look up to as a moral authority.
“In Zulu, we say: ‘Umlomo ongathethi manga’, which means ‘What the king says goes’.”
And when he oversaw last month’s Reed Dance – a rite of passage ceremony for teenage girls – the monarch spoke out against gender violence in a country that has one of the world’s highest rates of rapes and sexual assaults.
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP Image caption, The Reed Dance is a rite of passage for young Zulu women and teenage girls
“Violence against women and children is an embarrassment to our nation. A woman is to be respected and protected. We must do better as men,” he said.
On the side-lines of those rehearsing for the Durban coronation, some young women tell us why the event means so much to their generation.
“We are excited to attend to show him that we are 100% behind him as king,” one of them says.
Who is Misuzulu ka Zwelithini?
Born on 23 September 1974 in Kwahlabisa
Educated privately at St Charles College in Pietermaritzburg
Studied at Jacksonville University in the US, where he lived for several years
The Canadian province of Quebec is bringing back a debate about the country’s ties to the British monarchy in light of King Charles III’s upcoming coronation.
Following the introduction of a motion by Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet that compelled a discussion about the Crown in the House of Commons, parliamentarians will vote on whether Canada should sever ties with the monarchy on Wednesday.
His move follows the refusal of 14 recently-elected Quebec politicians to recite an oath of allegiance to the King during their swearing-in to the provincial legislature, as required by Canadian law.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Blanchet admitted that his motion is likely to fail, but he said the failure will show Quebecers that federal politicians “prefer to support the King than the people”.
In Canada, the monarch – now King Charles – is the head of state. The monarchy serves a mainly symbolic role, with the power to govern entrusted to the Canadian government.
Changing the current system would need approval from both the House of Commons and the Senate in parliament, as well as the unanimous consent of all 10 provinces
Members of Canada’s governing Liberal party have already said they will oppose the motion.
While Mr Blanchet’s motion may fail, the future of Quebec politicians who refused to swear the oath to the Crown remains uncertain.
Their refusal could lead to a bill that seeks to redefine the requirement to take the oath of allegiance in the province – if they are able to sit in Quebec’s legislature at all – and political watchers say they are eager to see how the dispute unfolds.
Quebecers have long opposed the Crown
Quebec’s relationship with the monarchy is complex.
Many Quebecers are in favour of Canada being a republic rather than a constitutional monarchy– a sentiment that is tied to the province’s history of being a French-speaking region that was once under British colonial rule.
The province has twice voted against independence in referendums, and the push for Quebec sovereignty has weakened over the years. But Quebec politicians have continued to put forward policies that seek to define the province as distinct from English Canada.
When tabling his motion on Tuesday, Mr Blanchet said he believes Canada’s tie to the British Crown is “archaic.”
“It is a thing of the past, it is almost archaeological, it is humiliating,” he said.
Frustration with the oath of allegiance to the Crown isn’t new. As early as 1970, members of the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois, a separatist provincial political party in Quebec, had openly opposed it.
Their opposition led to the creation of a second, supplementary oath in 1982 that also pledges loyalty to the people of Quebec.
Since then, politicians in that province have had to recite both oaths before taking office. In 2018, some recited the oath to the Crown behind closed doors in protest.
Mr Blanchet, whose party represents Quebec interests in the federal House of Commons, said many recite the oath only because they have to.
“We are a conquered people that still have to swear allegiance to a conquering King,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed by the 14 members of Quebec’s National Assembly, who have not yet recited the oath ahead of the assembly’s commencement in November – an unprecedented number of politicians to do so.
“What’s happening now is really dramatic,” said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, who added that politicians may not be able to sit or receive their salary without reciting the oath.
“The Constitution Act of 1867 clearly states that to become a member of a provincial legislature, you need to perform the oath of allegiance,” Beland said.
“There is quite a bit of suspense about what will happen.”
Ewan Suaves, the spokesperson for Quebec Premier Francois Legault, said the law is clear that politicians must recite the oath in order to sit. But added that the premier, too, opposes it.
“We agree that it’s time to end the obligation to swear allegiance to King Charles III, but it takes a Bill in order to do so. And to present or pass a Bill, the [members] must sit,” Mr Suaves said.
How does the rest of Canada feel about the Crown?
Opinion polls suggest Canada as a whole remains divided on the monarchy. In an Ipsos survey conducted following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, half of the Canadian respondents – around 54% – said their country should sever its ties with the Crown.
That sentiment is strongest in Quebec, where 79% agreed.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, however, has said the monarchy offers his country “extraordinary stability”.
In response to Mr Blanchet’s motion asking Canada to sever its ties to the Crown, Mr Trudeau said “there is not one Quebecer who wants the [Canadian] constitution reopened.”
Mr Beland said that at a time when Quebec’s independence movement has weakened, there has been more emphasis on symbolic assertions of sovereignty – like refusing to take the oath of allegiance.
He added the refusal to take the oath could be a way to seize political momentum by the Parti Quebecois, who lost seats in the recent election.
“This is about broad principles, but this is also a lot about political posturing,” Mr Beland said.
Amending the oath requirement is also a complicated task, and there is disagreement among experts on how it can be done.
Some believe a bill passed by the Quebec National Assembly would be enough to replace or amend the oath of allegiance. Others, however, believe any changes to the oath would require an amendment to Canada’sconstitution.
The latter, “of course, is much more difficult to do,” said
Despite the UK’s current economic unrest, Jacob Rees-Mogg said earlier today that the King’s coronation next year “has to be done well.”
Given that Labour supported the idea, Downing Streetstated that “all options” are still on the table with regard to moving the early May bank holiday to coincide with the King’s coronation.
The event is due to take place on 6 May next year in Westminster Abbey, eight months after the monarch’s accession and the death of the Queen.
Number 10 said a bank holiday for King Charles’s coronation is still “on the table”.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Obviously, this will be a historic event. We are carefully considering our plans. All options remain on the table.”
Meanwhile, Labour has suggested that pushing the 1 May bank holiday back until Monday 8 May to give the country a long weekend would be a “good way for the country to be able to celebrate”.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said: “Moving the May bank holiday that there is for that weekend would be a good idea.”
The announcement of the date for the King’s coronation yesterday sparked calls from a number of MPs for a change to the May bank holiday in order to mark the event.
Tory former cabinet minister David Jones told the Daily Mail: “To combine the two events would be welcomed by the entire nation.
“It would make a very special memory for all of us.”
Former Labour frontbencher Khalid Mahmood agreed, adding: “We can move the holiday back to the coronation weekend.
“We have a unique system with the monarchy and an independent parliament – I would back Britons having a three-day weekend to mark the occasion.”
Earlier today, Jacob Rees-Mogg told Sky news that the King’s coronation next year “needs to be done properly” despite the current economic turmoil in the UK.
The business secretary said “we don’t have coronations very often” and disputed that conversations about the cost of the ceremony could be compared to debates about rising wage demands.
But he refused to speculate how much the event will cost.
It is thought the coronation will be more modest and shorter than previous ceremonies, with some suggesting it will last one hour.
King’s coronation date announced
Buckingham Palace has confirmed the Queen Consort will be crowned alongside the King.
The palace said the ceremony would “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future” while staying “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”.
The Queen’s coronation on 2 June 1953 was three hours long and had a congregation of 8,000 dignitaries. The event was broadcast live on television, attracting record-breaking audiences around the world.
Although the King succeeded to the throne when the Queen died, the coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch’s regal power.
The King will be 74 next May, making him the oldest person to be crowned in British history.
In Westminster Abbey, where coronations have been held for more than 900 years, the service will be held. King Charles will be the oldest monarch in British history when he is crowned.
According to Buckingham Palace, King Charles III will be crowned on Saturday, May 6, next year.
The religious ceremony will be held at London’s Westminster Abbey and conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
It is thought the coronation will be more modest and shorter than previous ceremonies, with some suggesting it will last one hour.
Image:King Charles III will wear St Edward’s Crown towards the end of the ceremony, which was also worn by the Queen at her coronation in 1953
What will happen at King Charles’s coronation?
The Palace said the ceremony would “reflect the monarch’s role today and looks towards the future” whilst staying “rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry”.
It has still not been confirmed whether there will be a Bank Holiday to mark the day, although the fact it falls on a weekend might suggest this is unlikely.
The Queen’s coronation on 2 June 1953 took three hours with a congregation of 8,000 dignitaries. The event was broadcast live on television, attracting record-breaking audiences around the world.
Back then, thousands lined the streets for a glimpse of the Queen in the gold state coach, which has been used for coronations since George IV.
It is not known whether the coach will be used this time.
Image:Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on the Buckingham Palace balcony after her coronation in 1953
Although the King succeeded to the throne whenthe Queendied, the coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch’s regal power.
Charles will be anointed with holy oil, blessed and consecrated by the archbishop.
He will be crowned with St Edward’s Crown. During the ceremony, Camilla will also be anointed and crowned.
Image:Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and King George VI after his coronation in 1937
The date of the coronation is also the birthday of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son Archie – the King’s grandson – who will be turning four on the day.
There is also no detail yet on who will attend the ceremony, including whether or not Prince Harry and Meghan will be invited or be able to travel from California to attend.
A recent report claims that King Charles III’s coronation has been scheduled.
The date of Charles’ coronation will be June 3 at Westminster Abbey in London, according to Bloomberg, which cited U.K. sources.
However, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told the Evening Standard that any reports on the coronation date are “pure speculation.”
Sources told the London newspaper that a date for the coronation had not been decided and added that any reporting of the date should be taken “with a massive pinch of salt.”
According to Bloomberg, anonymous government officials said that plans for the coronation have centered on June 3, though discussions are ongoing as to which other dates could be proclaimed official holidays.
As the king’s coronation is a state event, the date on which it takes place will be observed as a bank holiday. Since June 3 of next year falls on a Saturday, Friday, June 2 could potentially be proclaimed a bank holiday.
If the coronation is officially set for June 3, King Charles III’s ceremony will take place almost 70 years to the day after his mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on June 2, 1953.
Coronations usually take place a year after the death of a monarch in order to allow for a period of mourning as well as to provide enough time for the planning that such a massive public event entails.
The late monarch was 25 at the time of her coronation while Charles was just four-years-old.
After the queen’s death on Sept. 8, Charles immediately ascended to the throne. He was officially proclaimed king by the Accession Council of the United Kingdom on Sept. 10.
Charles’ wife Camilla will be crowned Queen Consort at his coronation. Photo by Andrew Milligan – Pool/Getty Images
While Elizabeth’s coronation was attended by 8,000 guests, attendees of Charles’ ceremony will be limited to 2,000, due to safety and health concerns.
The monarch has also reportedly expressed a wish that the coronation is more inclusive of other faiths and communities to better reflect the nation’s diversity.
Due to the queen’s advanced age, preparations for the event have been underway for years, under the code name “Operation Golden Orb.”
The Queen came to the throne at the dawn of the age of mass media. Her coronation in 1953 was the first national television event, and almost every step she then took in public was captured on film.
As for her private moments, a number of actresses have attempted to portray what might have gone on behind closed doors.
Here are some of the documentaries that opened a window into her life, and some high-profile, fictionalised portrayals that helped shape public perceptions.
The Crown (Netflix series, 2016-present)
Image source, Netflix
You can’t write about the Queen on screen without mentioning The Crown, Netflix’s major series tracing the reign of the monarch from her ascension to the early 2000s.
Claire Foy and Olivia Colman have played the lead in the four seasons so far. Imelda Staunton is taking over for the fifth, which is scheduled to launch in November and be set in the 1990s.
The series feels at time like a high-class soap opera, accentuating the supposed drama and conflict both among the Royal Family and between the monarch and prime ministers, although its historical accuracy has been widely criticised.
Touching recollections from the Queen’s own children set this 90-minute documentary apart from most other factual films about her life and times.
With so few opportunities to see truly intimate moments between the Royal Family, the obvious and genuine affection with which they speak gives us some insight into their relationships with their mother when they were a family first and royal second.
Prince Charles, as he was known at the time of filming, recalls an early memory from when he was just three. “I shall never forget, when we were small, having a bath and she came in practising wearing the crown before the coronation,” he says. “All those sorts of marvellous moments, I shall never forget.”
Elsewhere, narrator Kirsty Young tells the story of both the private and public sides of the Queen’s reign in her warm, authoritative style.
Image source, Channel 4
Veteran presenter Jon Snow opens this hour-long special with a very personal connection – proudly showing a blurry black-and-white photo of himself and his brothers meeting the Queen five years after her coronation, when he was 10.
His main memory is that the encounter involved repainting the downstairs loo beforehand in case one of the royals needed to go (they did not). Otherwise he doesn’t remember much, “except that she was small, pleated skirt, hatted, didn’t say much”. He adds: “Prince Philip – he said a lot, but I didn’t understand very much of it.”
Snow peppers the programme with more memories, both his own and from others, such as his next door neighbour, a former lady in waiting.
He balances these personal moments by using his journalistic rigour to also tell the official history, re-examining the most momentous episodes from the Queen’s seven decades on the throne, from her coronation to the controversies of the 1990s.
The Queen’s Coronation in Colour (ITV/Netflix documentary, 2018)
Image source, Getty Images
The start of the Queen’s reign may now seem to belong in a distant historical age. Colour coverage of the coronation and some more relaxed behind-the-scenes footage that was commissioned by the young Queen herself help bring the occasion to life.
There are interviews with some of those who took part, such as the maids of honour who had to stop one of their members from fainting during the ceremony. We hear how the Archbishop of Canterbury later helped revive her by giving her a swig of brandy in the vestry.
The programme, presented by Alexander Armstrong, also includes wonderful amateur footage of joyous and occasionally eccentric street parties that took place around the UK on the same day.
Elizabeth R – A Year in the Life of the Queen (BBC documentary, 1992)
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Queen being filmed for Elizabeth R while watching the Epsom Derby horse race in 1991
If you would like to peek behind the velvet curtain, the makers of this documentary were given rare access to follow the Queen over the course of a year in 1990 and 1991.
It captures private moments and meetings at her various residences and on tour. It’s particularly refreshing to see her acting and chatting naturally – whether that be joking with Nelson Mandela or batting back a light-hearted dressing down she got from a retirement home resident in Yorkshire.
There is also a voiceover from the monarch herself, in much less formal tones than we are used to hearing in her speeches.
And perhaps the closest the Queen has come to losing her temper on camera is a fleeting mother-daughter flash – the type any family will know – when the Queen Mother teases her while they’re watching the Epsom Derby.
Otherwise there’s not much royal scandal on show, and if you want drama then you should watch The Crown. This was filmed just before her “annus horribilis” of 1992, so captures the calm before the storm.
Elizabeth: A Portrait In Parts (Amazon Prime Video documentary, 2022)
More irreverent and lively than most royal documentaries – while remaining respectful – this 90-minute film splices together archive of the Queen and her surrounding culture, jumping back and forth in time across her 70 years.
Released for her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year, it was the last work by Notting Hill and The Duke director Roger Michell before he died a year ago.
His style, using cut-up footage to compile loose themed chapters rather than telling a chronological story, gives it a fresh feel and helps break down some of the pomp and formality that surrounded the monarch.
Elizabeth: Our Queen (Channel 5, 2018)
For a more comprehensive account of her life, covering the highs and lows of her unique status in the nation, this seven-and-a-half hour, four-part series should satisfy.
It uses the familiar TV documentary formula of news archive combined with talking-head commentary from historians, politicians and members of the royal circle.
While there may be few new revelations, it offers an in-depth and nostalgic journey down memory lane.
The Queen (Netflix film, 2006)
Image source, Getty Images
Dame Helen Mirren won an Oscar for best actress for playing the title role in 2006 film The Queen.
Set in the wake of the death of Princess Diana in 1997, the movie depicted one of the most challenging moments for the monarch, when she was perceived as aloof and slow to respond to the national mood.
Dame Helen revealed earlier this year that she had written to the real Queen before filming to say: “We are investigating a very difficult time in your life. I hope it’s not too awful for you.” The actress told the Radio Times: “I can’t remember how I put it. I just said that in my research I found myself with a growing respect for her.”
The actress has also previously said she did not know whether the Queen had watched the film, but “I got the sense that it had been seen and that it had been appreciated”.
How she got that sense is not clear, given that the portrayal is not always entirely flattering – including for the wider family – and that Mirren added: “I’ve never heard directly, and I never will.”
A Royal Night Out (film, 2015)
Image source, Lionsgate/ShutterstockSarah Gadon played Princess Elizabeth as she joined the VE Day celebrations
This 2015 film starred Canadian actress Sarah Gadon as a 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth, who goes out onto the streets incognito with sister Margaret during the celebrations on VE Day, the end of World War Two in Europe in 1945.
It’s a light-hearted and charming reimagining of the princesses’ night of anonymous freedom, loosely based on real events when the sisters did indeed join the merry throng on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace.
However, it seems unlikely that Elizabeth did really meet a dashing airman on a double-decker bus before cavorting through the city with him and taking him back to the palace for breakfast with her mother and father – but the film’s writers decided they too could use artistic licence when filling in the blanks about the Queen’s life.
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