By Marisol Bo-oc | 10:23 PM May 06, 2023
King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, receiving the bejeweled St. Edward’s Crown in a ceremony built on ancient tradition at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain.
Trumpets sounded inside the medieval abbey and the congregation shouted “God save the king!” at a service attended by more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Outside, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged.
It was the culmination of a seven-decade journey for the king from heir to monarch.
To the royal family and government, the occasion — code-named Operation Golden Orb — was a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world.
And as Queen Camilla was crowned alongside Charles, she donned Queen Mary’s Crown making her the first Queen Consort in recent times to not wear a new crown. The reason behind her decision to recycle a crown? It was in an effort of sustainability.
Originally made for Charles’ great-grandmother Queen Mary in 1911, the crown underwent some minor changes ahead of Charles and Camilla’s coronation. This includes the adding a touching nod to the late Queen Elizabeth in the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, which were part of the late monarch’s personal collection and were often worn as brooches.
Charles and Camilla’s crowning came after he took the official coronation oath and was anointed, blessed and consecrated by the Archbishop while seated in the coronation chair, which is over 700 years old. Charles also received various other symbolic jewels, including the Sovereign’s ring, orb and sceptre, representing the passing of the torch and marking the start of his reign. With reportrs from E News, AP, AFP
