LONDON (AP) — King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony steeped in ancient ritual and brimming with bling at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain.
At a coronation with displays of royal power straight out of the Middle Ages, Charles was given an orb, a sword and scepter and had the solid gold, bejeweled St. Edward’s Crown placed atop his head as he sat upon a 700-year-old oak chair.
In front of world leaders, foreign royals, dignitaries and a smattering of stars, the monarch declared, “I come not to be served but to serve,” and was presented as Britain’s “undoubted king.”
Inside the medieval abbey, trumpets sounded, and the congregation of more than 2,000 shouted “God save the king!” Outside, thousands of troops, hundreds of thousands of spectators and scores 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.
To the crowds gathered under rainy skies — thousands of whom had camped overnight — it was a chance to be part of a historic event.
Julie Newman, a 77-year-old visitor from Canada, said the royal procession had been “absolutely fabulous. Couldn’t ask for anything better.”
“But we’re ready to go back home and watch it all on the television,” she added.
But to millions more, the day was greeted with a shrug, the awe and reverence the ceremony was designed to evoke largely gone.
And to a few, it was reason to protest. Hundreds who want to see Britain become a republic gathered to holler “ Not my king.” They see the monarchy as an institution that stands for privilege and inequality, in a country of deepening poverty and fraying social ties. A handful were arrested.
As the day began, the abbey buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colorful hats. Notables streamed in: U.S. first lady Jill Biden, first lady Olena Zelenska of Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron and eight current and former British prime ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers.
During the traditional Anglican service slightly tweaked for modern times, Charles, clad in crimson and cream velvet and ermine-trimmed robes, swore on a Bible that he is a “true Protestant.”
But a preface was added to the coronation oath to say the Anglican church “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.” It was the first ceremony to include representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths, as well as the first in which female clergy took part.
