On May 6th, 2023, King Charles III, formerly known as The Prince of Wales, was crowned as King, being Britain’s first new monarch in seventy years. Taking place at Westminster Abbey, the setting of British coronation ceremonies for the past 900 years, King Charles III set the scene with his first remarks, “I come not to be served, but to serve”. Contrary to archbishop of Canterbury’s advice to build an atmosphere where all faiths are welcomed, Charles promised to sustain the Church of England during the service. Former Duchess of Cornwall was crowned alongside King Charles III as Queen Consort Camilla, being the first Consort to be crowned since the Queen Mother in 1937.
Although the ceremony was accompanied by a large rain cloud, tens of thousands of people gathered in central London and surrounded the coronation. Many of these people crowded on the outskirts of the ceremony simply to catch a glimpse of the King and Queen, but others congregated into anti-monarchy protests and caused a disturbance, with 52 protesters arrested. With the rich tradition of the event, the spectacle that the event typically causes was foreseeable, and the British were prepared with nineteen military bands with troops stretching for a mile. Other than crowds of thousands of bystanders, about 2,000 guests were invited to the ceremony. Other than a majority of the royal family, this sum of attendees included members of royal families from around the world, representatives from the House of Parliament and the Church, politicians from the Commonwealth, and others. Although 2,000 guests seems like a lot, the attendance does not compare to Queen Elizabeth’s service in 1953 of over 8,000 attendees.
The ceremony was entertained by a variety of performers, each personally chosen by the King himself. The 12 pieces included a coronation anthem, coronation march, continuous music played throughout the event by the orchestra at Westminster Abbey, a performance from a group of handpicked gospel singers, and finally Greek Orthodox music was played in honor of the late Prince Philip. There was an additional celebration on May 7th at Windsor Castle. Here, musical icons from around the world, and orchestra, and dancers all collaborated to present a Coronation Concert. Some notable names who performed at the concert include Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie, Andrea Bocelli, and Freya Ridings. The coronation of King Charles III flourished over the entire weekend with attraction, entertainment, and certainly history made.