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King Charles III and Queen Camilla were officially crowned during a coronation ceremony held at Westminster Abbey on Saturday. The event marked the first coronation at the Abbey since Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II's in 1953. The king and queen began their procession from Buckingham Palace through Central London in a golden carriage led by eight horses. The route to the Abbey was lined by around 1,000 soldiers, sailors, and Royal Air Force personnel. Around 200 members of the British military were mounted on horses as part of the procession. After disembarking from the carriage at the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, they were flanked by church officials and a retinue of support staff dressed in red uniforms.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the most senior clergyman in Britain, blessed the oil that would be used to formally anoint Charles. Charles was presented with several symbolic items ahead of his crowning. The heavy crown was placed on Charles' head as he held two golden rods, one in each hand, while sitting on a 700-year-old wooden throne. Camilla was crowned queen shortly after, and sat alongside her husband in identical chairs.
The congregation included aristocrats, celebrities, and leaders from a variety of Britain's political parties. Former British leaders including Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, and Tony Blair attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, alongside U.S. First Lady Jill Biden. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak read a passage from the Bible. Inside the Abbey, thousands of people had gathered to watch the coronation, while tens of thousands had gathered outside along the procession route, many carrying British flags as they cheered and sang.
The coronation was not without incident, however. Police arrested several anti-monarchy protesters from a campaign group called Republic on the edge of Trafalgar Square before the procession. The London Metropolitan police force had deployed over 11,000 officers across the capital on Saturday.
In his address to the congregation, Archbishop Welby said "we are here to crown a king and we crown a king to serve." Charles swore a series of oaths that relate to his responsibilities in his new role, after which he was repeatedly proclaimed king. In his first spoken part of the ceremony, Charles said that he has come to "serve, not to be served" and to follow the example of the "king of kings." The coronation was marked by singing, trumpets, and thundering trumpet fanfare.
In conclusion, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, marking the first coronation there since Charles' mother's in 1953. The procession was led by eight horses as thousands of cheering people lined the streets. Despite some anti-monarchy protests and arrests, the event was attended by aristocrats, celebrities, and leaders from a variety of political parties. Charles swore a series of oaths that relate to his responsibilities in his new role, after which he was repeatedly proclaimed king.
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