THE BIG DAY ARRIVES - GOD SAVE THE KING!

On May 6th King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey in a lavish Coronation ceremony not seen in Britain since 1953. We report on a spectacular day that will go down in the history books!

As expected the Coronation of King Charles III was a spectacular affair, despite being scaled-back; filled with pomp, pageantry and notable moments.

The weather was typically British for the Coronation of his mother in 1953 and it was also a rainy day in old London town when King Charles III and Queen Camilla travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

In a slight deviation from tradition, the couple rode in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach drawn by six Windsor Grey horses. They were accompanied on the 1.3-mile route by the sovereign’s most trusted bodyguards, the Household Cavalry, and were greeted by cheering and waving crowds.

The intricate service lasted just over two hours – about an hour shorter than Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 – and followed a traditional template. However, it had been modernized in certain key ways: The Archbishop Justin Welby acknowledged the multiple faiths observed in the UK during the ceremony. And when the King took the Coronation Oath, he became the first monarch to pray aloud at his Coronation.

THE GUESTS ARRIVE

The great and the good were among the thousands of guests inside Westminster Abbey for the Coronation. Celebrities, TV stars and political figures from across the globe – wearing a colourful array of suits, fascinators, military uniforms and medals and religious clothing – were among those seen filing into the venue on the morning of the big event. A delighted looking Dame Emma Thompson was one of the first to arrive for the ceremony. Other stars seen entering the church included TV presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – who grinned and waved at royal fans – actor Stephen Fry, musician Nick Cave and magician Dynamo.