King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been crowned monarch of the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland on Saturday, in a ceremony steeped in a millennia of tradition and pageantry inside Westminster Abbey.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed St. Edward’s Crown upon Charles III’s head, the most significant part of the coronation service.
As he prepared to do so, Welby said: “King of kings and Lord of lords, bless, we beseech thee, this Crown, and so sanctify thy servant Charles, upon whose head this day thou dost place it for a sign of royal majesty;
“… that he may be crowned with thy gracious favour and filled with abundant grace and all princely virtues; through him who liveth and reigneth supreme over all things, one God, world without end. Amen.”
After crowning the King, Welby said: “God Save the King.”
Shouts of “God Save the King” rang out and trumpets sounded after the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the crown on Charles’s head.
After King Charles was crowned, his son Prince William kissed him on the cheek.
The coronation of Charles, 74, in Westminster Abbey comes almost eight months after he ascended the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022, a day that marked the end of an era defined by her 70-year reign.
He became the 40th monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey in a tradition dating back to 1066. His wife, Camilla, previously known as the queen consort, will be now referred to as Queen Camilla.
She was crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown, marking the first time in recent history that a new crown wasn’t made specifically for this occasion and presented with the Sceptre and Rod.
CNN/ BBC/Additional Report/ Mercy Chukwudiebere
