One hundred heads of state and representatives of 200 countries will surround King Charles in his appointment with history during the Coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey. Buckingham Palace became a conclave of international leaders comparable to the celebration of Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne 70 years ago, in a very different festive tone from the queen’s funeral last September.
Shouts of “God save the king!” several hours were anticipated in the popular “paseíllo” with which Carlos III entertained the dozens of followers camped since the beginning of the week in the “mall” of London to contemplate in the front row the parade of more than 7,000 soldiers who will accompany the monarch and his wife Camila, who will also be crowned queen for all purposes.
Olena Zelenska, wife of President Zelenksi, had a special role in the audience with which Carlos wanted to entertain his long list of guests, much larger than initially announced. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian Sergio Mattarella rubbed shoulders with the European nobility, represented by Felipe and Letizia, King Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Prince Frederick and Marie of Denmark and the Princes Haakon and Mette-Marit of Norway.
The great absentee was undoubtedly Joe Biden, who justified the “sit-in” in advance, alleging the “tradition” marked by the North American presidents. In return he sent his wife Jill and his granddaughter Finnegan, who were also received at Downing Street, as were Brazil’s President Lula Da Silva and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The most uncomfortable guest was Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, considered the most responsible for the repression of civil liberties in Hong Kong, in a move by the British Royal House that was criticized by several conservative deputies.
The reception that King Charles gave to the members of the Commonwealth of Nations was also shrouded in controversy. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holmes justified his absence by anticipating that his country will soon hold a referendum to decide whether to become a republic. Something similar was declared by the Prime Minister of Belize, Johnny Briceño, who asked the monarch for an apology for “the atrocities of slavery.”
Jamaica and Belize are among the 14 countries that recognize the British monarch as head of state. In at least six of them, such as Australia and Canada, public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of becoming a republic.
“Who can conceive of the United Kingdom without its kings and queens? It would be like erasing its history,” the American Donna Werner, 71, who has been camping since Tuesday with her friend, warned at the entrance to the London mall. British Faith Nicholson, 61.
“Carlos will be a good king because he had his mother as an unbeatable teacher,” says Faith. “I hope it will last for many years, although with William and Kate continuity is more than guaranteed. My granddaughter is fascinated with her and wants to be a “princess” when she grows up… I think that in this country she will never have enough appetite to a republic, and less after the entanglement in which the politicians have us”.
Bartley Graham, 34, a native of Durham, left the hospital where he was admitted to be one of the first to camp in the mall. “My health hasn’t been the same since I had a stroke during Elizabeth II’s funeral and after 30 hours in line, I think it was pure exhaustion,” Graham said, posing in his union jack suit next to the Life-size (and almost three-dimensional) image of King Charles.
A royalist to the core, he acknowledges that one of Carlos’s main challenges will be to reach young people… “But he is doing very well and I think he has surprised everyone and everyone. Camila will be a wonderful queen, the support she needs What makes me angry is Harry, he was my favorite for the succession, I like him much more than William. For me, Meghan has him by the balls… But sooner or later reconciliation will be possible, that wait”.
More than 200 followers spent the night in their stores waiting for the moment. Others decided to get up early and take positions for the procession that will start at 11 a.m. local time (noon in Spain) and given the forecasts of rain that may force the suspension of the air show of the “red arrows” three hours later, coinciding with the greeting of the royal family from the balcony.
Scotland Yard has launched the largest security operation in its history, with 11,500 officers deployed across the city and using controversial facial recognition technology for the first time. The police have warned that they will apply with great rigor the new and controversial Public Order Law that punishes those who block the streets or highways with sentences of up to twelve months in prison. About a thousand members of the anti-monarchist group Republic have replied, alleging that they will not be intimidated by the police and will display their “Not my king” banners as the procession passes.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project