The day of consecration has arrived for Charles III: the United Kingdom is preparing to witness the coronation of its new king and Queen Camilla on Saturday, in a very solemn religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The rain is likely to come, but it would take more to discourage the thousands of admirers of the royal family who have been waiting, sometimes for several days, near the Mall, the famous avenue that leads to Buckingham Palace, to watch the royal couple.
The crowd gathered behind the barriers is decked out in the colors of the Union Jack, the British flag, printed on t-shirts, hats, flags and pennants.
Phyllis Taylor, 60, in an elegant floral dress, and her husband Steven, 61, in a black suit and bow tie, traveled from Glasgow to Scotland for “this very special occasion”.
“We are very excited, very proud to be British,” she enthused. “It’s a great day for the country, I can’t wait,” says Caba Mendes, a 21-year-old Londoner, selfie stick in hand.
The 2,300 guests – some 100 heads of state, representatives of foreign royal families, the Commonwealth, but also deserving members of civil society – began to take their seats at the abbey, while at Buckingham Palace the balcony from where the royal couple will wave to the crowds after the ceremony and watch an aerial parade, were dressed in a red velvet drapery.
The Anglican religious ceremony, with the millennial rite, must begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (10:00 a.m. GMT) and last two hours. Charles III, 74, will be acclaimed there, sworn on the Bible, anointed and crowned, dressed in heavy ancestral cloaks of silk and gold.
Camilla, 75, his second wife, will also be blessed and crowned.
Charles III became king on the death of his mother Elizabeth II in September after 70 years of reign.
His coronation, unique in Europe, is the religious confirmation.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, of Hindu faith, will read a Bible verse there. His seven living predecessors will be there.
To take into account the diversity of a country where less than half of the population now calls itself Christian, representatives of the main religions will take part in one of the processions.
The royal couple will leave the abbey in a spectacular military procession, aboard the particularly uncomfortable golden carriage used for all coronations since 1831.
Coming alone from California, the king’s youngest son, Harry, very critical of the monarchy, will have no active role, any more than Prince Andrew, the king’s brother, sidelined since a sex scandal.
The coronation will cost tens of millions of euros, largely paid for by the taxpayer.
With Britons suffering from double-digit inflation for months, the palace was keen to weigh the expense against the ‘huge economic boost’ of a historic event generating ‘huge global interest’ .
Some Brits aren’t so sure. 72% of them, according to a YouGov poll on Friday, do not intend to participate in the festivities of this long weekend extended to a holiday Monday.
After the coronation, neighborhood meals and a concert in Windsor are scheduled for Sunday. Monday is a holiday.
Elizabeth II, who died at 96, was hugely popular. His coronation in 1953, at the age of 27, had aroused immense jubilation.
Charles III, an elderly king, is much less so, less appreciated in particular than William and Kate, often present at his side.
They were still there on Friday afternoon during a quick walkabout that the sovereign agreed to in front of Buckingham.
The majority of Britons remain pro-monarchy, but that support is waning among young people.
The anti-monarchists, non-existent under Elizabeth II, intend to demonstrate on the course, especially in Trafalgar square.
A few hours before the coronation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised in a press release “a moment of extraordinary national pride”, and the “consistency, dedication and service to others” of the monarchy.
“It’s a proud expression of our history, our culture and our traditions,” he said.
The coronation has however revived the debate on the future of the monarchy, in particular in the 14 other kingdoms of which Charles III is head of state.
Belize and Jamaica have already made it known that they hope to quickly become republics, as Barbados did in 2021.
06/05/2023 10:26:06 – London (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
