Global great and the good gather in tribute to Charles
Upbeat vibe hit all the right notes
IT was a ticket to the most prestigious event in modern times. Around 450 foreign dignitaries from 203 nations and realms descended on London to take their place at Westminster Abbey for King Charles’s Coronation service. Among them were heads of state, major members of foreign royal houses and a coterie of governor-generals representing the 56 nations in the Commonwealth.
The first to reach British shores was Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese. Iconic buildings and landmarks across Australia were lit up in royal purple this weekend.
US President Joe Biden had already announced he would not attend. His wife, First Lady Jill Biden, came in his stead.
Mr Biden offered a fulsome tweet in which he congratulated the King and told how the “enduring friendship between the US and the UK is a source of strength for both our peoples”. The First Lady added: “It’s an honour to represent the United States on this historic day at Westminster.”
Another First Lady to attend was Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accompanied by PM Denys Shmyhal, who said the King had offered “unwavering support” for the people of his country.
French President Emmanuel Macron had promised to come after the King’s visit to France was cancelled due to protests over pension reforms, and attended with his wife Brigitte. After the ceremony he described the King and Queen as “friends of France”, saying he was “proud to be by your side on this historic day”.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who was accompanied by his wife Sophie, 48, praised the occasion. “Today, we ring in the reign of His Majesty King Charles III and reaffirm Canada’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth,” he said
Pride of place had been given to those representing Commonwealth nations, who processed into the abbey before members of the Royal Family, carrying their nation’s flags. As head of the Commonwealth following his mother’s death, King Charles has visited all but one Commonwealth nation, and made a point of going to Barbados when it transitioned from a constitutional monarchy to a republic in 2021.
Other dignitaries included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while Germany and Italy were represented by ceremonial presidents Frankwalter Steinmeier and Sergio Mattarella.
Former royal aide to the late Queen, Lady Susan Hussey, who is also Prince
William’s godmother but had to resign after getting involved in a race row during an event at Buckingham Palace, was also at the abbey.
In a break from tradition, King Charles added crowned royals to the guest list, an unusual move to mark the extent to which the rarified club is shrinking around the world.
For centuries, convention dictated that no other crowned royals should attend the coronation of a British monarch, in a tradition that lasted 900 years.
The first foreign royal to confirm his attendance was Prince Albert II of Monaco, who was joined by his wife, Princess Charlene, who wore a matching cream-coloured blazer, ankle-length skirt, beret and smooth pointed heels.
Spain’s King Felipe, a distant cousin of Charles, and Queen Letizia also attended.
King Willem-alexander of the Netherlands, who is distantly related to Charles, was joined by Queen Máxima.
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attended in place of Queen Margrethe, the only living European queen since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and who was unable to attend due to back surgery.
The King’s close friends King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan, King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-marit of Norway were also invited.
Other royals included King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and Queen Annemarie of Greece, her son Crown Prince Pavlos and his wife Crown Princess Marie-chantal.
Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major attended, meaning all eight living UK Prime Ministers were at the service.
ALLY: Justin and Sophie Trudeau. Right, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene
INSIDE Westminster Abbey all eyes were on the proud but humble monarch adorned in gold vestments on his day of destiny before his crowning moment yesterday. In the Gothic splendour of the Abbey, where kings and queens have been crowned since 1066, we craned our necks or watched nearby screens to follow the progress of Charles III during an intricate two-hour ceremony – a blend of ancient and modern that personified the King’s approach to his reign.
In the brightly coloured Coronation Theatre in the middle of the Abbey, we saw the culmination of a lifelong journey. This was the day he was born for, his reason for being and one he had been preparing for almost since the day he became heir to the throne at the age of three, following the sudden death of his grandfather George VI.
Invoking Jesus, he told the congregation: “In His name, and after His example, I come not to be served but to serve.”
It was the greatest show on Earth – at once a feast of beautiful, powerful music, a riot of vibrant colours, a celebration of our modern multicultural society, the occasional moment of comedy, all underpinned by a deeply religious and traditional Christian service.
Called to serve in the top job after 70 years – the longest wait of any heir apparent in British history – and after the extraordinary reign of his mother Queen Elizabeth
II, King Charles vowed, like her, to devote his life to duty, God and the people.
Alongside him was his rock, Queen Camilla, crowned as his consort despite 17 years of official denials that this would happen and then by a belated endorsement last year by her mother-in-law.
Charles’s elder son and heir, Prince William, once distant but brought closer to him by recent turmoil in the Royal Family, touched the crown and kissed the King after he had been crowned and whispered words of endearment.
William swore an oath, echoing the words of Prince Philip to Elizabeth 70 years ago: “I William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.”
In the Abbey’s South Lantern, among a 2,300-strong congregation that included 100 heads of state, sat the wider Royal Family, many wearing the blue or purple mantles of the orders of chivalry to which they belong.the senior working royals were given pride of place. But among them were others including two – Charles’s son Prince Harry and brother Prince Andrew – whose actions have damaged the monarchy.
Andrew, who was booed by the crowd outside Buckingham Palace earlier, wore the mantle of a knight of the Garter. Harry sported a morning suit with his medals on his chest.the fifth in line to the throne, who remains estranged from much of his family, had walked through the Abbey looking straight ahead, with only one quick smile and nod of acknowledgement.
In the South Lantern he watched the service intently from the third row – his view partially blocked by the red plume of Princess Anne’s hat in the row in front of
him – perhaps reflecting on what might have been.
In the front row, Kate gazed proudly at Prince George, a page of honour at the age of nine and the youngest future King to play an official role at a Coronation. His sister Princess Charlotte, eight, and brother Prince Louis, five, kept close eyes on the grand theatre.
Louis, who endeared himself to millions at the Platinum Jubilee last year by making mischief, was impeccably behaved throughout. It was always the plan for him to be taken out of part of the twohour ceremony to give him a rest, but his 20-minute break was shorter than expected.
It was by necessity a solemn occasion but also an uplifting one, a breathtaking spectacle buoyed by celebratory music, featuring a gospel choir for the first time.
The swaying Ascension Choir, dressed in white suits and dresses, stole the hearts of many in the congregation who had been inside the Abbey for up to four hours before the King and Queen’s arrival.
A steady stream of arrivals also kept them entertained as TV screens in the Abbey showed guests such as the US First Lady Jill Biden and glamorous foreign royalty such as Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Rania of Jordan. Other famous faces included actresses Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Emma Thompson and TV stars Ant and Dec – who produced a cheer from one section of seats – plus singers Lionel Richie and Nick Cave.
The first spine-tingling moment came after the King and Queen arrived and the choir rose to a crescendo, singing Hubert Parry’s I Was Glad, composed for Edward VII’S Coronation. “Vivat Regina Camilla!” they sang. “Vivat Rex Carolus!”
In spite of controversy over the idea of everyone pledging homage to the King, most in the congregation did so with gusto.
For a few minutes during the choir’s performance of Te Deum laudamus, there was comedy and confusion as sections of the congregation repeatedly stood, believing the trumpets playing were the start of the fanfare for the national anthem.
They sat down again two or three times but eventually the entire congregation was standing for a couple of minutes before they needed to. King Charles set out his stall for
KING Charles has always had a profound and genuine love of music – so his Coronation was bound to be a special musical occasion.
Early arrivals atwestminster Abbey were rewarded with a lively banquet of mainly British music, mostly played by an international orchestra under Sir Antonio Pappano.
After that classy, extended prelude, Andrew Nethsingha, organist and master of choristers at the Abbey, took expert charge.
There were moments of profound intensity, before the upbeat mood returned with the new piece many of us had been waiting for – Psalm 98 (“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”), set for the occasion by Andrew Lloyd Webber, a joyous dash of musical theatre to lighten a grand occasion.
As this new royal era begins, we can surely all hope our new King endeavours to spread more much-needed harmony. his reign with this traditional Christian service, dating back to the Coronation of King Edgar in 973 but also featuring the modern face of Britain, with representatives from other faiths and, for the first time, Anglican women bishops.
In the final sequence of the service, the royal couple removed their crowns and returned to their Chairs of Estate to take communion before changing into their purple Robes of Estate. The King and Queen walked through the Abbey, meeting faith representatives and the Governors-general of the 14 overseas realms, then climbed into the Gold State Coach for the journey back to Buckingham Palace.
Back inside the Abbey, we in the congregation began to digest what we had just witnessed – a landmark moment in the UK’S history and a day when majesty came into all of our lives.