The United Kingdom has long been dominated by the coronation of King Charles III, and on Saturday it is finally happening. From Dutch chairs to a spinach quiche: this is what you can expect today.
Coronation Day is the day on which the official coronation ceremony of King Charles III takes place. He was already proclaimed king on September 10, but on Saturday he will actually put the crown on his head.
His wife Camilla is also crowned. From that moment on she can officially call herself queen.
The day begins as Charles and Camilla travel a special route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in London. They leave at 11.20 am (Dutch time).
The royal couple travels the route in different carriages. They travel there in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was built in 2012 in honor of Elizabeth’s 60th anniversary. They drive back in the Gold State Coach, which we see more often during official occasions.
The route is probably packed with fans of the British royal family. They have been there for several hours by then; the route opens at 07:00. A number of fans have even been there for days: everything for the best spot.
0:37The ceremony will begin at Westminster Abbey at noon. The ceremony consists of several phases, in which the king is first ‘presented’ to the people. Charles then takes the coronation oath, after which he is anointed with a special oil in phase three.
The ceremony concludes with the fourth phase, in which Charles and Camilla are actually crowned. Charles then puts on the more than 2 kilograms heavy St Edward’s Crown. That crown is only used during the coronation ritual. It has been worn by only six different heads of state in the past 360 years. King Charles becomes the seventh.
More than 2,000 guests attend the ceremony, including the British royal family, a political delegation and foreign heads of state. Prince Harry is also present despite the tensions within the family. His wife Meghan will stay at home. Their son Archie celebrates his fourth birthday today.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima attend the ceremony on behalf of the Netherlands. The coronation itself also has a Dutch touch. The audience sits on chairs from the Dutch brand Casala.
2:06Charles and Camilla return to Buckingham Palace at about 2:00 PM. During this ride, the public can catch a glimpse of the royal couple. At around 3:30 PM, they arrive at the palace, where they wave to the audience from the balcony. The so-called balcony scene has been a tradition since 1902.
Although the balcony scene closes Coronation Day, Coronation Weekend continues on Sunday and Monday. Then, among other things, the traditional coronation lunches take place. Charles’s official lunch dish is vegetarian: a quiche with broad beans and spinach. Elizabeth celebrated her coronation with the recipe that has become popularly known as ‘Coronation Chicken’: a chicken curry sandwich.
The official festivities will conclude on Monday – an official day off for many Britons – with The Big Help Out. On that day, charities organize activities where people can help and do something for the community.
0:542023-05-06 03:00:00
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