Celebrations are underway in Britain, with the procession of the newly anointed King Charles III parading through London.
A 4,000-troop procession centred around King Charles III made its way through London on Saturday afternoon, with crowds cheering and members of the armed forces saluting as the newly anointed monarch made his way through the streets of London. The parade is the largest ceremonial parade in a generation.
Although officially becoming king last year immediately after the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, it is only now that Charles has officially been anointed, crowned, and enthroned as the sovereign of the United Kingdom.
The ceremony is important as it provides a chance to celebrate the new King while having given a chance to mourn the old. It also provides a visible and formalised link between the church and crown as embodied by the King.
According to a report by British state-owned broadcaster the BBC, thousands of troops from across the British Commonwealth of Nations — an organisation made up mostly of former members of the British Empire — with a further 1,000 soldiers said to be lining the 1.42-mile route of the parade.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: Troops march on the day of Britain’s King Charles’ coronation ceremony, at The Mall on May 6, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Yara Nardi – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: Grenadier Guards march on the day of Britain’s King Charles’ coronation ceremony, at The Mall on May 6, 2023 in London, (Photo by Yara Nardi – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: King Charles III and Queen Camilla travelling in the Gold State Coach built in 1760 and used at every Coronation since that of William IV in 1831sets off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: King Charles III and Queen Camilla travelling in the Gold State Coach built in 1760 and used at every Coronation since that of William IV in 1831sets off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Princess of Wales depart from the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: The Household Cavalry Mounted Band can be seen on the Mall during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: King Charles III and Queen Camilla travelling in the Gold State Coach built in 1760 and used at every Coronation since that of William IV in 1831sets off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: Members of the Royal Air Force marching during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. T(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: The Household Cavalry Mounted Band can be seen on the Mall during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The parade also consisted of over a dozen marching bands and hundreds of flag bearers, as well as a number of royal coaches, including the Gold State Coach, a gold-leafed carriage built in the 18th century, which carried the monarch.
Other members of the royal family also took part in proceedings, with the King’s sister, Princess Royal Anne, following the Gold State Coach on horseback.
King Charles’ son and heir, Willaim Prince of Wales then followed in the Diamond Jubilee Coach, accompanied by his wife and three children.
Absent from the procession was Prince Harry, who has abandoned his royal duties, and is now living with his wife, Meghan, and children in the United States.
Also in London, protests against the monarchy also took place, with one prominent British Republican activist being arrested shortly before Charles’ crowning took place.