The newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla gathered with members of the royal family to wave to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the coronation ceremony. A military flyby was planned but had to be curtailed due to the rainy weather. Watch CBS News coverage of the symbolic event and analysis of this historic transition for the British monarchy.
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All eyes were on Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at King Charles III‘s coronation service on Saturday, with all three children carrying out their first official state occasion.
Prince Louis arrived at Westminster Abbey with his parents Prince William and Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte while Prince George arrived at the abbey with his fellow pages of honor.
Prince George
From Joe Giddens/Getty
At the request of the king, William and Kate both wore formal robes and mantels, though the princess is not wearing a tiara. Under the robe, Kate wore an Alexander McQueen ivory silk crepe dress, with an embroidered shamrock, rose, thistle, and daffodil motif along with a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece. She also wore the George VI Festoon Necklace, designed for the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1950, along with pearl and diamond earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana. Charlotte wore an ivory silk crepe dress with a coordinating headpiece to her mother.
Princess Kate and Prince William
From Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
William wore the ceremonial dress of the Welsh Guards, along with a leek pin, and Louis wore a blue doeskin tunic designed by Dege and Skinner and a leg garment with Garter Blue stripe.
In addition to Prince George’s starring role, the Prince of Wales also played a central role in the ceremony presenting the Stole Royal to His Majesty. Once the King was vested in the Robe Royal which was specially made for the coronation, William fixed the clasp.
British police arrested multiple people amid the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, with anti-monarchy group Republic saying their head Graham Smith was among those detained.
Republic tweeted that Graham Smith was arrested along with five other members of their team and hundreds of placards were seized. It comes as London’s Metropolitan Police also confirmed the arrests of at least seven people, but did not give any names.
This morning, @GrahamSmith_ and 5 members of our team were arrested. Hundreds of placards were seized. Is this democracy? #NotMyKing#Coronation
“Is this democracy?” the tweet from Republic read.
Protesters could be seen Saturday morning carrying signs reading, “Not my King.”
Republic calls for the end of the monarchy.
Protesters hold placards ahead of the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III in London Saturday, May 6, 2023. Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Piroschka van de Wouw/Pool via AP).
London’s Metropolitan Police tweeted that a “significant police operation is under way in central London” around 8:30 a.m. local time.
“We have made a number of arrests in the area of Carlton House Terrace. The individuals have been held on suspicion of breaching the peace,” the police tweeted.
They then detailed that earlier in the day, four others were arrested in the area of St. Martin’s Lane and held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance. Police said they seized “lock-on devices,” which can be used by protesters to lock themselves to public fixtures.
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Three others were arrested in the area of Wellington Arch, according to police, and held on “suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage.”
Earlier today we arrested four people in the area of St Martin’s Lane.
They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.
In total, British police said they had arrested 52 people during the coronation for a range of offences, including breach of peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. All those who had been detained remain in custody, London police said in a statement.
The arrests come after the Canadian government earlier in the week warned Canadians to exercise a “high degree of caution in the United Kingdom due to the threat of terrorism.”
“Previous incidents have resulted in casualties. They include random violent incidents in public areas, such as knife and vehicle attacks as well as explosions,” officials said in a May 2 travel advisory.
“These incidents have occurred mainly in the London area but have also happened elsewhere. Further attacks in the United Kingdom are likely.”
Police officers take away a protester close to the ‘King’s Procession’, a journey of two kilometres from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP) (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images).
Police arrest an anti-monarchy demonstrators ahead of the procession of Britain’s King Charles III to Westminster Abbey for his coronation in London Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Scott Garfitt).
In 2019, a man previously convicted of terrorism offences stabbed two people to death and injured three others before being shot dead by police on London Bridge. In 2017, 30 people were injured after a homemade explosive device was partially detonated inside a crowded subway station.
Most recently, British police arrested a man Tuesday and blew up a suspicious bag outside Buckingham Palace.
Metropolitan Police said officers arrested a man in the evening after he approached the palace gates and asked to speak to a soldier. When he was refused, he began to throw shotgun cartridges into the palace grounds, the force said.
The man was searched and a lock knife was found, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife and ammunition, and the man’s backpack was blown up in a controlled explosion after the suspect told officers to handle it with care.
Coronation of King Charles III: A new King is crowned in Westminster Abbey
More than 9,000 officers are on coronation day duty in London as foreign dignitaries and heads of state, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are in town visiting for the rare event.
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U.K. Security Minister Tom Tugendhat told Times Radio Wednesday that their presence makes the coronation “a very complex policing operation, a very complex intelligence operation.”
“The police are, to put it mildly, all over it, and our intelligence and other security forces are extremely aware of the challenges that we face and ready to deal with them — as the police did quite brilliantly yesterday,” he said.
“This is an enormously important moment for the country.”
— with files from Aaron D’Andrea and The Associated Press.
Louis and his older sister, Princess Charlotte, smiled and waved at the crowds. According to the Daily Telegraph, it appeared that Louis said “I’m waving” as he arrived in the state car.
Louis then took his seat between his mother and his sister. According to ITV, he was expected to “retire” given that the service was two hours long. He was absent briefly before being spotted again as King Charles and Queen Camilla were walking out of the ceremony.
Prince Louis yawns during the coronation ceremony for his grandfather, King Charles III. Louis is sitting with his parents, Prince William, Prince of Wales and Princess Charlotte, and his sister, Princess Charlotte.
Yui Mok/Getty
After the coronation, Louis rode in a coach with his family from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte depart from the coronation.
/ Getty Images
His grandfather, King Charles, was 4 years old during his mother’s coronation and only attended part of it due to his young age — even though he was next in line for the throne at the time. In photos from the balcony, he could be seen looking bored. Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, who was 2 at the time, did not attend.
Louis, who is currently fourth in line for the throne, has stolen the show before at royal ceremonies. During Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee last year, he was spotted dancing and waving, and memorably covering his ears during the flyover from the balcony. William and Catherine cheekily tweeted after the ceremony “we all had an incredible time … even Louis.”
Where were William and Kate’s other children for the ceremony?
William and Catherine’s oldest child, 9-year-old Prince George, served as Page of Honor during the ceremony and was not seated with his family. Princess Charlotte, who turned 8 this week, walked in with Louis and sat with her parents during the ceremony.
Prince George of Wales served as a Page of Honour during the coronation of his grandfather, Britain’s King Charles III, at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, 2023.
GARETH CATTERMOLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Where were Charles’ other grandchildren?
Charles’ other grandchildren, Prince Harry’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who are 4 and 1, are not attending the ceremony. Neither is their mother, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Who were the other children at the coronation?
Camilla’s grandsons, Gus Lopes, Louis Lopes and Freddy Parker Bowles, who are all 13, served as Pages of Honor for Camilla. Her great-nephew, Arthur Eliot, also served as Page of Honor.
Ahead of King Charles being crowned king, he and Queen Camilla rode the Diamond Jubilee stage coach the 1.3 miles through central London to Westminster Abbey. Watch the beginning of the procession.
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King Charles III was officially crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, a moment the new British monarch had anticipated for most of his life.
The king was crowned with the St. Edward’s Crown, worn by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, during her own coronation nearly 70 years ago, on June 2, 1953.
During the service, the dean of Westminster handed the crown to Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who said a blessing before crowning the king.
The archbishop then instructed the congregation to say “God save the king,” before the Westminster Abbey bells began to ring. Gun salutes were then fired around the world, including Horse Guards Parade and the Tower of London. Saluting stations throughout the U.K., Gibraltar and Bermuda, along with British ships at sea, also fired celebratory rounds.
The St. Edward’s Crown is from the coronation regalia, a collection of treasures that are part of the British crown jewels. The crown was made for King Charles II in 1661 to replace a medieval headpiece that was melted down in 1649.
“Although it is not an exact replica of the medieval design, it follows the original in having four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis, and two arches,” reads a description of the crown on the British royal family’s website. “The crown is topped with an orb and a cross, symbolising the Christian world, and is made up of a solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines. The crown has a velvet cap with an ermine band.”
Ahead of the coronation, the crown was removed from the Tower of London ― where the crown jewels are kept ― and modified to fit King Charles.
St Edward’s Crown is pictured during a service to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, on June 4, 2013, in London.
London — When the world tunes in to watch the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III on May 6, there may be a lot of eyes focused on what the monarch is wearing. The eco-minded king has decided to reuse several historic items on the big day, including some robes literally made of gold.
“His majesty the king has decided to reuse pieces from the coronation of his grandfather, King George VI, in 1937,” Caroline De Guitaut, Deputy Surveyor of the King’s Works of Art, explained to CBS News.
Clothing the king for his big day takes precise planning, and that means readying the Coronation Vestments, including “two of the most significant pieces worn by the sovereign during the investiture” portion of the ancient coronation ceremony, said De Guitaut, showing off two golden robes that “haven’t been worn for 70 years.”
King George V is depicted in the three robes worn at his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey. From top, The Royal Crimson Robe of State, The Golden Imperial Mantle and the Royal Robe of Purple Velvet, as first depicted in The Illustrated London News, in 1910.
Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty
A glittering, embroidered robe made of gold silk, called the Supertunica, will be worn under the Golden Imperial Mantle, which was first made for King George IV in 1821.
“It is woven from cloth of gold and embroidered with goldwork embroidery to a design which has a strong tradition,” said De Guitaut.
The monarch was determined to make his coronation as sustainable as possible, and other historic items have also been dusted off and restored for the occasion.
King Charles III will wear a glittering, embroidered robe made of gold silk, called the Supertunica (left), under the Golden Imperial Mantle (right), which was first made for King George IV in 1821, for his May 6, 2023 coronation.
CBS News
“We’ve got this wonderful, sustainable, eco-friendly king who’s reusing something rather than having a new glove,” said Deborah Moore, CEO of Dents Glovemakers.
Charles will wear the same coronation glove used by his grandfather nearly a century ago.
De Guitaut explained that the glove would be “placed on the king’s right hand during the investiture” on Saturday.
The king will also reuse his grandfather’s sword belt, which will be placed around the Supertunica.
The golden robes weigh about 13 pounds together, and the king’s 9-year-old grandson, Prince George, will help carry them through Westminster Abbey as Charles walks to his throne for the crowning moment.
Ian Lee is a CBS News correspondent based in London, where he reports for CBS News, CBS Newspath and CBS News Streaming Network. Lee, who joined CBS News in March 2019, is a multi-award-winning journalist, whose work covering major international stories has earned him some of journalism’s top honors, including an Emmy, Peabody and the Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Tom Renner award.
Click here for a schedule of the expected events during the hours-long coronation processions and ceremony.
Arrests as anti-monarchy protests planned for coronation day
Protests against the British monarchy were planned around the United Kingdom for the day of the coronation by the anti-monarchy group Republic. Early Saturday morning, Republic said its leader was among several people arrested as they showed up to stage a demonstration at London’s Trafalgar Square.
“They’ve arrested six of our organizers and seized hundreds of placards,” an activist with the group told the AFP news agency. “They won’t tell us why they’ve arrested them or where they’re being held.”
This morning, @GrahamSmith_ and 5 members of our team were arrested. Hundreds of placards were seized. Is this democracy? #NotMyKing#Coronation
Police did not immediately confirm any arrests, but they had warned against any attempts to disrupt the day’s proceedings. There were reports that some protesters had planned to try to do just that, interfering with the processions, according to U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden. He said the government had received intelligence that some people might try to spook horses on the procession route by sounding rape alarms.
Republic wants Britain’s monarch to be replaced as the official head of state by an elected official. Republic is either organizing or promoting peaceful rallies in England and Scotland.
Protesters hold placards with the message “Not my king” before Britain’s King Charles III arrives to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, March 13, 2023.
Frank Augstein/AP
Click here to read a full story on the planned protests.
What’s the point, and what happens at a coronation?
Coronation ceremonies came out of an historic need to bring stability to European monarchies amid competing claims to their thrones, as well as traditions of church involvement in the state. They do not take place immediately after the death of the previous monarch to allow time for the country to grieve. The ceremony is largely religious, and it does not bring King Charles any further privileges as the monarch, which he has been since the moment his mother died.
British coronations are carried out by the Anglican Church, otherwise known as the Church of England. The only part of the coronation ceremony required under British law is the Coronation Oath. The exact wording of which has varied over the centuries, and it has been updated for Charles to reflect a more modern Britain.
After the oath, the king will be anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will pour the oil onto a spoon and anoint Charles’ hands, head and breast. Then, Charles will be given the royal robe, the orb, the coronation ring, the sceptre and the rod of his position. Finally, at the “moment of coronation,” St. Edward’s Crown will be placed on his head.
Here’s the schedule of events for coronation day
King Charles and Camilla, his queen consort, will begin to travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in a procession at 5:20 a.m. Eastern, 10:20 a.m. local time. The route they will take is 1.3 miles long, directly through central London.
The coronation ceremony will begin at Westminster Abbey at 6:00 a.m. Eastern, 11:00 a.m. local time and is expected to last for about two hours. Afterwards, they will travel in a procession back to Buckingham Palace.
Click here for a full schedule of the coronation events and to learn how to watch the ceremony from wherever you are.
King Charles III will be formally crowned Saturday, marking the first coronation for the British monarchy since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned in 1953. Holly Williams has the latest on the final preparations.
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London — King Charles told his advisors long before his own coronation ceremony that he “wanted them to start afresh,” according to historian and CBS News royal contributor Amanda Foreman. “So, what we are going to see is a very, very different coronation” compared to the ceremony held for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953.
So, what are the differences?
King Charles’ “plus one”
Charles’ wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be formally crowned alongside her husband during the May 6 coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Upon her coronation, she will drop the “consort” from her title and be known as Queen Camilla.
Prince Philip, the longtime husband of Queen Elizabeth, was never crowned, and was known throughout the queen’s reign as her “liege lord.”
While Queen Camilla will be crowned — specifically with Queen Mary’s Crown from the royal family’s extensive Crown Jewels collection — her role does not convey any political power, like Charles’ mother had as the queen “regnant” and Britain’s sovereign. That role and the power it conveys, though extremely limited under modern Britain’s constitutional monarchy, lies entirely with Charles.
What he wears
King Charles will wear several historic garments for his actual coronation ceremony, including heavy ceremonial robes made of gold thread, but unlike his mother, underneath it all, Foreman said the king was “not going to wear a special outfit. He’s going to wear his military uniform.”
Queen Elizabeth, on the other hand, had a special Coronation Dress commissioned by a British designer.
According to the Royal Collection Trust, the designer “submitted nine different designs and the queen accepted the eighth, but suggested the addition of embroideries in various colours rather than all in silver.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on the day of her coronation, Buckingham Palace, 1953. (Colorised black and white print).
The Print Collector/Getty Images
A smaller affair
King Charles’ coronation will be a much smaller affair than his mother’s.
Approximately 2,000 guests have been invited, as opposed to the over 8,000 people who were invited to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth’s ceremony lasted almost three hours, but King Charles’ will last only two hours.
The coronation processions will differ in size, too. King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will travel to Westminster Abbey, and then the king and Queen Camilla — with her new official title — will travel back to Buckingham Palace along on the same route, which takes approximately 40 minutes at the speed of a horse-drawn carriage.
King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort during a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 22, 2022 in London, England.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth’s procession from Westminster Abbey back to the palace after her coronation took a much more circuitous route, with her waving and smiling to well-wishers for around five hours.
The coronation oath
Britain has changed a lot in the decades since Queen Elizabeth was crowned, with a majority of the country no longer describing themselves as Christian.
However, England legally remains a Christian nation, and the Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church, is the official religion, with the monarch serving as its titular head, known as the Defender of the Faith. The coronation ceremony itself is a Christian ritual.
In the 1990’s, then-Prince Charles sparked controversy when he said he would be a defender of faith in general, rather than the Defender of the Faith.
In his coronation oath, he will give a nod to other religions, kneeling before the altar in Westminster Abbey and saying: “God of compassion and mercy whose Son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
When King Charles III and his wife, the Queen Consort Camilla, are crowned on May 6, the coronation ceremony will glitter with the Crown Jewels and other historic symbols of the monarchy’s vast wealth.
King Charles’ net worth has soared to about $2.3 billion, according to The Guardian, which said it worked with 12 experts to undertake the first “comprehensive audit” of the king’s assets, which range from country estates to race cars and jewels.
Yet among his most valuable assets is something intangible: an exemption for Charles from the U.K.’s inheritance tax, which otherwise would have taken a 40% bite out of his inherited assets. Queen Elizabeth II was worth $500 million when she passed away last year, largely from her ownership of Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in England, as well as art, jewels, investments and real estate, Forbes estimated last year.
Not everyone pegs Charles’ wealth at the same sky-high valuation as The Guardian. The U.K.’s Sunday Times estimated his net worth at about $750 million. Part of the challenge in assessing the king’s wealth is that many of his financial holdings aren’t publicly disclosed, while other assets that may appear to be owned by the monarchy are in fact property of the U.K., the Guardian noted.
Live coverage of the coronation will begin at 5 a.m. Eastern time on May 6, available on CBS television stations or streaming live on CBS News and on your mobile or streaming device
Here’s what we know about King Charles’ wealth.
The Duchy of Lancaster: $820 million
The duchy consists of a private estate owned by the monarch that spans about 45,000 acres across England and Wales, ranging from castles such as Lancaster Castle to commercial properties in London’s Savoy precinct.
Lancaster Castle, Lancashire, 2021.
Damian Grady / Getty Images
The estate provided Queen Elizabeth with profits of almost $140 million in the five years before her death, the Guardian noted. The assets of the sprawling group of properties is worth about $820 million, it estimated.
Private jewels: $670 million
A 94.4-carat pear-cut diamond will be featured in the crown worn by Camilla, the Queen Consort, in the coronation — representing just one of the jewels privately owned by Queen Elizabeth that are now among Charles’ possessions, according to The Guardian.
Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Lesser Stars of Africa brooch for a service at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the diamond jubilee in 2012.
Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
Together, the 54 privately owned jewels are worth about $670 million, the Guardian estimated. The diamond that will be in Camilla’s crown is one of two gems called the “the Lesser Stars of Africa,” which are both usually in a brooch that The Guardian estimates could be worth more than $226 million.
The Crown Jewels — many of which will be displayed during the coronation — are owned by the state and aren’t part of Charles’ wealth.
Balmoral and Sandringham: $415 million
Charles inherited Balmoral, the Scottish estate where Queen Elizabeth passed away last year, and Sandringham, an estate in Norfolk, from his mother.
Balmoral Castle is pictured near Ballater, on March 30, 2022.
ANDREW MILLIGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Balmoral, with 53,000 acres of land, is valued at $100 million, while Sandringham, which includes farmland and rental properties, is worth $315 million.
Other royal haunts of the monarchy, such as Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, aren’t actually properties of the king, but are owned by the state.
Race horses, a stamp collection and art: $190 million
Queen Elizabeth owned about 70 thoroughbreds, which The Guardian valued at $34 million.
The monarch also owns a stamp collection, called the Royal Philatelic Collection, which is considered one of the finest in the world, the newspaper noted. It includes rare stamps from Laos, Canada and other nations, valued at $125 million.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II explores the collection at the new headquarters of the Royal Philatelic society in London on November 26, 2019.
TOLGA AKMEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Art by artists including Monet, Chagall and Dalí are worth another $30 million, the publication said.
Investments: $180 million
King Charles also likely has significant wealth in stocks and other investments, according to The Guardian. It estimates those holdings at $180 million, based on 1993 research into the royal family’s shares of FTSE 100 companies. If the monarch had continued to hold those investments, they would be worth $150 million today, the paper said.
Assuming that the crown’s private income has been socked away in the stock market throughout the years, it’s likely that the king has at least $180 million in stock and other investments, it noted.
Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and other cars: $8 million
The Guardian said it identified 23 cars at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace and Sandringham, although not all of them belong privately to Charles.
A Rolls-Royce state car is pictured at the Royal Mews in central London, on March 21, 2011.
Dominic Lipinski/AFP via Getty Images
Among the privately own cars are a 1950 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, one of only 18 made by the manufacturer, and which was bought by Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip before she was coronated. The car is worth about $3 million, the Guardian estimated. It also estimated the value of the king’s privately owned cars at $8 million.
When Marion Portelance plays in King Charles’s coronation concert on Sunday, she’ll be playing a cello with a special connection to the monarch.
The student from the Royal College of Music, who is originally from Montreal, will be playing on a William Forster cello from 1804 that is believed to the same one once owned and played by King Charles.
The 24-year-old says she’s honoured and excited to play at the concert, which follows Saturday’s coronation ceremony.
“It’s surreal to me to be able to participate in a historic event like this,” she said in an interview.
She said the instrument was played by King Charles during his days as a student. It was later sold to benefit charity, Portelance said, and then donated by the Linbury Trust to the Royal College of Music’s collection.
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“So, a lot of history and a beautiful instrument, and it sounds amazing,” she said.
Portelance is part of a string quartet that will perform a new arrangement of the song “Somewhere” from West Side Story, as part of a collaboration that includes the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet. The Royal College of Art will provide a visual backdrop.
“It’s just a big collaboration of all sorts of arts and I think it represents really well the fact that King Charles was always a big advocate for the arts and especially for music,” said Portelance, who is a graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Montreal.
Never-before-seen photos of King Charles
She said she was contacted a few months ago to ask if she was free the first weekend in May, but only later found out why.
Pop stars Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and opera singer Andrea Bocelli are among the headliners that are scheduled to be performing at Sunday’s concert at Windsor Castle.
Portelance got a chance to visit the site for the first time on Thursday for a rehearsal, which made the situation feel even more real.
Portelance said she’s more excited than nervous, but is trying not to think about whether the King will be paying special attention to her performance on the cello he used to play.
When King Charles III greeted onlookers during a surprise walkabout at Buckingham Palace Friday afternoon, one brave man asked if he was “nervous for tomorrow.” According to the BBC, Charles simply laughed in response. With less than 24 hours to go before his historic coronation, the king did squeeze in one last rehearsal at Westminster Abbey’s Theater of Coronation in the morning, along with Queen Camilla and Prince William, but spent his afternoon greeting the crowds who were camping out in preparation for tomorrow’s procession.
William and Princess Kate also joined for a palace luncheon, where the royals mingled with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the prime ministers of the realm, the 15 countries where the British monarch is still the head of state. The event began in the palace’s white drawing room, where Kate was spotted chatting with Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, one day after William hosted him for a meeting at Kensington Palace. They were joined at the luncheon with Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and her husband Tim Laurence, the Duke of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
From Toby Melville/ Getty
During the event, Kate wore a white dress by Jenny Packham, black pumps, and a pair of pearl drop earrings that were a 1947 wedding present to the late Queen Elizabeth II from the King of Bahrain. Kate has previously worn the earrings for very special events, like the queen’s funeral in September 2022 and the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021. It’s a sign that she will likely be breaking out a few excellent family heirlooms for her various appearances over the weekend.
On Thursday, William and Kate visited a pub in Soho, where they talked with well wishers and learned about the hospitality industry’s plans for accommodating an influx of visitors for the coronation. According to Town & Country, Kate said that her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are feeling a little nervous about tomorrow. ”There’s a mix of nerves and anticipation and excitement going on at the moment,” Kate said. When one women asked if she thought Louis would behave, she crossed her fingers. “I hope so,” she said. “You never, you never quite know do you?”
After his walkabout, Charles hosted another reception at Buckingham Palace for visiting officials and dignitaries, including Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, and Queen Letizia of Spain. First Lady Jill Biden is representing the United States at Saturday’s event, and she arrived at the palace reception after spending the day with Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty. The pair met veterans at 10 Downing Street and visited a primary school.
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III surprised cheering fans who started gathering outside Buckingham Palace on Friday, a day ahead of his coronation, as final touches were made in preparation for an occasion that London hasn’t celebrated in 70 years.
People in the crowd screamed his name as Charles stepped from a chauffeur-driven Bentley wearing a blue suit. One person could be heard yelling “God save the king” as the British monarch approached the throng lined up behind a barricade.
Charles thanked the well-wishers for coming, shaking hands as he slowly moved along the line.
Theresa Iredale, wearing a plastic crown, said she trembled when the king approached her after she screamed his name.
“I saw his hand coming out to mine and I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m shaking the king’s hand,’” she said.
King Charles III greets wellwishers outside Buckingham Palace, in London, Friday, May 5, 2023 a day before his coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey.
Prince William, heir to the throne, and his wife, Kate, also greeted the public during the walkabout, talking to fans on the opposite side of The Mall, posing for selfies and chit-chatting.
The royals made the stop after a luncheon that followed the final rehearsal for Charles’ Saturday morning coronation service at Westminster Abbey.
Charles ascended the throne automatically when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died last year. The religious ceremony of the coronation represents his formal crowning.
The celebration has been months in the making, choreographed down to the finest detail and includes a huge security operation.
Beyond the massive planning, Charles is trying to remain relevant as support for the monarchy has waned, particularly among a younger generation that cares less about its traditions. His crowning takes place as some question the large expense of public funds — with no estimate provided yet — during a cost-of-living crisis that has left many Britons struggling.
On Thursday, William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, took a subway train and visited a pub in Soho as part of the lead-up to the coronation.
The crowd outside the palace has been growing for several days, with visitors from around the world assembling to witness history as the latest monarch is crowned in a tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years.
Fans of the royal family were decked out in the red, white and blue of the Union Jack, waving flags, wearing full outfits made of the distinctive pattern and one man had it painted on his face.
Many of those assembled had already camped out or planned to spend the night hoping for a prime perch for the procession Saturday and maybe a view of the newly crowned monarch and Queen Camilla, his wife, waving from the balcony of the palace after returning from the ceremony.
Those who only expected a fleeting glimpse of the king, were richly rewarded to get to meet him in person.
“Absolutely amazing, just surreal,” said Gillian Holmes.
“My daughter said her legs were shaking, she was in shock,” Holmes said. “I never ever dreamt that I would meet the king. I can’t believe it.”
Throughout the day, rail travelers throughout the United Kingdom were greeted with a recorded message from the king as they boarded trains wishing them and their families “a wonderful coronation weekend.”
The message concluded with Charles providing the familiar warning passengers get before they board or leave subways and trains: “And remember, please mind the gap.”
London — King Charles III, along with his son and heir William and his wife Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, made an unexpected stop to greet supporters outside Buckingham Palace on Friday afternoon, just a day before the monarch’s coronation ceremony.
Royals fans gathered along The Mall, a broad, tree-lined avenue that leads straight to the front gate of Buckingham Palace, pushed toward fences as they caught sight of the king’s Bentley State Limousine rolling toward the palace.
To their delight, the car convoy stopped and the king and the prince and princess stepped out and walked toward the fence.
Britain’s King Charles III greets well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace, in London, May 5, 2023, a day before his coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Toby Melville/AP
People have been camped out for several nights already to reserve prime viewing spots along The Mall, which makes up about half of the route the coronation processions will take on Saturday as the king and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla are carried to and from Westminster Abbey.
The crowd reacted with shock when the royals emerged from their vehicles, with some chanting, “God save the King,” and “hip, hip hooray!”
The king and the Prince and Princess of Wales worked opposite sides of The Mall, greeting people from all over the world, including from as far away as the United States and Thailand.
William, the Prince of Wales, meets well-wishers during a walkabout on The Mall, outside Buckingham Palace, May 5, 2023, the day before his father King Charles III’s coronation ceremony.
Toby Melville/Pool/Getty
Two women who actually got to exchange a few words with the monarch after spending two nights camped out on The Mall told CBS News it was a “truly wonderful” experience.
“I said to him, ‘Congratulations for tomorrow,’ and he turned to us and shook our hand,” said Joan, who didn’t wish to share her full name.
“He asked if anybody overnighted, and my hair is sticking up, and I said, ‘Yes!’ And he leaned over and shook my hand.”
The royals’ security detail urged onlookers to put down their phones to enjoy the moment, according to the BBC.
London — Prince William and his wife Kate visited a London pub Thursday, and the Prince of Wales stepped behind the bar to pull a pint of “Kingmaker” ale two days before his father King Charles III’s coronation ceremony. The Prince and Princess of Wales dropped into the Dog and Duck in central London’s Soho entertainment district to chat to representatives from the hospitality industry, which is set for a bumper weekend thanks to the coronation on Saturday.
William, the heir to the throne, pulled the first-ever pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed to celebrate the coronation.
Britain’s Prince William pulls the first pint of Kingmaker, a new brew celebrating the coronation of King Charles III, as he and the Princess of Wales visit the Dog & Duck pub in London, May 4, 2023, to hear how it’s preparing for the coronation.
Jamie Lorriman/AP
“You always have the best conversations in pubs you never know who you are going to meet,” he said.
The 40-year-old prince was handed a full cider glass, joking that he would have to mind how much he drank and “get back into work mode.”
Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, visit the Dog & Duck pub in London, May 4, 2023, to hear how it’s preparing for the coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort.
Jamie Lorriman/AP
Kate, meanwhile, said excitement for the coronation was “already starting to build,” and that their eldest child Prince George was “excited” about the ceremony after taking part in rehearsals.
George, aged nine, is second in line to the throne. On Saturday he will be one of eight Pages of Honor during the service, joining a procession through the nave of Westminster Abbey and assisting with holding the king’s ornate Coronation Vestments, or ceremonial robes.
William and Kate chatted with well-wishers outside the pub, shaking hands with members of the crowd.
Prince William speaks to members of the public during a walkabout outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, central London, two days before the coronation of his father, King Charles III, May 4, 2023.
Jamie Lorriman – WPA Pool/Getty
The Dog and Duck, originally built in 1734, is one of the oldest pubs in Soho.
To get there, the couple took their first ride on the Elizabeth Line, the new rail line running beneath the British capital that was named after William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September last year after a record 70 years on the throne.
Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, travel on the London Underground’s Elizabeth Line in central London, May 4, 2023, on their way to visit the Dog & Duck pub in Soho.
Jordan Pettitt/AP
They rode three stops, chatting to transport workers about plans for the weekend, when tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on the city. Some hardy souls were camped out along The Mall, on the coronation procession route directly in front of Buckingham Palace, days ahead of the event.
When asked about the coronation preparations, Kate replied: “Yes, it’s going to be a busy time. We’re getting there. I still feel like we’re trying to get ducks in a row.”
William, like his son George, will have an active role in the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The heir will help his father to don the Golden Imperial Mantle — a floor-length cloak made of cloth of gold that dates back to 1821.
LOS ANGELES, May 3, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Author Ray Comfort, CEO and founder of Living Waters Christian ministry, is giving away 500,000 hard copies of his book “Defender of the Faith: Ten Weird Facts about the Coronation,” to U.S audiences interested in the events happening in London this weekend to celebrate King Charles III’s official coronation.
According to Comfort, the book is controversial because it flies in the face of an increasingly secularized world—where many profess atheism and most don’t honor the Bible. “It’s ironic that during the coronation of King Charles, hundreds of millions around the world will essentially be going to church for a two-hour televised church service,” Comfort said. “There they will hear many references to the Christian gospel and hear the Bible greatly honored.”
The author and TV cohost is referring to the fact that during the church service, when King Charles is presented with the Bible, the Archbishop of Canterbury will say, “Sir: to keep you ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, receive this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords.”
Comfort added, “I want people to understand the significance of the many strange things that will take place during the May 6 coronation: the meaning behind the presentation of three swords, the diamond-crusted orb, the golden scepter, the ancient coronation chair, the mysterious anointing, the king’s extravagant robes, the amazing crown, and so on.”
Comfort’s ministry has also amassed an army of over 20,000 Christians who on coronation day will give away 16 million copies of what looks like a million-pound English note. These will not only be given freely to the millions of observers lining the streets of London, but also be given away in Europe, Canada, Australia, and other parts of the world.
“While the church service makes numerous references to the gospel, it doesn’t articulate it in layman’s language. And so we printed the 16 million copies of the commemorative ‘million-pound note’ explaining it. The word ‘gospel’ simply means ‘good news.’ And the good news is that in the Old Testament, God promised to destroy death, and in the New Testament we are told how He did it. That’s actually the best news this world could ever hope to hear.”
The London Outreach will be live-streamed on Living Waters’ YouTube channel, where commentary will also be provided during the coronation church service.
About Living Waters Living Waters exists to inspire and equip Christians to fulfill the Great Commission. Living Waters seeks to train the members of Christ’s Body in the principles of biblical evangelism and to provide them with practical tools to proclaim the gospel. See more at www.livingwaters.com.
When King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla began rehearsals for this weekend’s coronation, they were reportedly practicing in a life-size model of Westminster Abbey that had been recreated inside Buckingham Palace. But on Wednesday, they took their rehearsals into the legendary cathedral, where they were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, who brought along their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Charles was photographed entering the Abbey on Wednesday morning, where he was later joined by Princess Anne, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Camilla. According to People, William, Kate, and their kids arrived while the students were changing classes at the nearby Westminster School. The students waved to the family as they walked, and Charlotte, who celebrated her 8th birthday this week, waved back.
Both William and 9-year-old George will have formal roles in the ceremony on Saturday. As the Prince of Wales, William will kneel in front of his father and pledge his loyalty, while George will serve as a page to his grandfather, along with three other friends of the family. The rehearsal took place just hours after a nighttime runthrough of the outdoor procession, which saw hundreds of soldiers march alongside the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and Gold State Coach just after midnight.
In addition to the practices taking place at the theater constructed in the palace, Charles and Camilla have been rehearsing other aspects of the ceremony in the run-up to the televised event. Meanwhile, a source recently told Vanity Fair that Camilla has been wearing a crown to practice entering and exiting a coach because she wants to feel confident when she wears the 112-year-old Queen Mary State Crown on Saturday.
“The King and Queen are definitely nervous. It’s the logistics that are worrying them more than anything else,” another source said. “The King has mentioned the number of changes he will have saying he is having to arrive robed, then having to de-robe, then re-robe again. I think that’s been concerning him, he wants it all to go smoothly.”
On June 2, 1953, former king Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor since his abdication in 1936, sat chain smoking in a gilded chair as flashbulbs popped—far from Westminster Abbey, where the coronation of his niece Queen Elizabeth II was taking place. Rather, he was in Paris, at a party hosted by the American heiress Margaret Biddle, surrounded by members of continental café society and the United Press.
In the darkened room, some eyes were on the TV, which broadcast a British coronation for the first time in history, but many more eyes were on Edward, who sat shoulder to shoulder with his wife, Wallis, Duchess of Windsor.
Edward’s jovial tone turned reflective as the coronation ceremony reached its height. “The Duke of Windsor fought back tears and prayed silently today as his young niece became Queen Elizabeth II. The Duke bowed his head and folded his hands as Elizabeth mounted the throne he surrendered 16 years ago,” the United Press reported on June 2, 1953, in a piece syndicated in the LA Times the following day.
With the rest of his family across the Channel, he sought comfort in the woman for whom he had given it all up. “The Duchess leaned over to him. The Duke stirred and moved closer to her—their faces almost touching,” the UP reported. “The Duke took out a handkerchief and brushed a solemn face. He watched the crown being placed on Elizabeth’s head. Then he turned to his Duchess and pinched the flesh between his eyes—as though fighting back tears.”
It was not what Edward had hoped for. After the death of his younger brother King George VI on February 6, 1952, the duke had been naively hopeful that he would be welcomed at the coronation—along with his scandalous wife. As royal watchers speculated blindly that the Windsors would receive an invite, the Duchess of Windsor was equally in the dark. From their home in Paris, she wrote to her aunt, on October 3, 1952, about the upcoming ceremony.
I will know more about that when the Duke returns as the reason for his trip [to England] was to review the entire situation. The family are certainly charming, aren’t they? We will also have to take a lot of Coronation cracks— and Winston [Churchill] though very friendly won’t interfere in what he calls a family matter. I wish the world and particularly the U.S. press would forget the Windsors. Such an old story.
The Duke of Windsor’s November trip to England to visit his ailing mother, Queen Mary, raised public chatter about the thorny issue to a fever pitch, with royal watchers looking for any sign of a truce between the Windsors and the royal family. “Usually, on these brief interludes in London, he seldom leaves Marlborough House, his mother’s home…. But on this trip to London the Duke is seeing a good deal of all members of the royal family,” read a piece in the Los Angeles Times. “Yesterday he went to Buckingham Palace for tea with his sister-in-law, the Queen Mother. Thursday he will return to the palace to have lunch with Queen Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, on their fifth wedding anniversary. Later in the week Windsor is to meet the royal children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.”
The duke also visited his old friend Prime Minister Churchill, reportedly to sound out “the Prime Minister and top members of the royal family on whether he could bring his Duchess to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.”
This public show of familial togetherness led many to believe that Edward’s royal invitation was a go. “To many Britons all the family activity added up to one thing—a reconciliation,” TheNew York Times reported. “According to rumors in court circles, it is odds on that both the Duke and his American-born Duchess…will get invitations for the Coronation.”
London — With days to go until King Charles III’ coronation, some royal superfans have already camped out in central London to secure a front row spot for the historic day. That includes Donna Werner, who came all the way from New Fairfield, Connecticut, to camp next to St. James’ Park, just outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall, a full five days ahead of the big event.
“There’s nothing like this in the states,” Werner told CBS News on Tuesday, her second day camped out. “One of the biggest parades I have ever been to was probably a ticker-tape parade for when the Yankees won the World Series … and this is a thousand times better!”
Donna Werner, of New Fairfield, Connecticut, stands near her tent on the edge of London’s St. James’ Park, just outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall, four days ahead of King Charles III’s coronation ceremony.
CBS News
Werner joined a handful of the most hardcore royal superfans enduring Britain’s cold nights and unpredictable weather to guarantee a clear view of the processions carrying King Charles and Camilla on May 6. Some of them will have spent nine nights in their tents by the time the big day arrives.
For them, the climax of coronation day will be seeing the king roll past in the gilded Diamond Jubilee State Coach on his way to Westminster Abbey, and then return to Buckingham Palace several hours later in the Gold State Coach.
A map provided by the U.K. government shows the route that the procession carrying King Charles III will take from Buckingham Palace, down The Mall and then to Westminster Abbey, for his coronation on May 6, 2023. The king and queen will then be carried back to the palace along the same route later in the day.
U.K. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport/Handout
“Unless you’re here, you can’t even imagine the feeling in the air of excitement and the love,” Werner said. “It’s definitely worth it, even if it rains.”
Werner decorated her camping spot with a U.S. flag and a sign that reads: “U.S. Loves King Charles,” which she’s hoping the king will spot during the procession. “We have a great view here,” she said. “If I’m going to come all this way, I want to be front-and-center.”
Connecticut resident and royal family superfan Donna Werner’s camping spot on the edge of London’s St. James’ Park, just outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall, is seen on May 2, 2023.
CBS News
The Connecticut resident is no stranger to roughing it to catch a glimpse of royalty. Werner has secured a spot at the front of the crowds since Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s wedding in 1986. She said she has been “in love” with Britain since her first visit as a teenager.
Early Wednesday morning, Werner’s was one of only about half a dozen tents along that section of the procession route as uniformed soldiers paraded past for a rehearsal. A brass band on horseback led the practice procession.
Donna Werner, of New Fairfield, Connecticut, stands near her tent on the edge of London’s St. James’ Park, on The Mall, May 2, 2023, securing her spot before King Charles III’s coronation.
CBS News
“I just love all the pomp and circumstance,” Werner told CBS News. “It’s just so joyful and it’s just, everybody’s so happy. … Nobody does it like the Brits.”
