On a cool, rainy day in London, history met modernity as Charles III and Camilla were crowned king and queen on Saturday in a ceremony that reflected the reality of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious Britain.
Nothing represented that better than when “The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, did a reading from the Epistle to the Colossians taken from the Bible.
His delivery was pitch-perfect.
The Prime Minister, who was dressed formally in a morning dress with a blue tie, had come with his wife, Akshata, who had matched her blue dress with a fetching dark fascinator.
Charles, now 74, was four when his mother, was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. He has had to wait 70 years to succeed to the throne, the longest in British history. Camilla, who is 75, is his second wife after Diana. The couple have been married for 18 years.
They arrived from Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and returned in the more ornate Gold State Coach, followed by 4,000 military personnel. They appeared on the palace balcony with other “working” members of the royal family (minus Prince Harry, who arrived from America without his wife Meghan).
During the service, Charles was screened off while he was anointed on his palms, breast and head with “holy” olive oil brought from Bethlehem, while Camilla received a dab on the forehead.
The “Stole Royal” was wrapped around Charles by his son, William, who is now the Prince of Wales.
“Thank you, William,” said Charles, as William gave “Pa” a little kiss. Next in line is William’s son, George, nine, who was one of the page boys and helped with his grandfather’s trailing cloak.
The ceremony, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was essentially Christian. The solemn moment came just after noon when he placed the St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head and pushed it down so it wouldn’t topple over.
“God Save the King!” rang out through the Abbey — and across the land and 14 countries where Charles is now head of state. Camilla merited Queen Mary’s Crown from 1911, adjusted to fit her. There was never any serious prospect of her wearing the crown with the Kohinoor diamond.
In another first, Welby invited millions watching to swear loyalty to the crown: “I now invite those who wish to offer their support to do so, with a moment of private reflection, by joining in saying ‘God save King Charles’ at the end, or, for those with the words before them, to recite them in full. ‘I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.’ ”
Various regalia were handed to Charles by peers of other faiths — bracelets known as Armills by a Muslim, Syed Kamall; a royal roble by Gillian Merron, who is Jewish; a ring by a Hindu, Narendra Babubhai Patel; and a glove by a Sikh, Indarjit Singh.
In another first, Ascension, a black choir, sang Alleluia, Alleluia!
As Charles and Camilla left Westminster Abbey at the end of two hours of pomp and ceremony which the British perform with military precision, the king paused to thank a long line of faith leaders — among them a Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Shia and Sunni and Baha’i.
