the act of Coronation of British King Charles III which is being held this Saturday in London will feature various actions and details that have been planned to the millimeter. more than seven decades that such a ceremony did not take place. The scheduled events will celebrate the official beginning of his reign, although he is already de facto king from the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, last September 8.

king’s procession

The procession will begin at 10:20 local time (11:20 GMT). Leaving from Buckingham Palace, Charles III and Camilla They will travel in the chariot diamond jubilee drawn by six gray Windsor horses. The vehicle was built to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II, in 2012.

Thousands of people will witness the journey between the Palace and the Westminster Abbey, of shorter duration than that carried out during the Coronation of Elizabeth II. will traverse the mall, one of the most emblematic walks in London, the main place for the acts of the British monarchy, where the curious are already camping, hoping to see the monarchs up close. They will turn at Trafalgar Square to continue on their way to Whitehall and finish at Westminster. The procession is expected to end before noon.

Ceremony at Westminster Abbey

Carlos III will enter through the great west door of Westminster Abbey and will walk through the nave until he reaches the central space, where the altar is located. He will be preceded by the procession of leaders, religious representatives and members of the countries of the commonwealth They will be accompanied by governors and prime ministers. Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister from the United Kingdom, will be one of the protagonists during the religious service.

The 12 pieces of music that will be played at the ceremony have been personally selected by Carlos III. The famous Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Patrick Doyle are two of those in charge of composing the music that will sound during his consecration like king. In addition, Greek Orthodox music will also be played during the ceremony in memory of Philip of Edinburghfather of the monarch who died in 2021.

Stages of the ceremony

  • Recognition. Carlos III will be presented to the people, a historical tradition that will take place next to King Edward’s chair, 700 years old, and which has been restored for the occasion. He Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby will give the first speech, followed by those of the lady of garter and of the Cardo – chivalric orders of England and Scotland. Then the assembled will shout ‘God Save the King‘ (God save the king, in Spanish).
  • Oath. At this stage, the Archbishop of Canterbury will acknowledge the multiple religions existing in the UK and will ask the King to confirm that he will abide by Church of England law during his reign. In addition, he will have to declare himself a faithful Protestant.
  • Unction. It is the most sacred moment of the coronation. Charles III he will take off his ceremonial robes and take a seat in St. Edward’s chair to be anointed. The Archbishop of Canterbury will anoint an oil on the head of the monarch in the form of a cross, as well as on his head hands. It is a peculiar oil made with olives from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and consecrated in a special ceremony. By now there will be a screen around the chair with the aim of hiding the process and preventing the public from participating in the moment, as happened in the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, the first televised one and where this step could not be observed either.
  • Investment. It will be the only moment in which the king carries the st edward’s crown, thus becoming the seventh monarch in history to use it. will be presented to you jeweled objects keys in the process such as the sovereign’s orb, the coronation ring, the sovereign’s scepter with cross and the sovereign’s scepter with dove. After the archbishop has placed the crown, the Abbey bells and trumpets will sound for two minutes. They will also shoot you save throughout the UK.
  • enthronement. In the final part of the ceremony the king will ascend to the throne. According to tradition, members of royalty must pay homage by kneeling before Carlos III, swearing allegiance and kissing his right hand. On this occasion, the Prince Guillermo He will be the only one who will kneel.

Camilla’s ceremony

Camila’s ceremony will be simpler and in this one an oath will not be taken. She will be crowned with the queen’s crown Mary of Teckmade for the enthronement of the queen together with George V in June 1911. Although queens usually order new crowns for their big day, Camila has opted for a “more sustainable” option, and only some decorative elements of the crown will be redesigned. jewel, which will also have large diamonds -Queen Elizabeth’s favorites-.

To end the act, the kings they will descend from their thrones and they will access the chapel of San Eduardo, located behind the main altar, where Carlos III will remove the crown of San Eduardo to put on the call Imperial State Crown, that he will wear throughout the parade back to Buckingham and with which he will greet the citizens from the balcony. This is the jewel that is usually used for the ceremonies of opening of parliament and was created for the coronation of Queen Victoria, in June 1838.

coronation procession

The kings will leave Westminster Abbey two hours after the start of the coronation to return to the palace on the call coronation procession. This time they will do it in the Golden State Carriage, the oldest and most valuable but also the most uncomfortable. Carlos III and Camila will return to Buckingham by the same path by which they will arrive at the Abbey.

greeting from the balcony

The new monarch will greet the crowd that surrounds the palace from the balcony starting at 3:00 p.m., a fact that has become a tradition since the Edward VII’s coronation in 1902.