King Charles, Queen Camilla crowned
King Charles, Queen Camilla crowned in historic ceremony
PM Shehbazexpresses deep appreciation for UK’s flood aid
LONDON: King Charles III was anointed and crowned on Saturday in Britain’s biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a sumptuous display of pageantry dating back 1,000 years.
In front of a congregation of about 100 world leaders and a television audience of millions, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, slowly placed the 360-year-old St Edward’s Crown on Charles’ head as he sat upon a 14th-century throne in Westminster Abbey.
Gun salutes were fired at the Tower of London and across the capital, the nation, in Gibraltar, Bermuda and on ships at sea. “God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the king live forever,” the congregation at the abbey said after a trumpet fanfare.
During the historic and solemn two-hour service, which dates back to the time of William the Conqueror in 1066, Charles’ second wife Camilla was also crowned queen.
While rooted in history, the ceremony- televised for only the second time – is also an attempt to present a forward-looking monarchy, with those involved reflecting a more diverse country and all its religions.
Saturday’s event was on a smaller scale than that staged for Queen Elizabeth in 1953, but still sought to be spectacular, featuring an array of historical regalia from golden orbs and bejewelled swords to a sceptre holding the world’s largest colourless cut diamond.
Charles, 74, automatically succeeded his mother as king on her death last September, and the coronation is not essential but regarded as a means to legitimise the monarch in a public way.
After the service, Charles and Camilla, 75, departed in the four-tonne Gold State Coach built for George III, the last king of Britain’s American colonies, to ride to Buckingham Palace in a one-mile procession of 4,000 military personnel from 39 nations.
Meanwhile hundreds of soldiers in scarlet uniforms and black bearskin hats lined the route along The Mall, the grand boulevard leading to the palace, in what is the largest ceremonial event of its kind in Britain since the coronation of Charles’ mother.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also in the UK to attend the coronation, met with King Charles III and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the Commonwealth leaders’ meeting in London.
He extended his warm felicitations to both British dignitaries for the impeccable arrangements made for the grandiose two-day coronation ceremonies of the new King.
In addition, he expressed his deep appreciation for the UK’s humanitarian assistance during the devastating floods that wreaked havoc in Pakistan last year.
The prime minister emphasised the need to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries and proposed the establishment of a joint commission to be led by the leaders of both nations.
King Charles III and Sunak echoed the PM Shehbaz’s enthusiasm for bolstering the bilateral relations between the two nations. They also lauded the Pakistani community residing in the UK for their remarkable contributions towards the growth and development of the UK. Monitoring Desk
