The first event of its kind in 70 years

The United Kingdom is preparing to crown Charles III between pomp and family crisis

  • Charles discovered that he was unpopular with his late queen mother in Britain and abroad. AFP

  • The British prefer Prince William to his father, King Charles. Archival

  • The queen will put on her head an old, modified crown. AFP

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The United Kingdom is preparing for the coronation of King Charles III on the sixth of May in London, in a religious ceremony organized with the pomp of the British monarchy, and characterized by the presence of the naughty son Prince Harry.

As the first event in 70 years approaches, the first rehearsals are taking place on horseback parades and commemorative porcelain cups – in blue – are spread out

«Masculine» - In the shops, a formal dish was chosen, spinach, beans and tarragon.

Only the enthusiasm of the inflation-driven public lacks more than the new king, who is 74 years old and wants to adapt the centuries-old institution to the demands of his time, from the environment to diversity, but he has difficulty in embodying renewal and is still less popular than his heir William.

Eight months after his accession to the throne after the death of his mother Elizabeth II at the age of 96, it was time for Charles to be publicly dedicated at the head of the United Kingdom, along with 14 other kingdoms from Canada to Australia through the Bahamas.

Charles III will become the 40th British monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey since William the Conqueror in 1066.

Queen Camilla, 75, who was a mistress in the shadow of Princess Diana, will be crowned.

Royal carriages and balcony

Charles III wanted a modern party that was shortened to one hour, with attendance limited to two thousand guests (three hours and eight thousand people for Elizabeth II). But the event is still rooted in centuries of tradition.

The head of the Church of England, Charles, will be sworn in, benefiting from the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury. He will also receive the royal cloak, the orb (a golden ball surmounted by a cross), the scepter and the crown of St. Edward, which will be placed on his head.

The royal couple, accompanied by 4000,<> soldiers, will then return in an eighteenth-century carriage to Buckingham Palace where the royal family will greet the crowd from its famous balcony.

The event will kick off a weekend of celebrations, with neighborhood parties, a concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday and a public holiday on Monday during which Britons were invited to volunteer.

But the atmosphere is far from the celebrations that took place in Britain when the young Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, which marked a renewal in a kingdom suffering from the effects of World War Two, nor even the farewell ceremony for the hugely popular queen, after 70 years of rule last June.

The majority are not interested

YouGov polls show that nearly two-thirds (64%) of Britons are not interested, and a majority (51%) believe the state should not pay for the concert.

British stars, from Elton John to Adele and Ed Sheeran, refused to take part in the concert, so the poster is dominated by Americans Lionel Ricci and Katy Perry, and Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli.

Megan is absent

Since ascending the throne, Charles seemed very energetic, moving away from his mother's firm reticence to delve into issues such as the environment or the war in Ukraine.

But on his travels, he often encountered a number of anti-monarchy protesters, something unimaginable under Elizabeth II, and found himself repeatedly targeted by throwing eggs.

The Republic movement called on Britons to wear T-shirts that read "Not Royal" for the coronation.

The bulk of the media in recent weeks has focused on Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who have been separated from the royal family since leaving for California in 2020.

In mid-April, the palace raised the bar by announcing that the king's youngest son, despite his very malicious remarks against the monarchy, would attend but not his wife, American actress or their two children, Archie (whose fourth birthday will be celebrated on coronation day) and Lilibet, who is almost two years old.

Will the Duke of Sussex meet his father or older brother William who he described as irritable and violent?

The British media expects a lightning presence but the interest will be high.

His last trip to London, in late March for a trial against a tabloid, sparked more interest than his father's first foreign trip the same week to Germany.

• Memorial porcelain cups - in "male" blue - were scattered in the shops, and a formal dish was chosen, spinach, beans and tarragon.

• Camilla, the king's wife, will wear the crown of Queen Mary, grandmother of Elizabeth II, set with 2200,<> diamonds.

• The new king wants to adapt the centuries-old institution to the demands of his time, but he has difficulty in embodying renewal and is still less popular than his heir William.

Milestones in the life of the king

Here are some key milestones in the life of King Charles III, who will be officially crowned on May 6 to succeed his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II:

■■ November 14, 1948: Prince Charles-Philip Arthur George of Edinburgh is born at Buckingham Palace, becoming second in line to the British throne.

■■ February 6, 1952: Death of his grandfather, King George VI. His mother became Queen Elizabeth II. At the age of three, Prince Charles became the direct heir to the throne.

■■ April 1962: Attended Gordonston boarding school in Scotland.

■■ July 1, 1969: His mother heads as Prince of Wales in a televised ceremony at Caernarfon Castle.

■■ 1970: Graduated from the University of Cambridge.

■■ 1971-1976: Joined the British Royal Navy.

July 29, 1981: Diana Spencer marries in a ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral in London in a ceremony attended by some 750 million viewers around the world. Diana became Princess of Wales.

■■ June 21, 1982: Prince William is born.

■■ September 15, 1984: Birth of Prince Henry (aka Harry).

■■ December 9, 1992: Officially separated from Diana.

■■ August 28, 1996: Diana is divorced and remains Princess of Wales.

■■ August 31, 1997: Diana dies in a car accident in Paris. Charles insists on her burial with royal honors.

■■ April 9, 2005: Married to Camilla Parker Bowles in Windsor.

■■ September 8, 2022: Prince Charles becomes King Charles III after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

■■ January 2023: A month after a documentary series condemning the royal family, Harry published his autobiography "The Alternative" that is highly critical of the royal family and the king does not comment.

■■ March 29, 2023: The King and Camilla's first foreign trip to Germany. The trip included France but this stop was cancelled due to social tension.

■■ May 06, 2023: The date of the coronation of the King and Queen at Westminster Abbey in London.

Symbols of history blend with touches of renewal

The coronation ceremony of Charles III as King of Britain on the sixth of May at Westminster Abbey is full of history and tradition, symbolized for example by a crown from 1661 and a carriage that is more than 260 years old, but at the same time it is full of many aspects of renewal.

- Two crowns for Charles, culminating in the celebration of placing the crown of St. Edward on Charles' head, knowing that his mother Elizabeth II was the last in 1953 to place this royal piece, which is used only in the coronation ceremony.

This crown was made on the occasion of the coronation of Charles II in 1661, and replaced the medieval crown that was dissolved by parliamentarians in 1649 after the execution of Charles I.

This pure gold crown is set with semi-precious stones, including rubies, amethysts and sapphires, and in the center is a purple velvet cap decorated with a strip of stubborn fur.

Although it is not an exact copy of the medieval crown that King Edward the Identifier had

» (eleventh century), he took from him the four lily flowers and the four crosses of the bateh (with narrow arms in the middle that expand towards the edges).

The crown weighs more than two kilograms and has recently been adjusted to fit Charles' head.

When he leaves Westminster Abbey, the king will place the imperial crown placed on the coffin of Elizabeth II at her funeral.

The crown was created in 1937 to crown King George VI, father of Elizabeth II, and is also used during the opening of the parliamentary year.

Weighing just over one kilogram and measuring 31.5 centimetres in height, this crown is set with 2868,17 diamonds, 11 sapphires, 269 emeralds, <> pearls and four rubies.

This crown is distinguished by the fact that it includes the Cullinan 2 diamond, the second largest polished stone of the Cullinan diamond and the largest ever discovered.

The Transvaal Republic (South African Republic) presented this diamond to King Edward VII in 1907, as a gesture of reconciliation after the Second Boer War (1899-1902).

- Queen Mary's crown for Camilla, and Camilla, the king's wife, will place the crown of Queen Mary, grandmother of Elizabeth II, set with 2200,<> diamonds.

Buckingham Palace said it was the first time in nearly three centuries that an existing crown had been reused for a coronation ceremony rather than a new one, in an effort to highlight the importance of "sustainability".

This crown was made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Mary, wife of King George V, in 1911.

The palace noted minor changes made "to express Camilla's own style" and "in honour" of the late Elizabeth II. Several diamonds were added to the crown, most notably "Cullinan 3, 4 and 5" from the deceased's personal collection, which she often placed as pins.

In contrast, the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond, acquired by the British East India Company in 1849, was removed from the crown.

Charles and Camilla will only use on their way back from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace the gold state coach, built in 1762 and traditionally used by British monarchs at major events, including coronation ceremonies, since 1831.

Elizabeth used the carriage back and forth from Buckingham Palace during her coronation ceremony, describing the experience as "horrific" for being uncomfortable.

The weight of this carriage makes it very slow, weighing four tons, measuring 3.6 meters high and seven meters long, and requiring eight horses to run it.

Martin Oates, who looks after the Royal Stables carriages, said: "When you follow them, you can hear them creaking, and an old ship is advancing."

Charles and Camilla chose to head to the coronation for the modern and comfortable Diamond Jubilee State Coach.

Built in Australia, the carriage was first used by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 and is the latest in the royal stables.

This vehicle is equipped with shock brakes, air conditioning and power windows. Martin Oates opined that it "looks a lot like a car."

However, this cart is five meters long, weighs three tons, and is pulled by six horses.