Today will be the first coronation in Britain for 70 years, with Charles III crowned king in a big ceremony.
The coronation, the first by a British king since 1937, is a religious acknowledgment of his accession to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September.
The Anglican service at Westminster Abbey in London will also crown Charles’ second wife Camilla as Queen.
The origin of the crown goes back 1,000 years. Tomorrow’s ceremony will bring new features with the participation of female bishops and minority religious leaders, as well as a guest list that is more diverse and representative of British society than previous Lords and Ladies, reports RTE.
Also new is the environmental theme at the ceremony, including vegan anointing oil and recycled ceremonial robes, reflecting Charles’ lifelong commitment to sustainability and biodiversity.
The organizer of the coronation, Earl Marshal, Duke of Norfolk Edward Fitzalan-Howard, called the event “a proud moment” in British history.
“During the coronation, the king will swear before God and the nation to serve our country as head of state, upholding our laws and maintaining justice for all,” he told reporters this week, reports RTE.
However, the lavish display of jewels, crowns and gilded carriages makes many Britons uncomfortable, struggling with rising living costs and widespread strikes for better pay.
“We are not living the same life. At this time people are struggling. I cook only two days a week, I eat only sandwiches. Some people are not eating at all. It is very hard,” Eden Eawit, 38, told the media in north London, reports RTE.
A large part of the final taxpayer-funded bill, widely estimated to be over £100m, is likely to come from the massive security operation.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “A national occasion like this, a great state occasion, does attract huge global interest that more than repays the expenditure that goes with it,” reports RTE.
Trade body UKHospitality said the Coronation weekend, including bank holiday Monday, could raise £350million for the sector including pubs.
All the stops were pulled out for the biggest display of British movement and pageantry in years, surpassing the Queen’s State Funeral last September.
A total of around 7,000 military personnel, from mounted troops to marching bands, will take part in a carefully staged parade.
Charles and Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and, after the two-hour service at the Abbey, return the same way in the older Golden State Coach, reports RTE.
At the palace, they will be welcomed by members of the armed forces and then watch a ceremonial flight from the balcony with other members of the royal family.
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