This day follows customs that date back to the tenth century – yet many things were different at Charles’s coronation. All important information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
The coronation of Charles III. was special. The new British king invited around 2,000 guests to Westminster Abbey – at least 6,000 fewer than his mother Elizabeth II in 1953. The two-hour service for Charles started inside the church at 12 noon German time.
At 1 p.m. the Edwardian crown was placed on his head. Then his wife Camilla was also crowned: she was the first king’s wife in almost 300 years not to have her own crown made. Instead, she received the crown from Queen Mary, the king’s great-grandmother. You can find all information and background information here in our blog.
After four and a half hours, the royal couple is (almost) finished
3.45 p.m.: That’s the end of it. That was it with the big royal event in London. For Charles III and Queen Camilla were around four and a half hours in a row: It began at 11:20 a.m. with the start of the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, where the royal couple attended the two-hour service in front of 2,000 invited guests, were crowned one after the other and then went back to the Palace. The celebrations came to an end there: the royal family presented themselves to the people from the palace balcony.
Charles and Camilla grant an encore
3:37 p.m.: After only ten minutes on the balcony, the royal family leaves the prestigious location. Apparently a disappointment for the crowds outside the palace who had to wait hours in the rain. The new king shows mercy – and comes back with his wife, waves again and holds it out in the fresh air for just two more minutes before being drawn back inside. A short encore.
The king belatedly appears to the people
3:25 p.m.: Actually, the king and queen should present themselves to the people at exactly 3:15 p.m. But Charles and Camilla are late: ten minutes after plan, at 3:25 p.m., applause erupts – the royal couple and the family step onto the balcony.
A short time later the first helicopters appear in the sky. They fly over Buckingham Palace, the sky is overcast. Charles, Camilla, William and Co. still laugh and appear happy – despite the rainy weather.
Decision made before big balcony moment
3:15 p.m.: Shortly before the planned balcony staging, there is now confirmation for the air show. It can take place despite the bad weather, but in all likelihood it will be seen in a somewhat streamlined version. Instead of the more than 600 planes flying over Buckingham Palace from downtown, there will be a reduced aerobatic squadron.
The plans will be changed at short notice due to the rainy weather, as the British Ministry of Defense announced shortly before the scheduled start of the flight on Saturday afternoon. The squadron will therefore only consist of the “Red Arrows” and helicopters. But one thing is certain: the royal family will appear on the palace balcony as planned – and thus present themselves to the British people after the coronation at the end of the celebrations.
