2023-05-06 07:06:00
The day of consecration has arrived for Charles III: the United Kingdom is preparing to attend the coronation of its new king and Queen Camilla on Saturday, during a very solemn religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
The rain is likely to come, but it takes more to discourage the thousands of admirers of the royal family who have been waiting, sometimes for several days, near the Mall, the famous avenue which leads to Buckingham Palace, to see the couple pass by. royal.
The crowd gathered behind the barriers is decked out in the colors of the Union Jack, the British flag, printed on t-shirts, hats, flags and pennants.
Phyllis Taylor, 60, in an elegant floral dress, and her husband Steven, 61, in a black suit and bow tie, traveled from Glasgow to Scotland for “this very special occasion”.
“We are very enthusiastic, very proud to be British,” she enthuses. “It’s a great day for the country, I can’t wait,” abounds Caba Mendes, 21-year-old Londoner, perched with a selfie in hand.
The 2,300 guests – around a hundred heads of state, representatives of foreign royal families, the Commonwealth, but also deserving members of civil society – began to take their places at the abbey, while at Buckingham Palace the balcony from where the royal couple will wave to the crowds following the ceremony and watch an aerial parade, were dressed in a red velvet drapery.
Unique in Europe
The Anglican religious ceremony, with the millennial rite, must begin at 11:00 a.m. local time (10:00 a.m. GMT) and last two hours. Charles III, 74 years old, will be acclaimed there, will take the oath on the Bible, will receive the anointing and will be crowned, dressed in heavy ancestral coats of silk and gold.
Camilla, 75, his second wife, will also be blessed and crowned.
Charles III became king when his mother Elizabeth II died in September following 70 years of reign.
Its sacredness, unique in Europe, is its religious confirmation.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, of the Hindu faith, read a Bible verse there. His seven living predecessors will be there.
To take into account the diversity of a country where less than half of the population now calls itself Christian, representatives of the main religions will take part in one of the processions.
The royal couple will leave the abbey in a spectacular military procession, aboard the particularly uncomfortable golden carriage used for all coronations since 1831.
harry alone
Coming alone from California, the king’s youngest son, Harry, very critical of the monarchy, will have no active role, any more than Prince Andrew, the king’s brother, sidelined since a sex scandal.
The coronation will cost tens of millions of euros, largely paid for by the taxpayer.
As Britons have been trying for double-digit inflation for months, the palace has been keen to weigh the spending once morest the ‘huge economic boost’ of a historic event generating ‘huge global interest’ .
Some Brits aren’t so sure. 72% of them, according to a YouGov poll on Friday, do not intend to take part in the festivities of this long weekend extended on a bank holiday Monday.
After the coronation, neighborhood meals and a concert in Windsor are scheduled for Sunday. Monday is a holiday.
Elizabeth II, who died at 96, was extremely popular. His coronation in 1953, at the age of 27, had caused immense jubilation.
national pride
Charles III, an aging king, is much less so, less appreciated in particular than William and Kate, often present at his side.
They were still there on Friday followingnoon during a quick walkregarding that the sovereign agreed to in front of Buckingham.
The majority of Britons remain pro-monarchy, but that support is waning among young people.
The anti-monarchists, non-existent under Elizabeth II, were to manifest themselves on the course, in particular in Trafalgar square.
Hours before the coronation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explained in an ordinary statement “a moment of extra national pride”, and the “consistency, dedication and service to others” of the monarchy.
“It’s a proud expression of our history, our culture and our traditions,” he said.
The coronation has however revived the debate on the future of the monarchy, in particular in the 14 other kingdoms of which Charles III is head of state. Belize and Jamaica have already made it known that they hope to quickly become republics, as Barbados did in 2021.
Note that King Mohammed VI is represented at this ceremony by Princess Lalla Meryem. Arriving in London on Thursday, the princess took part on Friday in a reception given by Charles III in honor of the guests at his coronation.
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