King Charles III was officially crowned on Saturday in the first ceremony of its kind in over seven decades.

Luxurious coach procession for King Charles’ coronation

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Charles succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth when she died last September after 70 years of reign. At 74, he is the oldest British monarch to have the 360-year-old St Edward’s Crown placed on his head.

Watched by about 100 heads of state and dignitaries, including U.S. first lady Jill Biden, Polish President Andrzej Duda and millions on television, the King follows his predecessors from the time of William the Conqueror in 1066 in being crowned at the abbey.

A ‘historical moment’

Young and old, from Britain and across the globe, tens of thousands of people amassed in central London drawn by the allure of what they said was the chance to witness a historical moment and a sumptuous display of pageantry dating back 1,000 years.

Cheers for King Charles and Queen Camilla as they process along the Mall on their way to the #Coronation pic.twitter.com/ukgVLN4OTK

— Coronation News & Updates (@Coronation2023) May 6, 2023
Support for the monarchy stable
The coronation took place amid a cost of living crisis and public skepticism, particularly among the young, about the role and relevance of the monarchy and its finances.

Charles, who had the longest wait for the throne of any British monarch, is not as popular as his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and his coronation was from the beginning unlikely to draw the millions who thronged the streets to watch her crowning back in 1953.

However, polls show the public generally approves of Charles as king and a majority still support the monarchy, even if younger people are far less interested.

For a nation struggling to find its way in the political maelstrom after its exit from the European Union and maintain its standing in a new world order, its supporters say the royal family still provides an international draw, a vital diplomatic tool and a means of staying on the world stage.

We will not be silenced pic.twitter.com/vGcbQi7b2G

— Labour for a Republic 🌹🗳️ (@Labour4Republic) May 6, 2023
Hours before the ceremony, police arrested the leader of the anti-monarchy group Republic and a number of other protesters who had gathered among wellwishers.