The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, took place on Saturday, 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II.
The ceremony was structured around an Anglican service of Holy Communion. It included Charles taking an oath, being anointed with holy oil, and receiving the coronation regalia, emphasising his spiritual role and secular responsibilities.[a]Representatives of the Church of England and the British royal familydeclared their allegiance to him, and people throughout the Commonwealth realms were invited to do so.
After the service, members of the royal family travelled to Buckingham Palace in a state procession and appeared on the palace’s rear and front balconies. The service was altered from past British coronations to represent the multiple faiths, cultures, and communities of the United Kingdom, and was shorter than Elizabeth II’s coronation. It had a peak UK television audience of 20.4 million, making it the most watched television broadcast of 2023, and attracted a global audience of 2 billion people across 125 countries.
As a state event, the event was paid for by the British government as well as Buckingham Palace through the Sovereign Grant and Privy Purse. Costs incurred by the Sovereign Grant for the Coronation came to £800,000 although that didn’t include security and military costs which were paid by the government. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport stated that it was “unable to give costs, or a breakdown of funding” until after the coronation, but unofficial estimates of £50 million to £250 million have been reported.
The service, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, began with the King and Queen having a silent moment of prayer before seating themselves on their chairs of estate, made for the 1953 coronation. In a new element of the service, the King was welcomed by one of the Children of the Chapel, to which he replied that he came “not to be served but to serve“.
The Coronation Chair, which housed the Stone of Scone, was used by Charles during the ceremony. For this coronation, the chair was fitted with a new seat cushion and armrests. [We have visited Westminster Abbey and saw the chair]
After the service at Westminster Abbey the King and Queen processed back to Buckingham Palace in a golden coach.
The United States chose to not have a monarch. So, we have no king and would like to keep it that way. And, it is interesting to learn and know about our ancestors in another place.
But, Bravo and ‘Hear, Hear to King Charles for his moral leadership during his recent visit to Washington DC.
deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.) 
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