Passionate royalists, curious tourists and foreign Heads of State are flocking to London this weekend for the coronation of King Charles III in a lavish ceremony packed with ritual.
On Saturday, the 74-year-old monarch and his 75-year-old wife Camilla, Queen Consort, will be crowned and anointed at Westminster Abbey in front of 2,300 guests and hundreds of millions of television viewers.
Whilst many Brits are far from feeling jubilant in the midst of a cost of living crisis, the royal family's most fervent fans have already made their way to the Mall, the avenue leading up to Buckingham Palace, to get a front-row seat.
Among the many hundreds of dignitaries are Emmanuel Macron, Prince Albert of Monaco and Jill Biden, wife of the US president. In the last few days, London has gradually been filling up with VIP guests. A reception is being organised for them on Friday.
The final touches were made during rehearsals for the parades and the ceremony itself. The ceremony is a ritual steeped in nearly 1,000 years of history, but which few UK citizens have seen in their lifetime. The only aspect that is required by law is the Coronation Oath, in which the monarch swears to govern the peoples of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms “according to their respective laws and customs”.
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Coronation vs cost of living crisis
Despite his supposed desire to modernise the monarchy and his avid commitment to tackling the climate crisis, Charles III remains a king who arouses considerable frustration and republican spirit. Opinion polls show that he is far less popular than his son and heir to the throne, Prince William, who is already very involved in public affairs and who on Thursday took a walk with his wife Kate in a pub in London's Soho district.
William and Kate in the Dog and Duck pub Soho this afternoon! https://t.co/J6pXiHm92U
— Saving London Pubs (@PubsSaving) May 4, 2023
However, despite William's popularity, many resolute Republicans have their minds elsewhere, especially with inflation stuck at over 10% for months. The invitation for the nation to pledge allegiance to the king in front of televisions during the ceremony has been especially criticised.
"The Royal Family have their own personal wealth and yet we the taxpayers are having to fund this parade in the middle of a financial crisis," Oli Silverwood-Cope, a midwife from South-West England, told the BBC. Activist Chantelle Lunt added that she will also not be tuning in, as for her the historic Coronation events and coverage remind her "of something that has been imposed upon my ancestors."
