New Delhi: Seventy years after Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953, the royal coronation of her son, King Charles III, is all set to take place at Westminster Abbey in London Saturday.
More than 2,200 people from 203 countries are expected to attend the ceremony, where the King (74) will finally assume his duties after years of training, and will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.
On behalf of the Indian government, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, who is on a two-day visit to London from 5 to 6 May, will be attending the coronation.
The festivities will persist throughout the weekend, all the way to Monday, which is a public holiday in Britain.
A headline in The Times in London Saturday is calling this a historic day, ‘The King’s day of destiny’. The King’s crown, which weighs over 2 kg, dates back to 1661, and has been worn by six other monarchs.
The 105-carat Kohinoor diamond, which was the centrepiece of a crown made for Queen Elizabeth, consort of King George VI, will not be worn by Queen Camilla at the ceremony.
The diamond has attracted much controversy as a symbol of Britain’s colonial conquests since it originally belonged to India. Currently, it is part of the crown jewels of the United Kingdom.
British tabloid Daily Mirror shared a large image of the crown the King will wear for his coronation, saying that he will not just bear its weight, but that “of history”.
The Indian-origin British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty will also be present at the ceremony, as the head of a procession of flag-bearers as the UK flag is carried into the Abbey by a high-ranking Royal Air Force cadet.
“In the Abbey where monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years, representatives of every faith will play a central role for the first time,” said Sunak in a statement on the eve of the historic event.
The procession will start from Buckingham Palace at 10:20 BST (05:20 EDT) moving along The Mall to Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall and Parliament Street before turning into Parliament Square and Broad Sanctuary to then finally arrive at Westminster Abbey.
Stands for about 4,000 invited guests, including NHS (National Health Service) and social-care staff and armed forces veterans, have been set up outside Buckingham Palace.
While Prince Harry, the King’s younger son and Duke of Sussex, will be present at the ceremony, his wife Meghan Markle and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will stay back in California, Buckingham Palace announced.
The Sussexes have had a tumultuous relationship with the crown, which was documented in the Netflix documentary ‘Harry and Meghan’ where the couple shares why they moved to the US, and how they might never return to live with the family as working royals.
Star-studded event
Alongside global stars such as Katy Perry or Lionel Richie, Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor will also attend the ceremony, not just as a guest but also as a performer.
She will deliver a short speech before introducing the Commonwealth virtual choir, which includes choirs, solo artists and duos from the 56 Commonwealth countries.
During the coronation ceremony, Charles will also be presented with the Sovereign’s Orb, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, and the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove and other items of regalia. Camilla will be presented with the Queen Consort’s Rod with Dove and the Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross, during the ceremony, which will last about two hours.
A 90-year-old British Sikh man is part of a procession of peers who walk up to the altar, handing over a key item of the regalia to the new King.
“It’s a great honour for myself, but much more for the wider Sikh community, in this country, in India and further afield wherever Sikhs are across the globe. It’s a recognition of the King’s view of inclusivity,” said Lord Indarjit Singh, during one of the interviews ahead of the ceremony.
In addition to Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, who will represent the Hindu faith and offer the Sovereign’s Ring, Lord Indarjit Singh will also be accompanied by Lord Syed Kamall, 56, of Indo-Guyanese descent, who will represent the Muslim faith by presenting the Armills, or a pair of bracelets.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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