The royal ceremony on Saturday, the first in 70 years, will aim to show the solidity of Britain, even as many in the country have met the coronation with indifference.
LONDON. Britain is making its final preparations for a ceremony and celebration that have been decades in the planning and replanning: the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.
A ritual both ancient and made-for-television, the coronation service and its surrounding events will summon the world’s gaze on behalf of a royal family that has undergone a sometimes uneasy transition from imperial power to global celebrity.
In narrow political terms, not much is changing: Charles became Britain’s head of state immediately after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last year. But all the feathers and finery add up to a crucial test of the new king’s capacity to sustain the mystique that Elizabeth dedicated over 70 years to maintaining — and a chance to advertise the solidity of a country that in recent years has looked less than predictable.
Britain’s hospitality industry is also counting on an enormous party. The holiday weekend, with street celebrations and a gala concert, will last three days. Some of the hangovers may last longer.
Those following along in the United States, which is at least five time zones behind London, will have to wake up early. Saturday’s live stream will begin at 5 a.m. Eastern time, with the procession starting at 5:20 a.m. The coronation service in Westminster Abbey in London will begin at 6 a.m., and the second procession around 8 a.m. The events will wrap up with a six-minute flyover at 9:30 a.m.
New York Times journalists in Britain and beyond are covering the coronation and its ramifications. Stop back throughout the day for more coverage of the event, its meaning for Britons and the world, and how to follow the weekend’s developments.
Here are some highlights:
- The festivities will continue through the weekend and into Monday, which is a public holiday in Britain. Here is a schedule of events and a look at the guest list.
- After years of family tensions, Prince Harry will attend his father’s coronation — alone. Harry’s wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is staying at home in California with the couple’s children, Prince Archie, who turns 4 on Saturday, and Princess Lilibet, 1.
- While Charles is obviously the focus on Saturday, the ceremony will also be a triumph of image transformation for Camilla, his wife, who was vilified for years in the British news media but is now poised to be crowned queen.
The Coronation Chair, which has been used for hundreds of years, underwent a restoration before Saturday’s ceremony. (NYT)
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
