King Charles III Crowned In Ceremony At Westminster Abbey

King Charles III was anointed and crowned on Saturday at Westminster Abbey.

Charles, who is also the supreme governor of the Church of England, became king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022. The coronation culminated the king's seven-decade journey from heir to monarch. 

Upon his coronation, Charles became the oldest British monarch to have the 360-year-old St. Edward's Crown placed on his head, according to Reuters. The king also reportedly became the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation. During his prayer, he asked to "be a blessing" to people "of every faith and conviction," Reuters noted. 

During the two-hour ceremony, Charles' second wife Camilla was also crowned queen. 

"No other country could put on such a dazzling display — the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said of the coronation in a statement.

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Heir-to-the-throne Prince William, his wife Kate and their three children were all in attendance. William's younger brother Prince Harry, however, attended without his wife Meghan and children. 

"It's just to be surrounded by love and to see our King Charles. He's our mainstay," Jill Coughlin, a spectator, told Reuters. "We loved our queen, and this is just further generations. So it's wonderful for us, absolutely wonderful."

Dignitaries from across the globe were also in attendance. Among them were U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. U.S. President Joe Biden did not attend the coronation. 

In the days leading up to the coronation, former president Donald Trump, who was not invited to the crowning ceremony or Queen Elizabeth's funeral, shared his thoughts on Biden's absence at the event.

"Crooked Joe Biden will not attend the King Charles' Coronation. The United Kingdom is not happy. Biden wants to sleep!" Trump wrote in all caps on his Truth Social account while referring to the current president by a new nickname.

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Photo: ukhouseoflords on flickr