Thousands witnessed King Charles III being crowned as monarch in a historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

In a once-in-a-generation ceremony witnessed by distinguished guests and well-wishers, King Charles III was officially crowned as the monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries at Westminster Abbey.

The historic event was marked by a traditional religious ceremony that lasted just over two hours, with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placing the St. Edward’s Crown, which is 360 years old, on Charles' head and declaring, “God Save the King.”

As the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the King was anointed with holy oil and presented with the coronation regalia, including the royal Robe and Stole. In a modern twist, the archbishop acknowledged the diversity of faiths observed in the UK and prayed aloud, asking to “be a blessing” to people “of every faith and conviction.”

For the first time in coronation history, the archbishop invited the British public and those from “other Realms” to recite a pledge of allegiance to the newly crowned monarch and his “heirs and successors.”

The Church of England revised the text of the liturgy, giving the public the option to say simply “God save King Charles” or recite the full pledge of allegiance.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak read from the Bible during the ceremony, and five new compositions were commissioned for the service, including an anthem by Lloyd Webber. The King’s wife, Queen Camilla, was crowned in her own shorter ceremony with Queen Mary’s Crown.

The procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace featured 4,000 members of the armed forces, 250 horses, and 19 military bands. The celebrations concluded with a royal salute and the customary balcony appearance by the King and family members, followed by a flypast of military aircraft.

The guest list included top British officials, faith leaders, international representatives, and approximately 100 heads of state from around the world.

Celebrities such as Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Nick Cave, Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Joanna Lumley, Judi Dench, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Stephen Fry were also in attendance.

Notably absent were Prince Andrew and Prince Harry's wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two young children. Prince Andrew was absent due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent sexual abuse civil lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre.

In January 2022, he was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages after the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. Prince Harry, who attended without his wife and children, did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with the family, as he is no longer a working royal and did not receive an invitation for that moment.

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