Coronation of King Charles begins after anti-monarchy protesters arrested – live
During his sermon, the archbishop of Canterbury told Charles “we crown a king to serve”.
Here is Queen Camilla wearing her crown, which for the first time is not a newly created one for a consort. It is Queen Mary’s crown, which was first used in 1911.
The archbishop has delivered a blessing, saying:
Christ our King, make you faithful and strong to do his will, that you may reign with him in glory; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rest upon you, and all whom you serve, this day, and all your days.
There was a break with tradition with the queen being anointed in public. The dean of Westminster poured oil from the ampulla into the coronation spoon, and held the spoon for the archbishop of Canterbury.
As she was anointed the archbishop said:
Be your head anointed with holy oil. Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness; hear our prayer this day for thy servant Camilla, whom in thy name, and with all devotion, we consecrate our queen. Make her strong in faith and love, defend her on every side, and guide her in truth and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The oil used in the ceremony was “made sacred” in Jerusalem earlier in the year.
In front of 2,300 guests including more than 100 heads of state, the king also vowed to maintain the Protestant religion in the United Kingdom, and to preserve the rights of the Church of England, as set out in an act of Parliament.
Tens of thousands crammed into the Mall and along a procession route from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey, many camping overnight to secure a good view on the mile-long parade, which involved 7,000 troops and 19 military bands, the most at any state occasion since the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The king’s youngest son, Prince Harry, attended the ceremony alone, without his wife Meghan and children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is the first time the prince has been seen with the royal family since the publication of his autobiography, Spare, earlier this year, in which he was highly critical of his father, stepmother and, brother William Prince of Wales.
Queen Camilla is presented with the royal sceptre and the rod of equity and mercy, and is then enthroned.
The next music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Psalm 98, and composed specifically for today.
Queen Camilla is presented with the royal sceptre and the rod of equity and mercy, and is then enthroned.
The next music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Psalm 98, and composed specifically for today.
The archbishop has now asked people to join him in a pledge of loyalty.
I now invite those who wish to offer their support to do so, with a moment of private reflection, by joining in saying “God save King Charles” at the end, or, for those with the words before them, to recite them in full.
The response in the Abbey is for everybody to say “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”
The Guardian office didn’t appear to have any takers for that bit of joining in with the service as the public had been controversially asked to do.
Prince William pays homage to his father during coronation ceremony
The heir to the throne, William, the Prince of Wales, now kneels before his father and pays homage, saying:
I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.
The king is now enthroned. The archbishop says:
Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth this seat of royal dignity, which is yours by the authority of Almighty God. May that same God, whose throne endures for ever, establish your throne in righteousness, that it may stand fast for evermore.
The first person to pay homage to Charles is the archbishop of Canterbury. He kneels before the king and says:
I, Justin, archbishop of Canterbury, will be faithful and true, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, our sovereign Lord, defender of the faith; and unto your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.
King Charles III crowned in Westminster Abbey
King Charles III has been crowned in Westminster Abbey by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. Welby said:
King of kings and Lord of lords, bless, we beseech thee, this crown, and so sanctify thy servant Charles, upon whose head this day thou dost place it for a sign of royal majesty, that he may be crowned with thy gracious favour and filled with abundant grace and all princely virtues; through him who liveth and reigneth supreme over all things, one God, world without end. Amen.
The king has been presented with the Armills – known as the “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom”. They were presented to King Charles by Lord Kamall, representing the Muslim faith.
The Bishop of Durham put the Stole Royal over the King’s shoulders before William, Lady Merron, who served as the Board of Deputies of British Jews’ chief executive, and assisting bishops clothed the king in the Robe Royal.
The Anglican archbishop of Armagh had the job of handing the orb to Justin Welby. The ring was brought from the altar by Lord Patel. Representing the Sikh community, Lord Singh of Wimbledon had in his trust the glove.
The king is being dressed in what is termed the “colobium sindonis, supertunica, and girdle”, and sits in the coronation chair. He is then presented with the coronation spurs, with the words: “Receive these spurs, symbols of military honour and chivalry, that you may be a brave advocate for those in need.”
The jewelled sword of state, carried by Penny Mourdant, is next.
The sound went a bit quiet then and it was difficult to pick up what Justin Welby was saying, but as Charles was presented with a series of swords he is meant to have said:
Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee, and so direct and support thy servant King Charles, that he may not bear the sword in vain; but may use it as the minister of God to resist evil and defend the good, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Receive this kingly sword: may it be to you and to all who witness these things, a sign and symbol not of judgment, but of justice; not of might, but of mercy.
With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the holy Church of God and all people of goodwill, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order: that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue; and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with him in the life which is to come. Amen.
Justin Welby spoke of how “Jesus Christ was anointed not to be served, but to serve” – adding: “The weight of the task given you today, your majesties, is only bearable by the spirit of God.”
The archbishop also spoke of the king’s priorities as monarch, including “the way we nurture and encourage the young, in the conservation of the natural world”.
The archbishop of Canterbury is currently delivering his coronation sermon, praising those in the congregation and the wider commonwealth and realms who act as volunteers or give their service and “live your lives for the sake of others”.
After the archbishop of Canterbury offers a prayer, the UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is making a bible reading from the Epistle to the Colossians.
The oath was different to that taken by Charles’s mother in 1953. For the first time the preface was added which specially obliged the king that he “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely”.
Several arrests have been made in London this morning of people wishing to peacefully protest against the monarchy.
King Charles has knelt before the altar and offered a prayer, saying:
God of compassion and mercy, whose son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom, and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
King Charles takes the oath
Charles says:
I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.
A choir is now singing.
Charles specifically promises to uphold “the Protestant reformed religion established by law” and “preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England”.
The king has now indicated he is willing to take the oath, and places his hand upon the bible, and the archbishop of Canterbury is reading him the oath.
The former lord advocate of Scotland Lady Elish Angiolini, former soldier Christopher Finney and Lady Amos, a Labour politician, have taken part in the recognition.
A bible is now being presented to King Charles by Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland. He tells the King:
To keep you ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes, receive this book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is wisdom; this is the royal law; these are the lively oracles of God.
Despite speculation that Charles’ slimmed down coronation would be more secular in nature, it remains an essentially Christian church service.
