UPDATE: Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla watch the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation ceremony, in London, Saturday, May 6, 2023.

 

Britain’s King Charles was crowned Saturday in Westminster Abbey, like so many of the country’s monarchs before him. The last coronation was 70 years ago when Charles’ mother, Elizabeth, was crowned. 

The lavish affair was awash in robed clergy, prayers, majestic music and the high-pitched singing voices of young boys and girls. 

The coronation is a weekend-long affair with many activities planned. While it is reported to be a scaled back version of what was originally planned, it is still believed to carry a multi-million-dollar price tag for the British taxpayers. 

Charles is the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation. His prayer said in part: “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.” 

Millions of people around the world were able to witness the coronation on television and the internet.