UK prepares for ‘Historic’ Coronation of King Charles III

LONDON: Britain’s King Charles III is set to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, in a royal ceremony that will begin at 10:00 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), on Saturday.

According to Al Jazeera reports, locals are excited at the prospect of the coronation after the demise of their long-term monarch, Queen Elizabeth II last year. There are reports, locals will engage in street parties to celebrate the “Big Coronation Lunch” across the UK.

BFAME delegation visits Lahore Fort, historical sites

We received more love than expected in Pakistan, says Indian bridge team captain

The celebrations will include a Coronation Concert featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That, Andrea Bocelli, and others at 19:00 GMT (roughly 12:00 am Pakistan Standard Time) at Windsor Castle, west of London with a hosting capacity of nearly 10,000 people. Meanwhile, 8th May has been declared a public holiday with the royal family urging Britons to engage in “voluntary work” for their communities.

In what is considered one of the “Biggest movement of military personnel”, over 5,000 members of the British military have started arriving at London Waterloo via train to participate in the coronation ceremony. According to the Network Rail, this is the biggest movement on Britain’s railways since the passing of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. The military is expected to King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles as part of their coronation procession.

On the other hand, thousands of people have been camping in the vicinity of The Mall, a road connecting Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, in a “festive atmosphere” braving light rain. According to local media, many brought their tents to sleep in and were seen playing board games, posting updates on social media, and reading books to keep themselves occupied. Individuals have reportedly been swarming the week by up to a week, so they could secure a “prime spot” alongside the coronation route.

UK prepares for 'Historic' Coronation of King Charles III | Baaghi TV

King Charles III alongside his wife, Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles.

WHO Downgrades COVID-19 Pandemic, Says It’s No Longer Emergency

Flight Suffers Technical Glitch, Makes Emergency Landing

UK prepares for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles.

Speaking with media, Helen Fox, 57, who has traveled from Staffordshire for the festivities said it is about “patriotism and friendship”. Fox an avid follower of the Royal family, has reportedly been camped out near Buckingham Palace overnight. Talking about the King’s mother, former monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, Fox said: “This king won’t be the same… no one can ever replace the queen”. She elaborated: “The queen’s funeral was much bigger. It was very personal to me because my mum had just died, and she adored the queen”.

According to Al Jazeera, the coronation is being paid for by the public, however, there is no official estimate of the cost at the moment. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said some estimates were “more fanciful” than others but the exact figure would be shared later. It is believed, the coronation could cost up to £100 million or more.

British-Asian Sentiment & Representation:

According to international media, for the first time in its history, the ceremony would include Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and other leaders at Westminster Abbey. Despite the progressive step, many have raised concerns about the monarchy’s “colonial past”. One such sentiment of distaste was expressed by Aamir Darr, 62, of Pakistani origin who said he will “Absolutely not” be following the coronation proceedings, adding that if the King wished to indulge in the affairs, “then it should come out of his own pocket”.

Global food prices rose in April for first time in a year

PM interacts with King Charles III, British PM

Likewise, in a YouGov poll last month, roughly thirty-three percent of the participants expressed interest in the coronation. In another survey last week, YouGov showed that approximately forty-eight percent of Britons were inclined toward watching the coronation on television while forty-six percent were opposed to it. A 32-year-old filmmaker, Justin Hackney said, “I’m actually unplugging completely on Saturday and I’m just going to go and be in nature for the day, with my phone off. So I won’t be celebrating”.

“Troubled” Colonial Past:

Others have also expressed distaste at the inevitable pomp and show of the coronation. British citizen, Philip Nash, 68, informed the media, “Have you known any of them to do a day’s work? They are like vampires, sucking my blood”. Likewise, a former colony, the Caribbeans are actively pursuing to denounce King Charles III as their monarch over a “troubled” often bloody, colonial past. According to Time Magazine, in 2021, Barbados became the first country to transition to a republic following Mauritius which did so in 1992. Six other countries in the region have also expressed the desire to make the shift.

Pictured above are the Prince and Princess of Wales, formerly the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

What to Expect from the Coronation?

According to media reports, the King’s coronation is set to be distinctively different from those in the past because of the “multi-faith representation” as well as the participation of refugee and LGBTQ+ singers.

NA Speaker strongly condemns journalist’s murder

Pakistan, China reaffirm their resolve to work together

Pictured above is the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton.

Moreover, the British royal’s coronation clothes will feature a coronation girdle or coronation sword belt from 1937, placed over the Supertunica and an imperial mantle, or Robe Royal.

It is pertinent to note that the date of the coronation was announced by Buckingham Palace in October, last year. Per a press release shared on the website of the royal family, it said: “The Coronation Ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort.”

The announcement further read: “The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”

Shehbaz Sharif, Patricia Scotland discuss Commonwealth affairs