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King Charles III and Queen Camilla crowned in historic ceremony: Commonwealth leaders reaffirm commitment to unity, investment in young people

HomeAYV NewsKing Charles III and Queen Camilla crowned in historic ceremony: Commonwealth leaders...

King Charles III and Queen Camilla crowned in historic ceremony: Commonwealth leaders reaffirm commitment to unity, investment in young people

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King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla have both been formally crowned in a historic ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey. The coronation ceremony, steeped in centuries of tradition but with a few small tweaks for the modern age, played out in front of about 2,000 invited guests and a global audience of millions watching on TV or livestream.

The monarch wants today to be a day of street parties and coronation “Big Lunches”, with about 3,000 road closures for parties, and members of the royal family attending some events.

At 7pm BST this evening, there will be a concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle hosted by the Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville and featuring Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

The lineup will also include the Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli and the Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel.

The event will be watched by a crowd of 20,000 members of the public and invited guests and broadcast on BBC television and radio stations.

The show will also see an exclusive appearance from The Coronation Choir, created from the nation’s keenest community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.

Monday will be a UK bank holiday, with the royals encouraging people to volunteer as part of a Big Help Out in tribute to the king’s “lifetime of public service”.

The aim is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting legacy from the coronation weekend.

More than 1,500 charities are involved in the Big Help Out and the minister for ceremonial events, including the coronation, Stuart Andrew, said it will “shine a spotlight on the power of volunteering to help our communities”.

He added: “It is a tribute to His Majesty the king’s lifetime of public service and a wonderful way to begin this new age.”

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been crowned at Westminster Abbey, marking the symbolic beginning of a new royal era in Britain, and an extraordinary moment for a man who has spent more than seven decades in waiting.

King Charles III ascended to the British throne after the passing of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

His Majesty King Charles III has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.5 billion people.

King Charles III has been crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey, on a day of ancient ceremony and military spectacle that drew on a millennium of the nation’s history.

Global leaders including President and First Lady of Sierra Leone and foreign royalty on Saturday attended the event at the Abbey — scene of royal coronations since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066 — at the start of a day of celebrations.

The coronation service was presided over by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Charles III is supreme governor of the Church of England as well as monarch of the UK and 14 Commonwealth realms.

The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla is a moment of extraordinary pride for Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Thousands packed the ceremony despite the rain, after a deeply religious Coronation service at Westminster Abbey and a huge procession through London.

Earlier, Leaders from the Commonwealth’s 56 member states met with His Majesty King Charles III at Marlborough House, the Headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat andreaffirmed their unwavering and unified commitment to the continued strengthening of the Commonwealth family.

The King described the Commonwealth as a ‘cornerstone’ of his life, expressing his unwavering support for the values, people and countries of the Commonwealth.

At their Heads of Government Meeting in 2018, Commonwealth Leaders decided that he would succeed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth, and he acceded to the role upon her death in September 2022.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland KC, said: “I can think of no stronger signal of His Majesty’s deep connection to our Family of Nations than taking time to meet with Commonwealth Leaders at Marlborough House ahead of his Coronation. Earlier this year, the King highlighted the Commonwealth’s ‘near-boundless potential as a force for good’.

The Secretary-General observed that the Commonwealth is growing in size, scale and influence, especially as the event also welcomed the leaders of Togo and Gabon, who attended their first meeting of Commonwealth Leaders.

The President of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Kagame, in his role as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, also addressed the meeting. He welcomed the leaders of the two newest Commonwealth countries and paid tribute to the new Commonwealth Head.

President Kagame also said: “We appreciate the King’s lifelong devotion to Commonwealth affairs, just as we remember the role of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in giving the modern Commonwealth its shape and spirit.”

President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bioand First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio were in London for the coronation ceremony and commonwealth meetings.

AYV International & the BBC brought you live coverage. We followed every moment of this special day in British and Commonwealth history including the procession from Buckingham Palace, the coronation in Westminster Abbey plus commentaries from AYV studios in London and Sierra Leone

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