• United Kingdom Six of Charles III's 14 'kingdoms' prefer a republic
  • Wide Angle The iron health of an institution in 'danger of extinction', the Monarchy

Charles III promised in his day a "reduced" and sober Coronation, according to the times of crisis that run and as a reflection of the modernization of the monarchy. The celebration of May 6 will however be the largest display of uniforms since Churchill's funeral in 1965, twice as spectacular as the one that accompanied Elizabeth II in her farewell and with the largest police operation in the history of the United Kingdom.

"Let the pomp and pageantry begin!" proclaimed The Daily Mail, anticipating the usual ostentation of the British monarchy. Although there is no official budget for the Coronation, the estimated cost is between 50 and 100 million pounds (56 and 114 million euros), more than double what the Elizabeth II ceremony cost in 1953 with inflation adjustment.

A total of 11,500 police officers will ensure the security of an event in which more than 7,000 soldiers will parade in their best clothes, including representatives of more than 30 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, who will wrap Charles and Camilla between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

The king and queen (who will cease to be "consort" at the time of the coronation) will travel in two dream floats: one for the outward and one for the return. The first, more modern, will be the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, built in 2012. The second, gold-plated and more stunning, will be the Golden State Coach used at every coronation since 1831.

Charles also announced the intention to reduce the ceremony at Westminster Abbey to a single hour (it will be two at the end) and to renounce some of the centuries-old traditions. But in the end, the only appreciable "reduction" with respect to the Coronation of Elizabeth II will be the number of guests in the abbey (2,200 instead of 8,000) and the shortest route of the carriage ride, barely a kilometer and a half.

For the rest, anyone would say that the slogan has been to overcome even the display of pomp and circumstance of the funeral of Elizabeth II (starting with the six thousand new uniforms made by Kashket & Partners and the change of the initials of the Queen, EIIR, by those of the King, CIIIR, in the thousand already existing).

The master of ceremonies will be the same who conducted the funeral: Edward Fitzalan Howard, Duke of Norfolk, whose family has inherited the functions since 1672. The duke has anticipated that the ceremony will be "a proud moment in the history of our country" and "a glorious display of splendor".

"Elizabeth II, who reigned for 70 years and dedicated her life to the service of the people, won the admiration and respect of the world," said Edward Fitzalan Howard. "Now we have continuity with a new king who will follow in his footsteps in his own way, with his wife and with the loyal service of his family. It's a system that has evolved over time and has helped us secure the freedom we enjoy today."

The RAF military base in Odiham was the stage where the parade was rehearsed, which on Tuesday moved to the gates of Buckingham and the "mall" of London. The arrest of a man (not yet identified by the police) who threw shotgun shells at the palace did not interrupt the plans that went ahead as they were.

Scotland Yard has launched the so-called Operation Golden Orb, with a deployment of 11,500 police, even greater than the one that guaranteed the safety of dozens of heads of state during the funeral of Elizabeth II in September 2022.

For the first time, London police will use "facial recognition" technology to identify suspects in the crowd, which has put civil liberties groups on guard. Reconnaissance cameras will be installed atop police vans at major intersections.

Police authorities have also warned that they will apply with maximum rigor the new and controversial Public Order Law, which provides for sentences of 12 months in prison for obstructing the road or six months for chaining or sticking to an object. A special device will be launched as the royal entourage passes through Trafalgar Square, where the followers of the Republic group will concentrate, with their banners of "Not my king".

An "exclusion zone" will be created throughout the weekend in London's airspace. The RAF's "red arrows" will be the only ones authorised to infringe it when Charles and Camilla appear on the Buckingham balcony at around 2.15pm on Saturday. Although the aerobatic flight can be suspended at the last minute due to the eternal inconvenience in the British Isles: bad weather. The temperature will be around 18 degrees, but rain can water down the final stretch of the celebrations.

Despite the media hype and the encampment of dozens of "real fans" in the mall, the British arrive with a feeling of fatigue to the Coronation, eleven months after the Platinum Jubilee that showered the streets of the British capital with illusion. 70% of the British recognize that they will not join this time to the "street parties" and 40% say they do not plan to see the ceremony on television.

Half of Londoners consider excessive spending of up to 100 million pounds for the Coronation charged to the public purse and many of them (asked by the free newspaper Metro) would give another destination to that money: relieve the queues of public health, combat energy poverty, fill food banks ...

  • United Kingdom
  • Articles Carlos Fresneda

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Learn more