King Charles III's coronation marks a new beginning for the British monarchy
King Charles III was born in Buckingham Palace in 1948.
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The backstory: King Charles III was born in Buckingham Palace in 1948, and when he was just four years old, he watched his mom be crowned Queen Elizabeth II. In 1969, when he was 20, Queen Elizabeth II made him the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. Then, in 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer, and they had two boys, Prince William and Prince Harry.
But sadly, their marriage didn't work out, and they divorced in 1996. The divorce was all over the tabloids, with reports that Charles had cheated and was involved with another woman, Camilla Parker Bowles. A year later, Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris, which was a huge shock to the world. In 2005, Charles married Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor's Guildhall, making her the Duchess of Cornwall.
More recently: Last September, the world witnessed a historical moment when Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at her Scottish estate, Balmoral. She was 96 years old and the longest-serving monarch, ruling for an impressive 70 years and 214 days. Her eldest son, Charles, was the heir to the throne, so he became King Charles III at 73 years old following her death. It's a pretty big deal, not just for the Brits but for the whole world, since the royal family has a huge influence on British culture and history.
The development: Over the weekend, the coronation of King Charles III was the most talked-about event, and it's not hard to see why. This tradition has been around for a thousand years. The ceremony was at Westminster Abbey, and the Archbishop of Canterbury placed a 360-year-old St. Edward's crown on King Charles III's head while he sat on a 14th-century throne. He also swore oaths to uphold the Church of England and govern Britain justly according to Parliament's laws.
His wife was also crowned as Queen Consort during the two-hour service. Then, there was a massive military procession with gun salutes and military aircraft flypasts. Finally, the king and queen graced the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The weekend is followed by thousands of events across the country, including a Coronation Concert headed off by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Take That.
Key comments:
"I come not to be served but to serve," said King Charles III at the coronation on Saturday.
"No other country could put on such a dazzling display - the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties," said Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister.
“God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the king live forever,” said the congregation at the abbey after a trumpet fanfare.
“For the first time, approximately 100 Heads of State from around the world will attend, together with representatives from the Realms and the Commonwealth and our government, the Lords and the Commons, local heroes and British Empire medalists and many other individuals who have contributed so much to Britain and the wider world today,” said Coronation organizer Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk before the coronation of King Charles III.
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