King Charles’ Coronation, In Photos

Kate Middleton, Prince William and Prince Harry were just some of the 2,200 attendees at the Westminster Abbey ceremony.
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King Charles’ coronation day is finally here, eight months after the sovereign ascended to the throne in September upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The monumental day ― one that the monarch has waited for all his life ― kicked off in London with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, where coronations have taken place since 1066.

The ceremony consisted of six parts: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning), the enthronement and the homage.

Following the ceremony, the British royal family made their way back to the palace’s balcony for an afternoon flypast of military aircraft.

King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown, leaves Westminster Abbey in London following his coronation ceremony.
King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown, leaves Westminster Abbey in London following his coronation ceremony.
Jacob King - PA Images via Getty Images

Members of the British royal family, heads of state and even foreign royals (a major coronation first) made up some of the 2,200 guests invited to witness the king’s crowning. While that might seem like a lot of people, it’s nowhere near the 8,251 people who attended Elizabeth’s coronation on June 2, 1953.

Thousands of people turned out in the rain for a glimpse of the king in person, while millions more from around the globe tuned in to watch the ancient ceremony and the following celebrations.

Not everyone is interested in the pomp and circumstance surrounding the coronation, as the day included protests, most notably from the anti-monarchy group Republic. The group, headed by Graham Smith, invited members of the public to wear yellow and meet at Trafalgar Square from 8am to 1pm. Early on Saturday morning, Smith and other members of Republic were arrested before the ceremony even kicked off.

“Republic’s protest will be the first time a major royal event has been met by a significant anti-monarchy protest,” Smith said in an email sent earlier this week. “We aim to use the opportunity to kick-start a major debate on the future of Britain’s democracy.”

See more photos from the big day below:

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The Princess of Wales speaks with guests Friday during a reception for overseas guests attending the coronation of King Charles III.
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People wearing cardboard masks of King Charles III and Queen Camilla are seen on Friday as preparations continue for the coronation.
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Another royal superfan wrapped in a Union Jack enjoys a drink at her camp on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.
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A royal fan adjusts her fake crown as she waits on The Mall in London ahead of Charles' coronation on Saturday.
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Royal superfans wearing Union Jack outfits stand in their camp on The Mall near Buckingham Palace on the eve of the coronation.
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Charles speaks to guests Friday during a reception at Buckingham Palace for overseas guests attending his coronation.
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The Princess of Wales (center) speaks with Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark during a reception for overseas guests.
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Prince William speaks to Queen Suthida and King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand during a reception at Buckingham Palace.
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The Princess of Wales speaks with the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden during a reception at Buckingham Palace.
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Queen Rania and Abdullah II of Jordan at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
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Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the coronation reception for overseas guests at Buckingham Palace.
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Protestors and well-wishers line the route of the "King's Procession," a stretch from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, as they wait Charles and Camilla to pass in the Diamond State Coach, in central London, on Saturday ahead of their coronations.
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Charles and Camilla travel from St James's Palace to Buckingham Palace in London ahead of their coronation ceremony.
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Charles and Camilla arrive by car at Buckingham Palace.
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Katy Perry and Edward Enninful arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronation.
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First lady of the United States Jill Biden arrives ahead of the coronation ceremony.
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Baroness Floella Benjamin (right) arrives at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronation.
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Lionel Richie speaks with Sadiq Khan in Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronation.
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Supporters of the Republic pressure group protest against the coronation on the edge of Trafalgar Square at the top of Whitehall on Saturday.
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More supporters of Republic.
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Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau attend the coronation.
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Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle arrives at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronations.
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Charles and Camilla travel in the Diamond Jubilee Coach built in 2012 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace ahead of the coronation.
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King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan attend the coronation.
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Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses in a selfie prior to the coronation.
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Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania attend the coronation.
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Charles and Camilla are carried in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.
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King Letsie III of Lesotho and Masenate Mohato Seeiso, Queen of Lesotho, enter Westminster Abbey.
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The Prince of Monaco and Charlene, Princess of Monaco, attend the coronation.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrives at Westminster Abbey.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive.
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Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, arrives at Westminster Abbey.
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Princess Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Prince Harry arrive ahead of the coronation.
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Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Zara and Mike Tindall arrive ahead of the coronation.
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Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, arrive with Lady Louise Windsor (right) and the Earl of Wessex (left) at the coronation.
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Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte hold hands as they arrive at Westminster Abbey.
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Prince George (center) stands at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronations of Charles and Camilla.
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George (center) and Charles outside Westminster Abbey. George was one of his grandfather's four Pages of Honour at the ceremony.
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Charles takes part in his and Camilla's coronation ceremony.
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Charles bows his dead during the ceremony.
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Louis pointing at something interesting in Westminster Abbey.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby places the St Edward's Crown onto the head of King Charles III.
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King Charles III is crowned with St Edward's Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
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A closer look at the monumental moment.
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A young member of the public is "crowned."
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A look inside Westminster Abbey during the coronation.
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Charles holds the Sovereign's Orb during his coronation ceremony.
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Princess Charlotte and the Princess of Wales share a sweet moment during the coronation.
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Prince William touches the St Edward's Crown during his homage to his father, King Charles.
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The Prince of Wales kisses his father, King Charles III, wearing St Edward's Crown, during the king's coronation ceremony.
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Charles after being crowned with the St Edward's Crown, as William and Charlotte look on.
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Members of the British royal family pictured during the coronation ceremony of Charles and Camilla.
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Charles walks wearing St Edward's Crown during the coronation.
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Charles and Camilla leave Westminster Abbey.
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The Duke of York during the coronation.
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Prince Harry leaves Westminster Abbey.
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The Prince of Wales exits Westminster Abbey.
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Princess Anne rides on horseback behind the Gold State Coach carrying the newly crowned king and queen as they travel down The Mall.
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Charles and Camilla set off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales return to Buckingham Palace.
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Louis smiles through the window as he travels with his family back to Buckingham Palace.
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George peers out the window over his brother.
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Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, smiles as he departs following the coronation.
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Charles and Camilla travel in the Gold State Coach, completed in 1762 and used at every coronation since that of William IV in 1831.
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Charles — wearing the Imperial State Crown — and Camilla — wearing a modified version of Queen Mary's Crown — wave from the Buckingham Palace balcony after viewing the Royal Air Force flypast.
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The royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony view a flypast by aircraft from the Royal Navy, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force.
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The British Royal Air Force's aerobatic team, the "Red Arrows," perform a flypast over central London.
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Louis makes another great face during the flypast, as his brother George looks at him with a grin.
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William and Kate share a smile on the palace balcony.
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Charles give a last wave from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
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