Photos: King Charles III coronation culminates seven-decade journey from heir to monarch
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla look at each other as they stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation in London on Saturday.
King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, receiving the bejeweled St. Edward’s Crown in a ceremony built on ancient tradition at a time when the monarchy is striving to remain relevant in a fractured modern Britain.
Trumpets sounded inside the medieval abbey and the congregation shouted “God save the king!” at a service attended by more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Outside, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged.
It was the culmination of a seven-decade journey for Charles from heir to monarch.
To the royal family and government, the occasion — code-named Operation Golden Orb — was a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world.
Britain’s King Charles III greets the crowd as he and Queen Camilla travel to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach after their coronation ceremony Saturday in Westminster Abbey in London.
(Rob Pinney / Pool Photo via Associated Press)
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Scots and Welsh Guards march on the procession route back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday.
(Sebastien Bozon / Pool via Associated Press)
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation in London on Saturday.
(Chris Jackson; Frank Augstein / Associated Press)
Crowds walk toward Buckingham Palace after the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III in London on Saturday.
(Vadim Ghirda / Associated Press)
Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales leave after the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London on Saturday.
(Andy Stenning / Pool photo via Associated Press)
King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown, followed by Queen Camilla, leaves Westminster Abbey in central London following his coronation ceremony there Saturday.
(Ben Birchall / Associated Press)
Britain’s King Charles III, wearing the Imperial State Crown and carrying the Sovereign’s Orb and Scepter, leaves Westminster Abbey after coronation in London.
(Ben Stansall / Pool via Associated Press)
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From left, first row, Britain’s Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Kate, Princess of Wales and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey.
(Yui Mok / Pool)
Britain’s King Charles III wears St. Edward’s Crown during his coronation at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday.
(Andrew Matthews / Pool via Associated Press)
King Charles III crowned with the St Edward’s Crown and surrounded by faith leaders, during the coronation at Westminster Abbey in London.
(Victoria Jones / Pool)
Britain’s King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach past the Admiralty Arch from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony in London.
(Piroschka van de Wouw / Pool)
Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Prince Andrew leave Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla, in London.
(Toby Melville / Pool via Associated Press)
The King leaves Westminster Abbey after the coronation of King Charles III in London.
(Dan Charity / Pool)
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Britain’s Queen Camilla and King Charles III travel in the Gold State Coach, back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey after their coronations.
(Marco Bertorello / AFP/Getty Images)
Royal fan Ben Weller reacts as he watches the King Charles III coronation ceremony on a screen in London’s Hyde Park.
(Emilio Morenatti / Associated Press)
Princess Charlotte, right, and Prince George depart Westminster Abbey after the coronation ceremony.
(Alessandra Tarantino / Pool)
Royal fans watch the King Charles III coronation ceremony on a screen in London’s Hyde Park.
(Emilio Morenatti / Associated Press)
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla watch the Red Arrows’ aerobatics display from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation in London on Saturday.
Marc Martin is a deputy photo editor at the Los Angeles Times. He joined The Times in 2000 as a photo assignment editor in Orange County after four years as the director of photography at Times Community News. Martin, a former Times intern, holds a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from Cal State Long Beach.
