* I come not to be served, but to serve—the King in his first prayer after reaching the abbey
* We are here to crown a King, and we crown a King to serve—the Archbishop of Archbishop of Canterbury
* The King of Kings, Jesus Christ, was anointed not to be served, but to serve
* He creates the unchangeable law that with the privilege of power comes the duty to serve
By Sean Coughlan, royal correspondent & James Gregory, BBC News
King Charles has been crowned at his Coronation, the first in the UK for 70 years administered by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who placed the St Edward’s Crown on the King’s head during a ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
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The crown was made for King Charles II in the 17th Century and is only worn when the monarch is crowned — meaning King Charles III is not due to wear it again.
After the King was crowned, his wife Camilla was crowned Queen before returning to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach.
The Coronation main theme was the importance of service that reflected in the oaths and prayers King Charles made, and the sermon delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“I come not to be served, but to serve,” the King said in his first prayer after reaching the abbey.
The Archbishop opened his sermon with: “We are here to crown a King, and we crown a King to serve. The King of Kings, Jesus Christ, was anointed not to be served, but to serve. He creates the unchangeable law that with the privilege of power comes the duty to serve.”
In the abbey, Charles was proclaimed as the ‘undoubted King’ in the first stage of the ceremony and the congregation was then asked to show their homage and service, shouting ‘God Save the King’.
Yet among the music and oaths, there were moments of complete silence as each stage of the ancient ceremony finished.
In the most sacred part of the service, the King was shielded from public view by anointing screens while choristers sang Handel’s Zadok the Priest — performed at every coronation since 1727.
Prince William also made a pledge of loyalty to King Charles, before members of the congregation were invited to offer their own support.
Gun salutes were made at 13 locations across the UK, including in London, Edinburgh and Hillsborough, at the moment King Charles was crowned, while the bells of Westminster Abbey rang for two minutes.
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Four thousand military personnel played a key role having lined up in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
Meanwhile, the crowd on The Mall broke out in a chant of ‘God Save the King’ and the sound of popped corks could be heard.
Some 2,300 people were inside the abbey for the service, with celebrity guests including actress Emma Thompson and US singer Katy Perry.
US First Lady Jill Biden, and her granddaughter Finnegan, arrived in a three-car motorcade. President Joe Biden is not in the UK.
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska were also in the abbey, as were Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and leaders of the Commonwealth countries.
On the procession route, umbrellas started to pop up as the rain arrived but despite the very English weather, there was a celebratory atmosphere on The Mall, with periodic Mexican waves and police officers and security guards being cheered.
Charles became King of the United Kingdom and 14 other realms in September, when his mother Elizabeth died after 70 years on the throne.
Months of intense planning have gone into the coronation celebrations — the 40th to take place at Westminster Abbey since 1066.
Meanwhile, 10 members of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) were part of the Commonwealth Parade during the Coronation in which the Sovereign took the coronation oath undertaking to diligently serve in his constitutional position as Head of State of the United Kingdom (UK); the 14 Realms; the UK Overseas Territories; the Crown Dependencies; and as Head of the Commonwealth — a voluntary association of 56 independent sister nations that includes Malawi.
A statement from the British High Commission in Malawi says as Head of the Commonwealth and Head of State of the UK, “His Majesty King Charles will play a critical role as we tackle many global challenges, putting young people at the heart of our sustainable development approach, and working together as one diverse family in protecting the environment we live in”.
The British High Commissioner, Fiona Ritchie is quoted as saying it is a proud moment to have Malawi represented at the Coronation.
“I am delighted that His Excellency the President Dr Lazarus Chakwera and the First Lady will attend the Coronation of His Majesty, and that a team of Malawi Defence Force troops will join their colleagues from all Commonwealth member states at the historic global event.
“The UK and Malawi have enjoyed a longstanding defence partnership and the MDF troops’ participation in the coronation of the UK’s new Commander-in-Chief is a huge honour.”
The Malawi troops were led by Major Thokozani Moffat who said: “I am very happy to be able to represent Malawi and MDF at the Coronation in London.”-Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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