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THE SUN ON SUNDAY SAYS
King Charles’ crowning was the greatest royal spectacle that most of us have ever seen
Charles III’s day of destiny
IT WAS the greatest royal spectacle that most of us have ever seen, no matter the weather.
The sight of King Charles III crowned amid splendour and ritual inside Westminster Abbey will be the defining image of his reign.
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We witnessed a ceremony almost unchanged for 1,000 years — a blockbuster of historic richness unmatched anywhere else on earth.
But yesterday represented no gold-plated historical curiosity — the number of world leaders present paid testament to the monarchy’s global importance.
The mystical atmosphere of Westminster Abbey perfectly embodied our nation’s bond with the Royal Family.
While we may sometimes struggle to define the monarchy’s exact role, its importance has never been greater in a world of dizzying change.
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No matter how tumultuous the events which test us, monarchy offers us an unparalleled sense of unity and duty, an abiding calm and tolerance.
This was summed up in the words of the King yesterday: “I come not to be served but to serve.”
GOLDEN REALITY
King Charles is of course the first monarch to be crowned in the 21st century.
To put it into historical context, this was the only coronation to be screened in colour on TV, let alone viewed online.
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There is no doubt that the new king’s reign will herald a more modern, streamlined Royal Family.
A sign of this was that the congregation at the Abbey was just a quarter of the size of Queen Elizabeth II’s crowning.
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Charles is wise enough to know that the House of Windsor must adapt to a world unimaginable from when his mother ascended the throne 70 years ago.
No one will ever take her place in the hearts of the nation.
And, since Charles became King, many of her beloved eldest child’s actions have inevitably been seen in the context of her peerless reign.
Now — after the biggest day of his life — he finally has the opportunity to forge the monarchy in his own personal vision.
Charles was aged just four when he saw his mother crowned.
He now approaches his 75th birthday.
All his life he knew his ultimate destiny. Yesterday it became a golden reality.
So we echo the rousing cry of the congregation at Westminster Abbey: Long Live King Charles!
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