Charles, Camilla are crowned king and queen at Westminster Abbey

Britain's first new monarch in seven decades is crowned in a ceremony that dates back a millennium, with pomp that some respect as tradition and others see as out of place in modern life

King Charles waves from balcony but no Harry

King Charles appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with his wife Queen Camilla, heir to the throne Prince William and other senior royals but Prince Harry, the King's younger son, was absent.

Harry, whose attendance at his father's coronation was in doubt earlier this year after he detailed family rows in his memoir "Spare", had no formal role in the ceremony.

Harry had attended the Westminister Abbey ceremony earlier on Saturday without his wife Meghan and two young children, who remained in the United States. His eldest child Archie turns four on Saturday.

Commentators had said that if Harry had appeared with his family on the balcony, it would have been a sign that the two sides were reconciling after a rift.

King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared for a second time on the balcony to cheers from the crowd of tens of thousands of people who had packed into the Mall, the grand boulevard which leads up to Buckingham Palace.

King Charles joined by senior royals on Buckingham Palace balcony

King Charles appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with his wife Queen Camilla, heir to the throne Prince William and other senior royals but Prince Harry, the King's younger son, was absent.

Charles and Camilla return to Buckingham Palace after coronation

King Charles and Queen Camilla returned to Buckingham Palace on Saturday following their coronation at Westminster Abbey and a lengthy military procession.

The couple will later be joined by the royal family on the balcony.

King Charles and Queen Camilla head back to Buckingham Palace in Gold State Coach

King Charles and Queen Camilla left Westminister Abbey in the Gold State Coach after their formal coronation ceremony on Saturday.

Pulled by eight horses, the 260-year-old coach will be cheered by crowds as it travels back along the 1.4 mile route to Buckingham Palace. Named the Coronation Procession, the return leg features some 4,000 military officers.

Saturday's event was on a smaller scale than that staged for Queen Elizabeth in 1953, but still sought to be spectacular, featuring an array of historical regalia from golden orbs and bejewelled swords to a sceptre holding the world's largest colourless cut diamond.

Charles automatically succeeded his mother as king on her death last September, and the coronation is not essential but regarded as a means to legitimise the monarch in a public way.

Hundreds of soldiers in scarlet uniforms and black bearskin hats lined the route along The Mall, the grand boulevard to Buckingham Palace. Tens of thousands ignored the light rain to mass in a crowd more than 20 deep in some places to watch what some saw as a moment of history.

King Charles and Queen Camilla left Westminister Abbey in the Gold State Coach after their formal coronation ceremony on Saturday.

Pulled by eight horses, the 260-year-old coach will be cheered by crowds as it travels back along the 1.4 mile route to Buckingham Palace. Named the Coronation Procession, the return leg features some 4,000 military officers.

Charles III and Camilla are crowned King and Queen in a ceremony full of music and symbolism inside Westminster Abbey.

King Charles III was crowned on Saturday in Britain's biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a sumptuous display of pageantry dating back 1,000 years.

In front of a congregation of about 100 world leaders and a television audience of millions, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, slowly placed the 360-year-old St Edward's Crown on Charles' head as he sat upon a 14th-century throne in Westminster Abbey.

The historic and solemn event dates back to the time of the 74-year-old's predecessor William the Conqueror in 1066.  

UKRAINE CONGRATULATES BRITAIN ON CORONATION

Ukraine's Defence Ministry released a video to congratulate Britain on King Charles' coronation and to thank the country for its support during the war with Russia.

"On the eve of the historic coronation, we'd like to thank our British friends for your friendship. We are grateful for your unwavering support and partnership, especially in the past year!," the ministry said on Twitter.

The one-minute video, thanking London for weapons given to Ukraine and for training thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, shows President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meetings with King Charles, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Keir Starmer and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

It is set to the soundtrack of "London Calling" by British band The Clash.

Britain has been a key Western partner supplying military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February last year.

President Zelensky's wife Olena and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal are in London this week to celebrate the coronation of King Charles, who came to the throne last September after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth.

The king, 74, was anointed with holy oil, symbolizing the sacred nature of his rule. He is being vested with an imperial mantle, and the archbishop of Canterbury will place the ancient crown of St Edward onto his head. Once crowned, Charles and Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace in a golden stagecoach used by Elizabeth for her coronation procession.

XI SENDS CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO CHARLES

China's President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom on their coronation, Chinese state media reported on Saturday.

Xi said that China is willing to expand cooperation and cultural exchanges with the UK and that the two countries should jointly promote peace and cooperation.

• A ceremony full of music and symbolism is taking place inside Westminster Abbey, as Charles and Camilla are crowned King and Queen

• King Charles has promised to uphold the law during his reign and says he will "foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely"

• Wearing long white robes and sitting alongside the Queen Consort, Camilla, he arrived for the service in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach

We are here to crown a king, and we crown a king to serve.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby

• King Charles III takes the Coronation oath as part of a service at Westminster Abbey

• He promises to uphold the law during his reign and says he will "foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely"

• Around 2,200 people, including the Royal Family, celebrities, faith leaders and heads of state, are in attendance

• Thousands of people watched as a lavish procession made its way to the Abbey from Buckingham Palace

King Charles III arrived at London's Westminster Abbey on Saturday to be crowned in Britain's biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a sumptuous display of pageantry dating back 1,000 years.

Charles succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth when she died last September and at 74, he will become the oldest British monarch to have the 360-year-old St Edward's Crown placed on his head as he sits upon a 14th century throne at London's Westminster Abbey.

The king and his second wife Camilla, 75, who will be crowned queen during the two-hour ceremony, left Buckingham Palace in the modern, black Diamond State Jubilee Coach accompanied by cavalrymen wearing shining breastplates and plumed helmets.

Now for the service itself - attended by around 2,200 people, including the Royal Family as well as foreign royals and heads of state.

It’ll be conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby - with a newly drawn-up liturgy drawing on ancient tradition.

The choir sings from a composition by Hubert Parry, which includes the words "Vivat Regina Camilla!"

SMILING HARRY ARRIVES AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Prince Harry arrived at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of his father King Charles on Saturday, joining his cousins and aunts and uncles before the more senior members of the royal family entered.

It had been unclear whether Harry, the younger son of Charles, would attend the historic occasion following his high-profile falling out with his family.

But he said last month he would attend without his wife Meghan and two young children, who will remain in the United States. Harry's eldest child Archie was celebrating his fourth birthday on Saturday.

Harry smiled and nodded to members of the congregation as he joined the 100 heads of state, dignitaries and representatives of the arts, military, charities and sport inside the Abbey.

The royal couple are travelling at a stately pace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.

It’s a storied vehicle: the gilded crown on the top was carved from oak from HMS Victory.

As for the modern touches - the coach boasts hydraulic shock absorbers and air conditioning. We can’t speak for the handling on London roads, however.

It’s being drawn by six Windsor Grey horses: Icon, Shadow, Milford Haven, Echo, Knightsbridge and Tyrone.

King Charles and Queen Camilla left Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach on Saturday, making their way to Westminster Abbey for the coronation.

Tens of thousands of people had lined the side of the grand boulevard that sweeps down from the palace to watch the royal procession.

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE WON’T LIGHT UP

A decision not to light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House to mark the coronation of King Charles was a cost saving measure, a spokesperson for the state government of New South Wales said on Saturday.

Across Australia, where King Charles is head of state, the role of the monarchy is controversial. The country held a referendum in 1999 on becoming a republic with 55% of voters opposed, while more recent polls have shown varying levels of support.

While many public buildings and monuments, including Parliament House in the capital Canberra, will be illuminated in royal purple on Saturday night to mark the coronation, the Sydney Opera House, lit up last year to commemorate the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will not be among them.

KING CHARLES’ CORONATION SCHEDULE

Below is a look at the key timings during the coronation.

0630 GMT: Doors of London's Westminster Abbey open to the congregation. Music begins an hour and a half later.

0810-0845 GMT: Military personnel will line the ceremonial route in central London.

0830-0855 GMT: Heads of state and overseas government representatives arrive at the abbey

0920 GMT: The king's procession begins. Charles and Camilla will be escorted by cavalry divisions and musicians on the route to Westminster Abbey. They will pass along The Mall, a grand avenue outside the palace, which will be lined by crowds.

0925 GMT: Members of foreign royal families arrive at the abbey.

0935-0945 GMT: Members of the British royal family arrive.

0953 GMT: The king's procession arrives and the bells of the abbey are rung.

1000 GMT: The two-hour coronation ceremony begins.

1100 GMT: Charles will be crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. A fanfare will sound and gun salutes will be fired at the Tower of London and across the capital, the nation, in Gibraltar, Bermuda and on ships at sea.

1200 GMT: The Coronation Procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace begins, with Charles and Camilla travelling in the Gold State Coach.

Prince William, Charles' son and heir, along with his wife Kate and their three children, will travel in the first carriage behind Charles. Other working members of the royal family will follow behind.

1245 GMT: The Coronation Procession reaches Buckingham Palace. Charles and Camilla will proceed to the garden for the Royal Salute from members of the armed forces before joining other members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

1330 GMT: There will be a flypast of modern and historic military aircraft after which the royals will gather for an informal family lunch.

Police arrest republican leader Smith ahead of King Charles coronation, group says

British police arrested Graham Smith, leader of an anti-monarchist group Republic, ahead of King Charles' coronation on Saturday, a spokesperson for the group said.

London police chief Mark Rowley had warned on Friday that there would be a "very low tolerance for disruption" on the streets in central London where tens of thousands of people have gathered to watch the royal processions.

Police did not confirm the arrest, saying they did not immediately name those arrested.

A photo posted on Twitter showed Smith sitting on the ground surrounded by a group of police officers. An officer at the scene near Trafalgar Square said three republican protesters had been arrested for carrying paint.

WILL THE CORONATION BE FOLLOWED AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH?

The build up to the coronation in Commonwealth countries including Australia and New Zealand appears to be low key.

Unlike the death of Queen Elizabeth, when her image was projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House, major buildings in Australia will not be lit up to mark the king's coronation.

However a fly past will take place in Australia and New Zealand. The Canadian government will hold an official ceremony.

King Charles' coronation draws thousands in paper crowns, plastic tiaras

WHY IS CHARLES HAVING A CORONATION?

A coronation is not essential and no other monarchy across the globe has an event in the same style. But royal historian Alice Hunt said it had persisted as a means to legitimise the monarch in a public way.

"Although the monarch is the monarch from the moment the predecessor has died, the language of the coronation ceremony from since it was locked down in the 14th Century has still articulated that the king or queen somehow changes during that ceremony," she said.

Charles was born in 1948, the eldest of Queen Elizabeth's four children, ahead of Anne, and brothers Andrew and Edward.

Charles, who previously held the title of Prince of Wales, had two children with his first wife Princess Diana: heir-to-the-throne Prince William and younger son Harry who has moved to the United States to live with his wife Meghan.

Charles will be crowned alongside his second wife Camilla. The couple have been married for 18 years.

• Charles to be crowned in ceremony dating back 1,000 years

• King succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth in September

• Heads of state and dignitaries gather in Westminster Abbey

• Camilla will be crowned queen during the two-hour ceremony

Crowds from across Britain and the world gathered on Saturday in London where Charles III will be crowned king in Britain's biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, a sumptuous display of pageantry dating back 1,000 years.

Charles succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth when she died last September and at 74, he will become the oldest British monarch to have the 360-year-old St Edward's Crown placed on his head as he sits upon a 14th century throne at London's Westminster Abbey.

Watched by about 100 heads of state and dignitaries, including U.S. first lady Jill Biden, and millions on television, Charles follows his predecessors from the time of William the Conqueror in 1066 in being crowned at the abbey.

His second wife Camilla, 75, will be crowned queen during the two-hour ceremony which, while rooted in history, will attempt to present a forward-looking monarchy.

With Britain struggling to find its way in the political maelstrom after its exit from the European Union and maintain its standing in a new world order, the royal family still provides an international draw, a vital diplomatic tool and a means of staying on the world stage.

"No other country could put on such a dazzling display - the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

"It's a proud expression of our history, culture, and traditions. A vivid demonstration of the modern character of our country. And a cherished ritual through which a new era is born."

Despite Sunak's enthusiasm, the coronation is taking place amid a cost of living crisis and public scepticism, particularly among the young, about the role and relevance of the monarchy.

Saturday's event will be on a smaller scale than that staged for Queen Elizabeth in 1953, but will still aim to be spectacular, featuring an array of historical regalia from golden orbs and bejewelled swords to a sceptre holding the world's largest colourless cut diamond.