2023-05-05 20:53:08
There are less than 24 hours left for the King Charles III Have your appointment with history and be crowned in the westminster abbey. In a religious ceremony, the monarch will perform the coronation oath in which he will pledge to abide by the law and the Church of England, and will be anointed with olive oil harvested in the mount of olives of Jerusalem and consecrated in a special ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. An appointment with history to which some 2,200 guestssome 6,000 fewer than those who attended the coronation of his mother, Elizabeth II, and which will be followed on television by millions of people around the world.
Until the moment arrives, the entire route that Carlos and his wife will take, Camilato the abbey and back to Buckingham, It is already practically full of tents and camping chairs of ‘royal fans’ who want to follow the royal procession closely. The atmosphere is very festive: the Union Jack (the flag of the United Kingdom) is omnipresent, as are the crowns. There are plastic, cardboard and even crochet replicas of the crown of San Eduardo.
“We are here because we love the royal family. We also came for the funeral and the jubilee,” explained Flora and Federica, two young Italian women who have been working in London for five years. Like most, they will spend the night there.
Sandra Mitchell and her mother, Lorna, are from Swansea (Wales) and they cross their fingers that it doesn’t rain, even though the forecasts say otherwise. In fact, the air parade could be canceled if there is rain when the planes take off. Sandra and Lorna have come to live a “historical moment”, but they are critical of the institution and consider that it “needs changes”.
Audrey and James have traveled from Kent with their daughters, Emi and Ella, but they will be sleeping in a hotel. The girls are still little. “We have come to pay our respects to the royal family. We love the royal family,” explains James, who declares himself a fan of Carlos.
Also a fan, and a lot, of the ‘royals’ is Damian Carpenter, from Leeds. Since 1981, he hasn’t missed an act. He has attended weddings, jubilees and funerals. To all. “The royal family is part of who we are as a country, our traditions, pomp and circumstance…for hundreds of years,” he says. And he considers that the institution brings a lot of money to the country. “It’s a good investment.”
Damian has seen this morning the king and the princes of Wales, who have walked through the Mall greeting some of those present, after the last rehearsal of the ceremony in Westminster Abbey. They have shaken hands, have taken ‘selfies’ with the dedicated attendees, and have talked with some of them. Catalina has explained that her children are “a little nervous about the big day.”
This afternoon, the monarch met with the leaders of the Commonwealth, the commonwealth of nations that groups the former colonies of the British Empire, and later attended the reception in Buckingham for the most special guests, including the kings of Spain, Felipe and Letizia, and heads of state from other countries.
29,000 policemen
Security is very much in evidence throughout central London. The deployment has mobilized 29,000 police officers throughout the week, 11,500 just for the big day, the largest display in the country’s history. There is an agent located every meter of the 2 kilometer route between Buckingham and the abbey. Large human traffic jams form when the police close the streets to allow official vehicles to pass. But the citizens hold on stoically. Tomorrow Saturday will be much worse.
In other areas of London, the bustle is pretty much the same as always. The event can only be guessed by the souvenirs and by some flags that decorate shops or houses.
“To be honest, I’m not thrilled. I’m not going to follow the ceremony,” explains Laura Nkala, a shop assistant at a Camden Market photo booth. “The press in the UK are showing him as a selfless person, but I worry about how he is going to use his power,” adds this young Londoner.
“I don’t care about all this movement, in general the people here don’t like it”, explains Or Poren Cohen. “But they attract tourists and that’s a good thing for the country,” adds this tourist guide who was born in Tel Aviv, but who five years ago decided to move to London, “the best city in the world!”
On the tube, Ali sighs in exasperation when he sees the cover of the ‘Evening Standard’, a free newspaper that is distributed at the entrance of the subway, and goes directly to the sports section. On the front page there is a photo of the king announcing the coronation that will take place in less than 24 hours.
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