2023-05-06 17:14:37
The deckchairs installed in front of the giant screen in Grovesnor Square were taken by storm as soon as the garden opened to the public. Despite the rain, which has been falling heavily for several hours. “It’s easier for us to be here with the girls than at the edge of the Mall (the avenue that connects Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square)because we should have been there around 6 am to have a chance of having a drinkable place, ” explains Nicola, who came with her friend Louise and their respective daughters. “We came from Sheffield in the north of England because we really wanted to experience the atmosphere of this historic event, which we will remember for the rest of our lives. Like our daughters. » Her 7-year-old daughter grimaces. “I’m soaked, Mom, I want to go home. » Her mother shakes her head, because the ceremony hasn’t started yet.
The atmosphere is joyful in this garden in Mayfair, one of the most chic areas of the capital. Tourists, English and foreign, mix with local residents, recognizable by their long, pleated dresses, their three-piece suits and their long coats. All eyes are directed towards the giant screen, which broadcasts the BBC, where the arrest of the anti-monarchist militants of the Republic group is barely mentioned.
Champagne corks and a touch of boredom
First applause rang out when the king and queen appeared in the Golden State Carriage, made in 1762 and used for all coronations since 1831. Bottle corks popped, glasses filled. Children occupy themselves with wooden games made available to them. Then, the length of the ceremony gradually demotivates the less enthusiastic spectators. Families line up to be photographed on a purple velvet throne set in the middle of the garden, surrounded by two costumed extras as royal guards.
Standing on a bench, Daniela, a Costa Rican student in London, and Karen, a Canadian tourist, clink glasses. “At street parties, you meet charming people, you get served sparkling wine,” says the first with a smile. “I was for over five hours on The Mall during the Queen’s Jubilee in June 2022 only to see the Queen spend a few seconds in her carriage. »
The memory of the coronation of Elizabeth II
At their side, Cheaky, a resident of Mayfair, welcomes this moment of conviviality. “After Brexit, which has divided the country and whose procrastination has hurt us with our neighbours, it feels good to see us all around the king, she breathes, an empty cup in her hand. We need it. And in addition we take advantage of the magnificent British weather! » On the nearby pew, Jean remembers the coronation of Elizabeth II. “It was the same weather, rain and cold, she says, laughing. I was 22 years old, I worked on this square at the American Embassy, we had partied all night! And here I am again, seventy years later. »
Sudden silence falls as the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the king and queen, then presents Charles III with the royal regalia. The faces are concentrated and subjugated by this moment of high intensity. Cries of joy then resound when Justin Welby lays the crown of Saint Edward on Charles III. « God Save The King » then resounded from the chests of most of the spectators. Before the sound of a bottle makes the assembly laugh.
“Novel Characters”
From the height of her 92 years, Jean seems moved. “I love our royal family, she admits. I had dined and gone to the cinema with Margaret, the sister of Elizabeth II, a real character from a novel. Today, especially due to social media, members of the royal family must be much wiser. No doubt William and Kate will be. » Their turn has not yet come; today the United Kingdom celebrates its King, Charles III, and the celebrations will continue until Sunday evening.
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