LONDON: King Charles III was officially crowned as the 40th King of the United Kingdom at a ceremony steeped in history with modern multi-faith touches amid pomp, pageantry and choir music inside the iconic Westminster Abbey here on a rainy Saturday, reminiscent of the Coronation of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, 70 years ago.

A lengthy Royal Air Force (RAF) flypast planned as the grand finale of the historic Coronation was cut short to a more compact display due to the wet weather, ending with the gathered military band playing out the UK's national anthem amid cheers from the crowd. It came at the end of a solemn twohour religious ceremony that dates back almost a thousand years, which began with Charles taking an oath of service before the Archbishop of Canterbury opened the service. Part of the sacred ceremony involved Charles and Camilla being symbolically re-married in the eyes of God to take on the oath of service together.

The 74-year-old new monarch was formally enthroned with a 360-year-old jewel-encrusted St Edward's Crown accompanied by chants of “God Save the King”, church bells and trumpets. The King and Queen Camilla then made their customary appearance at the iconic balcony of Buckingham Palace in London joined by the Prince and Princess Wales, William and Kate, and a slimmed-down selection of frontline royals who waved to the hundreds who had braved the rain for hours to get a glimpse of the newly anointed royals.

“The ring 'marries' Consort to King, and them both to God in duty and to the People in loving service, and in turn acts as an assurance of God's unfailing love,” the official Liturgy of the ceremony said. The Throne Chairs used were the same used during the enthroning of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in May 1937, another rainy day in Britain. Westminster Abbey has been the site of every British Coronation since that of William The Conqueror in 1066 and King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, followed in the footsteps of this grand tradition in a service themed "Called to Serve". Faith leaders and representatives of the Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish communities processed through the Abbey ahead of the service and House of Lords peers of Indian heritage handed over key regalia to the monarch during the ceremony.

Following a regal procession riding in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach bearing a gilded crown, the King and Queen made their way to the Abbey from Buckingham Palace, accompanied by military personnel on foot and on horseback. The streets of central London were lined with thousands of well-wishers waving flags, alongside some groups of protesters who campaign for the abolition of the monarchy and have organised #NotMyKing protests at Trafalgar Square. There were some reports of arrests of protesters as they allegedly tried to disrupt the procession.

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