In a historic moment witnessed by hundreds of distinguished guests inside Westminster Abbey and tens of thousands of well-wishers who braved the rain in central London, King Charles III has been officially crowned as the monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the St. Edward’s Crown, which is 360 years old, on Charles' head and declared, “God Save the King.” The religious ceremony lasted for just over two hours and followed a traditional template that has remained largely unchanged for over 1,000 years.

The King, who is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, was anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop and presented with the coronation regalia, including the royal Robe and Stole, in the investiture part of the service.

In a modern twist, the archbishop acknowledged the diverse faiths observed in the UK and said the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely.” King Charles III also became the first monarch to pray aloud at his coronation, asking to “be a blessing” to people “of every faith and conviction.”

For the first time in coronation history, the archbishop invited the British public, as well as those from “other Realms,” to recite a pledge of allegiance to the newly crowned monarch and his “heirs and successors.” Ahead of the event, the Church of England revised the text of the liturgy so that members of the public would have a choice between saying simply “God save King Charles” or reciting the full pledge of allegiance.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak read from the Bible during the ceremony, and five new compositions, including an anthem by Lloyd Webber, were commissioned for the service. The King’s wife, Queen Camilla, was crowned in her own shorter ceremony with Queen Mary’s Crown.

After the ceremony, the newly crowned King and Queen rode back to Buckingham Palace in a parade featuring 4,000 members of the armed forces, 250 horses, and 19 military bands. The celebrations concluded with a royal salute and the customary balcony appearance by the King and family members, followed by a flypast of military aircraft.

The route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey was lined with dedicated royal fans who camped out for several days to secure the best vantage point. However, by early Saturday, the London Metropolitan Police Service announced that all viewing areas along the procession route were full and closed off to new arrivals.

Despite being much smaller than the 1953 coronation, the congregation of 2,300 presented significant logistical challenges for an event attended by hundreds of VIPs. The guest list included many top British officials, faith leaders, international representatives, and approximately 100 heads of state from around the world.

Numerous celebrities also attended, such as Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Nick Cave, Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, Joanna Lumley, Judi Dench, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Stephen Fry.

Prince Harry attended without his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two young children. However, he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with the family, as he is no longer a working royal and did not receive an invitation for that moment.

Prince Andrew, the King's younger brother, was also absent due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent sexual abuse civil lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre. In January 2022, he was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages after the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.