Seventy years after his mother, Carlos III will be crowned this Saturday in a ceremony full of tradition and symbolism, unique in Europe, which It will gather thousands of admirers in London but it will not be exempt from anti-monarchist protests.
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Foreign guests, from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to King Felipe VI and Letizia of Spain, including US First Lady Jill Biden, arrived in London, where the monarch gave a reception in his honor this Friday afternoon. .
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Earlier, the king had walked in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace, along with his eldest son, William, 40, and heir to the throne, and his wife, Catherine.
Smiling and relaxed, the three shook hands, chatted and took photos with the many fans and tourists who had gathered despite the heavy rain that had recently fallen.
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Followers of royalty have been camping for days on the Mall, the long avenue that leads to the palace, to ensure a place in the front row from where they can see the royal procession.
“It is a historic moment. We are very lucky to experience a coronation,” said Marie Scott, 52, assuring that seeing these events in person is not the same as on television.
Thousands of tourists will land in London hoping to enjoy the celebration in its streets decorated with British flags.
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The ceremony will draw on elements with centuries of history, but will be modernized with the participation of women bishops, leaders of minority religions and a guest list based on “meritocracy” instead of “aristocracy.”
The environmental theme will also have its part, with a vegan anointing oil and recycled ceremonial garments.
The coronation show will begin with the carriage procession that the monarch and the queen consort, Camilla, will make from Buckingham Palace, residence of the royal family, to Westminster Abbey, in London, where the formal ceremony will take place.
The king is expected to wear a military uniform instead of the formal garb with cape and stockings that previous monarchs have worn.
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“This is a moment of enormous national pride,” said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
But if the coronation of Elizabeth II, in 1953, was followed by 27 of the then 36 million Britons, it arouses much less expectation: 62 percent of respondents said they were not interested, in a poll published by YouGov on Thursday.
Another poll by the same cabinet indicated that 25 percent of Britons would prefer an elected head of state, a percentage that rises to 40 percent among 18-24 year olds.
Crowned at the age of 74, eight months after the death of his mother, Carlos III has the mission of modernizing the institution. But despite his close and warm attitude, his decision to collaborate in the investigation on the ties of the monarchy with slavery and his long-standing passion for ecology, he has a hard time seducing the new generations.
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Charles III, whose role is purely ceremonial and without political power, came to the throne in a United Kingdom faced with multiple challenges, from secessionist aspirations in Scotland and Northern Ireland to the serious crisis over the cost of living.
We do not live the same life, right now many people are suffering.
“We do not live the same life, right now many people are suffering” due to the crisis, stressed Eden Eawit, a 38-year-old Londoner who laments the high cost of the ceremony, of up to 100 million pounds (about 125 million dollars), according to the press, mainly due to tight security measures.
The anti-monarchy group ‘Republic’ plans a protest this Saturday in central London.
Jamaica, a Commonwealth country of which Charles III is also king, said on Thursday that it wants to secede from the British crown. And Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceño called his country “probably” the next Commonwealth member to become a republic, criticizing England’s role in the slave trade.
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The king, despite everything, had some satisfaction, such as when he received leaders of indigenous peoples from Canada and Brazil on Thursday. Two of them, Uyunkar Domingo Peas and Atossa Soltani, activists from the Amazon, presented him with a feather headdress “in recognition of his commitment to protecting the forest and restoring harmony between humanity and nature.”
are more than 2,200 guests were invited to the ceremony, including heads of state, members of the Royal Family and representatives of 203 countries.
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Pope Francis, who will not travel to London, will be represented by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
As already happened for Elizabeth II’s funeral in September, Venezuela was not invited, as were other countries such as Russia and Afghanistan.
Others, like Nicaragua and North Korea, only received invitations for their heads of delegation.
WILLIAM MORENO HERNANDEZ
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
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