Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis sit in a coach as the procession leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. AP
Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis sit in a coach as the procession leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. AP
Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis sit in a coach as the procession leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. AP
Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis sit in a coach as the procession leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. AP

Protesters can't spoil crowds' thrill for coronation


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

Follow the latest news from the coronation of King Charles here

The rain came down as the cheers rang out on Whitehall.

On Saturday afternoon, at 12.02, King Charles III was finally crowned, marking the moment he had spent a lifetime preparing for. And the crowds who had turned out in the pouring rain clapped and cheered in celebration.

Many had been there for hours, arriving at their position on the approach to Westminster Abbey long before they would spot the king.

For much of the morning, the weather was fairly pleasant, but the sky soon began to darken and the first drops started to fall just before 9am.

But the first bit of excitement would be nothing to do with the royals.

A commotion developed in the crowd behind the Women of Second World War monument as a Just Stop Oil protester was searched and escorted away.

But soon after, the first members of the procession passed, signifying the royal couple were on their way.

And then they arrived.

The king and queen’s coach, flanked by dozens of horses, passed to huge cheers. Queen Camilla, sitting on left hand side of the coach, waved to the waiting crowds.

The mobile phone service was patchy, meaning few could watch the proceedings.

King Charles III receives a royal salute from members of the military in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Getty Images
King Charles III receives a royal salute from members of the military in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Getty Images

But as the ceremony got under way, the sound from the service inside the abbey blasted through speakers, allowing the public to hear what was happening as they watched members of the vast military line up to lead the procession from the abbey to Buckingham Palace.

The crowd remained quiet until the gun salute sounded and the words God Save the King were spoken, prompting shouts and cheers on Whitehall.

Then the national anthem rang out and the king and queen were again on their way.

Hundreds of military staff passed, marching to upbeat brass band tunes before soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards came into view again, walking in orderly lines.

Cheers rang out as the gold coach came into view, with the king and queen waving from inside.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children followed in the coach behind, as Prince Louis and Prince George waved to the crowds.

Next was a coach carrying the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, followed by a procession of other royals in coaches and cars.

And with that, as the rain finally abated, the royals continued on to the palace, and the public dispersed.

The coronation of King Charles III - in pictures

Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.

It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.

The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media. 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

EA Sports FC 25
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Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5 

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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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The Limehouse Golem
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What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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Updated: May 08, 2023, 7:15 AM