Aqra bil- Malti
Pomp and pageantry in a tradition going back close to 1,000 years. Besides the millions who followed the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Camilla through the media, thousands of others huddled under raincoats and umbrellas because of the rain, and packed every corner in the heart of London through which the first and second procession passed, to catch a glimpse of the members of the Royal Family.
Many had their eyes glued to the elegant outfits worn by Royalty and the guests, something that always stands out on such occasions.
London woke up early on Saturday morning, with thousands seeking the best vantage points from where to watch the procession taking King Charles and Queen Camilla from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey and back.
The first procession left Buckingham Palace with Charles and Camilla in the Diamond Jubilee coach. The coach was built some years ago for celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s 60th year of her reign.
Thousands of Britons and tourists clapped and waved flags along the roads taken by the coach from the Mall towards Trafalgar Square, to Whitehall and Parliament Square, from Broad Sanctuary to the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey for the start of the official religious ceremony.
Ten members of the Maltese Armed Forces were also in London for the ceremony, where they joined other troops from Commonwealth countries and took part in the first part of the King’s Procession that brought King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
This was the first coronation in 70 years that was held in Westminster Abbey, with King Charles crowned on the coronation chair – considered as the oldest piece of furniture in the UK, and built for King Edward I in 1297.
During the procession returning to Buckingham Palace, following the formal coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the participation of the military element stood out, with every branch of the forces represented whilst King Charles returned in the golden coach built in 1762, together with Queen Camilla.
The heir to the throne William, Prince of Wales and his wife Princess Kate, together with their children, princes George and Louis and princess Charlotte. followed in the Diamond Jubilee coach.
Members of the Royal Family who attended the Royal ceremony included Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, who arrived on his own from the US and had no official role in the ceremony. He left to return to the US immediately after the ceremony.
An unforgettable moment when the King and Queen came out to wave to the crowds on the Buckingham Palace balcony, accompanied by members of the Royal Family.
The highlight of the ceremony was the fly past with the participation of some 60 aircraft and helicopters from all branches of the RAF, in four groups coordinated from naval and air bases in the UK.
The logistics and security arrangements for this ceremony have been in preparation for many months, and in an operation known as Golden Orb, some 29,000 security officials and police coordinated a massive security operation that involved the participation of branches and security agencies in Britain.
It is estimated that the British Government will fork out just over £100 million for the organisation of this State ceremony, but the income from tourism generated by the Royal Family far outweighs the expense incurred for this ceremony. It is estimated that the ceremony was watched by an audience of some 400 million worldwide.
In Malta, the national station produced a transmission of close to six hours on TVMnews+ and on the tvmnews.mt portal, during which the public could follow the full ceremony in London with a commentary in Maltese and with a studio programme with the participation of guests well versed in the British monarchy, the pageantry and the military element.
There was also a special programme on Saturday morning on Radju Malta from the PBS newsroom.
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