God Save King Charles III and Queen Camilla! Royal couple crowned in coronation ceremony

King Charles III and Queen Camilla were formally crowned Saturday at London’s royal church, Westminster Abbey, the first coronation England has had held since the late Queen Elizabeth took the throne on June 2, 1953.

The coronation welcomed more than 2,000 invited guests, thousands of British soldiers, and tens of thousands of spectators who flocked to the streets of London to show their support for the new monarchy, a historic event that began after 10:30 a.m. when Charles traveled to church from Buckingham Palace in a golden, horse-drawn carriage reserved for such ceremonies since the era of William IV of Normandy.

The coronation ceremony confirmed Charles and Camilla as the monarchs of Britain and Northern Ireland, a tradition that started in 1066, marking the new king as the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned. Britons lined the streets in “splendor” according to British journalist Piers Morgan, who spoke as a guest commentator on FOX News for the ceremony.

The Coronation: From Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace

“We have something special with this monarchy,” he said. “We should celebrate it and enjoy it… this is twice the size of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation… it stirs us all to see this. Where else do you see this in the world? Nowhere… this is a piece of British history now, happening in real time. After all the waiting, all the heartache, King Charles III and Queen Camilla heading toward the royal palace.”

As the royal carriage was led by horses down the street of London to Buckingham Palace, Ainsley Earhardt reported that when the royal couple arrived, they would select their team.  

Fox News host Martha MacCallum opined that while Britons may not agree on all policies, the coronation is unifying event that pulls them together.

“It unifies the country and gives people something to have in common,” she said. “It’s an expression of culture of Great Britain. The country has changed dramatically… but it does embrace the culture of Great Britain… the one thing they (Britons) seem to agree on is that they do support the King and they do support the royal family… I think you’re now going to see a team effort [from the whole family] to support the monarchy.”

Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall highlighted the importance of the monarchy to the British people, suggesting that since Queen Elizabeth’s passing, the country has seen a revived support for the monarchy.

“I just think that the support for King Charles and the monarchy has grown a lot, and that’s because day in and day out they convey the sense of service,” Hall said. “I think when you take away all the tabloid of it, they serve the people. The same way the Queen [Elizabeth] said 70 years ago that she was there for the service of the country… you look at this now, and you see the monarchy is in a good place.”

The ceremony marked the signing of "God Save the King" inside the abbey and in the streets outside, according to the Associated Press.

As the royal couple arrived at the palace, one British guest commentator speaking on FOX commented on how well executed the coronation ceremony was.

“If you’re tuning anywhere else in the world to watch this, you have to admit, we’ve done this brilliantly, it’s the pageantry people take away every time, it’s a great day for all of us,” the Briton said.

“The royal family isn’t about revolution,” he explained, “it’s about evolution.”

Among those in attendance from afar were French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, first Lady Jill Biden, and eight current and former British prime ministers.

Other royal family members attending included Prince William, Princess Kate Middleton and her children, children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, now living in California, also attended without his American wife, Meghan Markle, the first time he has seen his father since he wrote his book, “Spare.” 

In a surprise turn, Prince Andrew, who has been the subject of recent investigations donned traditional garter robes despite losing his status as a senior member of the royal family.

Thousands of Britons from across the United Kingdom, and from different parts of the world camped overnight along the 1.3-mile route from the church to the palace, enduring rain as they waited in anticipation for the royal ceremony.

There were some protesters along the route who voiced their opposition to the monarchy, a small minority in attendance compared to the thousands who came out to show their support.

Fox News reported that recent U.S. polls showed that many Americans also support the British monarchy with as many as 34 million supporting the Crown and another 35 million admitting they were “absolutely fascinated” with it.

Arrival at Buckingham Palace

Once King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at Buckingham Palace, hundreds of soldiers adorned in their class uniforms lined in formation and saluted the new monarch, removing their hate and shouting, “hip-hip hooray!”

As the two royals walked into the palace, children, some of the youngest members of the royal family carried his royal robe—a symbol to mark the divine nature of kingship—from behind to ensure it would not touch the ground.

Shortly after the royal couple entered the palace, Fox News commentators commented on the lifelong bond and closeness shared between Charles and Camilla.

“Say what you will about the past and [Princess] Diana… he always loved Camilla,” Morgan said of Charles. “The guy married the love of his life.”

“They’ve been close friends for fifty years,” Ainsley Earhardt said with a smile.

Shortly after the royal couple entered the royal palace, thousands of Britons waving Union Jack flags began closing in to prepare for the new  monarchs’ first balcony appearance, a long held tradition in which the newly coronated King and Queen step outside to greet the people.   

As the British public descended upon the palace, Morgan commented on how vital they were to the monarchy.  

“Without the pubic there is no royal family,” he said. “We fuel each other… some people have said people don’t care, that Charles isn’t his mother, well look at this. They look pretty damn excited to me. They are here in the rain… waving flags… they want to see their King… you know, I’m 58 years old and I’ve never seen a coronation balcony scene. this is a really extraordinary moment.”

Hall said the outpour of support from Britons was emotionally moving.

“I think it’s a beautiful sight, I think it makes everyone proud,” he said as Britons descended upon the palace.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s first palace balcony appearance

As the royal couple finally made their first balcony appearance, the crowd erupted into cheers and newly anointed and crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla smiled and waved happily at the British people.

Soon a flyby of military helicopters covered the sky as the royals and Britons looked upward to wave at their heroes.

Then, suddenly nine fighter jets emitting the Union Jack colors of red, white and blue flew over, prompting the crown to shout in jubilation.

As the new royals looked out at London from the palace, musicians performed “God Save the King,” the country’s national anthem since 1745.

In a surprise turn, once the new monarchs departed from the balcony they returned for an encore appearance, prompting thousands of Britons to cheer with excitement. 

Shortly after the balcony scene, the royals entered the palace as Britons readied themselves for a musical concert performed by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and legendary opera singer Andrea Bocelli.

Tickets for thousands of Britons were given in advance for the daylong celebration.

Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, also a Briton said he had faith King Charles III would make a good monarch for his home country. 

"Because of all the work he's done, he is in touch with the people, probably more than any other monarch."