Pomp, Pageantry and (Subdued) Protest: King Charles III Is (Officially) Crowned

The coronation of King Charles III is underway in the U.K.

A day of meticulously organized pomp, tradition, ritual and royal pageantry that, for Charles, has been coming since birth, has begun with a procession — known as The King’s Procession — escorting the King and Queen Consort Camilla from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation Service. It was here where Queen Elizabeth was crowned almost 70 years ago to the day, on June 2, 1953. Charles, now 74, was four years old at the time.

Alongside numerous heads of state and British political leaders old and new, guests also included Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Maggie Smith.

Following the service, the King — joined by other members of the royal family — will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, this time known as the The Ceremonial Procession. Media lenses will likely be on Prince Harry, who only recently was revealed as an attendee (and without Meghan Markle, who remains in LA with their children), and any interactions between him and his father, mother-in-law or brother Prince William following the revelations from his Netflix documentary, autobiography and subsequent interviews.

Back at Palace, the King, Queen Consort and royal family members will conclude the day with one of their long-standing traditions, an appearance on the balcony.

The coronation, which marks three full days of activity (Monday has been made an official public holiday), has divided opinion across the U.K. Waning enthusiasm for the new King, whose popularity is markedly lower than that of his mother, has seen only 7 percent of British adults describe themselves as “committed royalists” according to recent research, and 58 percent not interested in the royal family. Meanwhile a mere 9 percent say that care “a great deal” about the weekend’s events.

But much of the debate has centred on the cost of the lavish event — £250 million ($286 million), being paid for by the British taxpayer at the time when the cost of living crisis has pushed many into poverty. Charles is already King — a title he inherited the second Queen Elizabeth passed away last year — and the fact this archaic event hasn’t been scaled down to reflect the current times, or even financed by the royal family itself, has left a sour taste in the mouths of some. For others, however, maintaining the spectacle of this grand royal occasion is a source of great national pride, and thousands lined the streets for the procession.

Before the coronation started, a number of Republican activists who were planning peaceful protests were arrested “on suspicion of breaching the peace” by London’s Metropolitan Police, who also confiscated hundreds of placards.

“Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low,” the police said earlier in the week. “We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration.”