May-6: King Charles III of Great Britain was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. At the climax of the two-hour ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the crown of St. Edward the Confessor on the sovereign’s head.

It was made in the 17th century from pure gold, weighs 2.2 kg. The crown is decorated with more than 400 precious stones . It has been used for the coronation of all British monarchs since Charles II (1630-1685). Putting it on the head of the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury uttered the words “God save the king”, which were repeated by all 2,200 guests in the abbey.

Shortly before the coronation King Charles III was anointed to reign. The sacrament was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in Westminster Abbey in London.

During the sacrament, the archbishop pours oil from an ampule – a golden vessel in the shape of an eagle – into a coronation spoon made of gilded silver, which was made back in the 12th century. This is the only medieval royal regalia of the British monarchs, preserved after the English Revolution of the mid-17th century. The archbishop applied oil to the head, chest and arms of the 74-year-old king, who was seated in the oak coronation chair of King Edward facing the altar. Before this, the sovereign took off his mantle, ornaments, and all other symbols of his status in the face of a higher divine power. Then Charles III changed into royal clothes.

Before the coronation, Charles III accepted the royal regalia, which carry a deep symbolic meaning, like all the details of the ceremony. A precious sacrificial sword is an attribute of the king as a defender of the faith, and golden bracelets are a symbol of sincerity and wisdom. The power of the monarch – a golden ball with a cross – symbolizes the Christian world, and the scepter is a symbol of royal power and justice.

Then Queen Camilla, the wife of the monarch, was anointed, crowned and enthroned. After this procedure, she will be referred to simply as the queen.

After that the ceremony comes to an end, the crowned couple will head back to Buckingham Palace in an 18th-century gilded carriage.