By King’s office correspondents
LONDON, ENGLAND – His Majesty King Mswati III attended the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, in London on Saturday.
The King accompanied by Inkhosikati LaMbikiza was among 2000 Royal guests who attended the Coronation which included Heads of States and Governments from the Commonwealth States, distinguished artists like Lionel Richie, ordinary citizens and many others.
His Majesty the King is the second Eswatini King to grace the British Coronation as King Sobhuza II did in 1953 when he attended Queen Elizabeth’s crowning. King Mswati III sat in the second row of the Westminster Abbey theatre very close to the British Royals, in particular, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate.
Read More: King Charles III crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey
The 40th monarch crowning is said to have been followed live across the globe by over 300 million viewers and marshalled by over 7 000 ceremonial troops.
“In His name, I come as King not to be served but to serve,” King Charles said as he was welcomed into the Westminster Abbey theatre. Guests at the Abbey started arriving at around 7:15 am and King Mswati III departed his hotel accompanied by Inkhosikati, driven in a black Rolls Royce Phantom at around 9:30 am clad in his Herringbone Morning Tailcoat suit with grey trousers.
The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who ushered the King by proclaiming “God save the King” after Crowning him. The Archbishop said the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.”
In response, King Charles placed his hand on the Holy Bible as the Archbishop took him through the oath and kissed the bible at the end. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak read the collection of the Epistle Colossians
1 vs 9-17.
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The Archbishop administered the anointing of the King away from public glare. The anointing oil is reported to have been sourced from Jerusalem, following strict biblical history. It is said that behind the enclosure, the King knelt on a faldstool in front of the altar and the Archbishop continued with the Oil of Gladness prayer of blessing.
After the anointing, King Charles III was then presented with Coronation regalia. The Westminster Abbey service was concluded by the Archbishop and the Prince of Wales paying homage before inviting the public to do the same. Prince William with his knees on the floor before the King, pledged his loyalty to the new monarch.
He said: “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.”
He then kissed his chick and rested in his seat not very far from King Mswati III. The King and the Queen, now crowned, left Westminster Abbey to be met with cheers from adoring crowds who weathered the rain and went back to Buckingham Palace.
After the crowds had gathered before the palace, His Majesty King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared for the first time from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The monarch was flanked by his family to celebrate a historic coronation ceremony.
Read More: King meets Commonwealth Secretariat
Other Kings at the ceremony were King Philipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddeien III, Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, King and Queen of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein.
King Charles, now 74, was cheered by thousands of royal fans to ring in his new reign as King. Prince William and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined the monarch.
An initial fly pass by the army was scaled back as a result of bad weather conditions and was, instead, formed of helicopters and The Red Arrows. His Majesty King Mswati III was expected to join the new King later in the evening for a buffet luncheon.