Britain’s King Charles III crowned in coronation ceremony

King Charles III was crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey, receiving the bejeweled St. Edward’s Crown in a ceremony built on ancient tradition.

Trumpets sounded inside the medieval abbey and the congregation shouted “God save the king!” at a service attended by more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Outside, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged, Associated Press reported.

The crowd of well-wishers swelled to hundreds of thousands by the time the newly crowned Charles and Queen Camilla emerged to wave from the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside younger generations of royals.

It was the culmination of a seven-decade journey for the king from heir to monarch.

To the royal family and government, the occasion — code-named Operation Golden Orb — was a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world.

To the crowds gathered under rainy skies — thousands of whom had camped overnight — it was a chance to be part of a historic occasion.

Among those who attended the ceremony were U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British prime ministers, judges in wigs, soldiers with gleaming medals, and celebrities.

For 1,000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in such grandiose ceremonies that confirm their right to rule. Charles was the 40th sovereign to be enthroned in the abbey — and, at 74, the oldest.

After the crowning ceremony, large crowds cheered as Charles and Camilla rode in the Gold State Carriage from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a procession of 4,000 troops and military bands playing tunes.

As the king and queen waved to a sea of people outside the palace, the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, sped overhead, trailing red, white and blue plumes.