King Charles III's reign begins officially following UK's first coronation since 1953

King Charles III has been officially crowned the King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony that has been compared to his mother's coronation 70 years ago. The coronation was marked with pomp and pageantry, with the King taking an oath of service before the Archbishop of Canterbury opened the service, which included a reading by the first Hindu Prime Minister of Britain, Rishi Sunak. 

The King and his wife, Queen Camilla, were symbolically re-married in the eyes of God to take on the oath of service together, and faith leaders and representatives of the Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, and Jewish communities processed through the Abbey ahead of the service.

The Imperial State Crown was placed on the King's head amid the grandeur of the event. The ceremony included a regal procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, with the King and Queen riding in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach bearing a gilded crown. They were accompanied by military personnel on foot and on horseback. 

The streets of central London were lined with thousands of well-wishers waving flags, alongside some groups of protesters who campaign for the abolition of the monarchy and have organised #NotMyKing protests at Trafalgar Square. There were some reports of arrests of protesters as they allegedly tried to disrupt the procession.

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The ceremony at Westminster Abbey was made up of five key stages: the Recognition; the Oath; the Anointing; the Investiture and Crowning; and the Enthronement and Homage. The Imperial State Crown, or Crown of State, is the crown the monarch exchanges for St. Edward's Crown at the end of the Coronation Service. 

The Imperial State Crown is also used on ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. Queen Camilla wore Queen Mary's crown, which was designed for the coronation of June 1911, and was made of a silver frame, lined with gold, and set with 2,200 diamonds, mainly brilliant-cut with some rose-cut.

The two-hour-long ceremony at the Abbey concluded with the chiming of the Abbey bells, and the newly crowned King and Queen made their way to another waiting horse-drawn historic Gold State Coach. Once back at the palace, the couple received a Royal Salute from the UK and some Commonwealth realm Armed Forces who were on parade that day. They then appeared on the iconic balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave at gathered crowds and witness a Royal Air Force (RAF) flypast.

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The event was attended by heads of state and government, worldwide royalty, as well as community champions. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar represented India on the historic occasion and were seated alongside other Commonwealth Heads of State.

The palace stated that the coronation of the Sovereign is an ancient ceremony, rich in religious significance, history, and pageantry. The service is deeply sacred and traditional while reflecting the monarch's role today and looking towards the future.

(With inputs from agencies)