Charles’ coronation was the first in the U.K. in 70 years.
King Charles III had his crowning moment Saturday as the United Kingdom celebrated its first coronation in 70 years.
Charles and his wife Queen Camilla were celebrated in a weekend of festivities, highlighted by Saturday's coronation service at Westminster Abbey.
Archbishop's sermon focuses on service
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, delivered a sermon at the coronation focused on service to God and service to others.
The sermon was written by Welby spefically for Charles' and Camilla's coronation, which has themes of inclusivity and diversity.
"We are open to the transforming love of God. Amen," Welby said in concluding his sermon.
Among the foliage decorating the High Altar inside Westminster Abbey are branches from a pair of Dawyck beech trees planted by Charles’ parents, the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, in 1978 at Wisley, a Royal Horticultural Society garden.
Throughout the Abbey, over 120 varieties of flowers can be seen. The arrangements were made without the use of single use plastics or floral foam, an ode to Charles’ focus on the environment.
After the coronation, the flowers and branches will be donated to Floral Angels, a nonprofit organization that repurposes flowers for care centers, hospices and shelters, according to Buckingham Palace. Camilla is royal patron for the charity.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stepped up to the podium and gave the first reading from the Epistle to the Colossians, the twelfth book of the New Testament.
The gospel is read by Bishop Sarah Mullally, marking the first time in history a female bishop from the Church of England is participating in a coronation service.
In total, around one dozen clergy members of differing faiths and from across the U.K. are assisting the Archbishop of Canterbury in the service.
