LONDON: In the UK, people celebrated a truly once-in-a-lifetime event. On Saturday, King Charles III was crowned alongside Queen Camilla, the first such coronation in 70 years.
However, the British are not the only ones who commemorated the coronation — in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar, many locals and expatriates alike geared up to show respect and adoration for the time-honored tradition.
Some older citizens of the Gulf will remember when Charles, who at the time was the Prince of Wales, visited the UAE with Princess Diana 34 years ago, and others will recall watching the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on black-and-white televisions in 1953.
The coronation is a bittersweet moment given the passing of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, but it is one that many in the Gulf hope will symbolize a new beginning for British-Arab relations.
See how the coronation event unfolded with our coverage below. (All times BST)
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14:30 - And Charles' position as king is finally rubber-stamped as the official part of the coronation weekend comes to a close. Thanks for tuning in!
14:15 - The moment the thousands among the crowds who've braved the London rain have waited for, King Charles, Queen Camilla and members of the working Royal family make a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance.
13:45 - Now back at Buckingham Palace, King Charles receives a salute from his armed forces, a resounding three cheers ring out from the palace lawn.
13:00 - King Charles, now wearing the Imperial State Crown, and Queen Camilla leave Westminster Abbey as the Coronation ceremony comes to a close. They begin the procession back to Buckingham Palace, with other members of the Royal family in tow.
12:55 - US President Joe Biden congratulates King Charles and Queen Camilla on their coronation, saying “enduring friendship between the US and the #UK is a source of strength for both our peoples”
12:15 - Queen Camilla is crowned with the Crown of Queen Mary.
12:10 - William, Prince of Wales pays homage to his father, the king, as his "liege man."
12:05 - The St. Edward's Crown is placed on Charles' head as he is officially crowned.
12:00 - King Charles, now in the Coronation chair, is presented with regalia and symbols of his role as sovereign with a backing of Byzantine chants. Among these will be the armills — a set of gold ornamented bracelets representing knighthood and military leadership - presented by Lord Kamall, 56, a Conservative Party peer and practicing Muslim.
11:45 - The sacred anointing part of the Coronation ceremony has taken place, away from view, behind a specially-commissioned screen.
11:00 - The Coronation ceremony has begun.
10:30 - King Charles will arrive at Westminster Abbey in royal ermine over George VI’s crimson red Robe of State and will change into George VI’s purple Robe of Estate to leave the Abbey. Find out more about the fashion and attire on show at the ceremony here.
10:20 - King Charles and Queen Camilla have begun their procession to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.
10:00 - On Friday, in pre-Coronation events, Catherine, Princess of Wales was spotted wearing the Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings in London as she met well-wishers outside Buckingham Palace. Read more here.
09:50 - As expected, we have several faith leaders in attendance at this coronation for the first time in British history, something that King Charles was very keen to implement.
09:10 - We get our first glimpse of the king and queen, who have left Clarence House where they stayed last night and arrived at Buckingham Palace to prepare for the ceremony.
08:55 - From the Coronation chair, which has been used for more than 700 years in coronations, to St. Edward's Crown, to the Golden State coach to the 12th century anointing spoon -- all the regalia of coronations of centuries past will be on display today in London.
08:40 - And from Saudi Arabia, it was announced on Thursday that Saudi Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd would be attending the ceremony on behalf of King Salman, and he was received at the palace by King Charles on Friday evening.
08:30 - Arab leaders attended a pre-Coronation reception hosted by members of the Royal family at Buckingham Palace on Friday, including the King and Queen of Jordan, the King of Bahrain, the Emir of Qatar and the vice-president of the UAE.
08:20 - Thousands of people, some of whom have been camping overnight for several days, are lining the Mall and the 'King's Procession' route in central London and the party atmosphere is building...
08:15 - Prince Khalid bin Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the UK, wrote in his column for Arab News that Charles "has shown leadership and understanding with an impact far beyond his own country," and extolled the strong relationship Saudi Arabia and the UK have shared for decades. Read it below.
Opinion
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08:00 - Charles' big day has arrived and the eyes of the world turn to London for the day to witness a ceremony with its roots in the 11th century. You can get a feel for what it entails and how Charles' links to the Arab world have been strengthened over the years in our dedicated section here.
