There is a new King of England, a coronation, and preparations for London’s biggest event of the year!

In 1953 Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey after her father died in 1952, because she was the oldest daughter and had no brothers. She became Queen at age 25. Her mother died in 2002 at age 101, but she couldn’t stay queen because she wasn’t from the original bloodline.

The new king, King Charles III, became king after Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8th 2022. The coronation was on May 6th 2023, it started at 4:00 a.m. central time. The day was rainy but this didn’t hold back the citizens of Britain from standing outside and trying to get a glimpse of the soon to be king. The service was about two hours with traditions dating back to the 10th century, with royals dressed with jewels and crowns.

The immediate royal family traveled to Buckingham Palace in a carriage, King Charles and his wife rode in a gold covered carriage that weighs about 4.4 tons and is worth about 4.2 million euro. During the ride, there were anti-monarchy protests. Some booed when the new king passed by. 

The king returned home and went to wave on the balcony of the palace along with his family. A military flyover began with the planes puffing out the colors in the British flag. This was the end of the day, but the start of the night. Some well known artists who performed at the coronation concert were Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Andrea Bocelli.