Coronation: Charles and Camilla's crowning weekend

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View in browser SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE: £99 £20 FOR 1 YEAR May 09, 2023 View online The coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla saw thousands flock to the streets of London for Saturday's procession and the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, then to Sunday where thousands were invited to Windsor Castle for a star-studded concert, and on Monday thousands volunteered to mark The Big Help Out. We take a look back at the long weekend which marked the historic moment.  There has been fierce fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces across eastern Ukraine since the start of the invasion. (AP) Good morning and welcome to this special edition newsletter, bringing you the latest from The Independent's coverage of the coronation from across the past three days.  Yesterday, the first official portraits of King Charles, Queen Camilla, along with senior royals, were unveiled. Buckingham Palace tweeted the photo, in which the monarch poses with his crown and sceptre, after three days of celebrations to mark the event drew to a close. It came after a number of royals took part in The Big Help Out on Bank Holiday Monday, a day of volunteering aimed at bringing communities together and creating a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend. Prince Louis attended his first official royal engagement, joining his family as they helped renovate a Scout Hut near to their Windsor home. On Sunday night, his father Prince William made a poignant speech in honour of his father Charles at a glittering coronation concert held at Windsor Castle. The newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla joined around 20,000 members of the public at the concert in Windsor where, along with other family members, they enjoyed performances by Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. It all came after across the country, cheers, bells and gun salutes marked the historic moment on Saturday, as the ceremony took place with one or two modern touches but mostly according to tradition – including persistent rain that fell just as it had 70 years ago, in 1953. There were a few protests, and there was criticism over a handful of arrests, but overwhelmingly the day belonged to Charles and a new generation of royals as the King became the 40th monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey since William the Conqueror in 1066. Prince Harry walked alone into the abbey, behind Princess Eugenie and her husband, and sat in the third row along with Prince Andrew – whose arrival was booed – and other non-working royals. Neither prince played any role in the service, and the Duke of Sussex is believed to have flown back to California immediately afterwards.    Here are some of the other headlines from our coronation coverage:  Fans thank Princess Eugenie for including photos of Prince Harry in her coronation round-up Penny Mordaunt boosts Tory leadership chances with sword-wielding coronation role The sweet moment Prince Louis reaches for Princess of Wales's hand during first royal engagement Queen Camilla appears to comfort Princess Charlotte after she stumbles while curtsying to King Charles The best moments from King Charles's historic coronation Comment  In favour of abolishing the monarchy? History says it's a bad idea My heart bleeds for Prince Harry at the coronation – doesn't yours? With the coronation, Charles and Camilla's fairytale gets its happy ending Keep reading for the key points and what you might have missed.   Prince Louis digs in to help out as King thanks Britain for coronation parties Prince Louis took control of a digger as royals joined the Big Help Out day of volunteering on Monday, while his grandfather the King issued "sincere and heartfelt thanks" to the nation for the coronation festivities. The young royal joined Prince George and Princess Charlotte in helping renovate a Scout hut site in Slough, Berkshire, under the watchful eye of their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales. Eager to try everything from shovelling sand to painting a planter base and wheeling a barrow, the five-year-old royal ended the day splashed with paint but got his reward – a marshmallow and chocolate biscuit sandwich. Later, the prince was given the task of filling a wheelbarrow with sand, diligently shovelling the material before wheeling the cart himself. Nearby, George was given a drill and screwed wooden planters together, helped by a volunteer, as his father also assembled the boxes. Kensington Palace described the event as Louis' first royal engagement.   Read the full article here 6 blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments at the coronation The coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla came to an end on Saturday 6 May, after a display of grandeur and tradition at Westminster Abbey. Britain's new King and Queen were crowned in front of 2,000 guests as well as a worldwide audience, with more than 20 million people tuning in to watch the crowning moment. The coronation was a time of reflection and solemnity for the royal family and the nation, as a new Carolean era begins. However, there were several moments of levity that many people could've missed if they'd simply blinked during the ceremony. From an unexpected appearance from the "grim reaper" to the Duke of Sussex pulling an awkward face while taking his seat in the Abbey, we've rounded up six moments you might have missed. For the full story click here  Met Police 'regrets' arrests of six protesters ahead of King's coronation Scotland Yard has expressed regret over the arrests of six anti-monarchy protesters ahead of the King's coronation after being threatened with legal action when no charges were brought. Republic chief executive Graham Smith said a chief inspector and two other Metropolitan Police officers personally apologised to him over what he called a "disgraceful episode" after they visited him on Monday evening. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had earlier backed the Met over the dozens of arrests of protesters amid concerns they were cracking down on the right to protest. The Metropolitan Police issued a lengthy defence as it confirmed Mr Smith and five others have been told they face no further action after being arrested on Saturday and bailed. Read the full story here  We noticed that you might not be registered By registering, you will enjoy limited access to Independent Premium articles, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists REGISTER FOR FREE Essential reading The Independent: From Penny Mordaunt to Katy Perry: All of the best (and worst) looks at the King's coronation The Independent: The local councils that spent the most money on the King's Coronation If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters. Join the conversation or follow us Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Breaking News newsletter. 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