Charles III is crowned king on Saturday in a solemn Christian ritual dating back a thousand years of history and tradition but adapted to reflect the image of Britain in the twenty-first century.

King Edward's Crown, the sacred symbol of the throne's power made of pure gold and used once during the reign, will be placed on Charles' head at 11:00 GMT to the sound of cries of "God save the King".

Trumpets will sound across London's Westminster Abbey and ceremonial cannons will be fired from land and sea to mark the first coronation of a British monarch since 1953, and only the fifth since 1838.

Church bells will ring across the country, before enthusiastic infantry and cavalry parade 7,000 soldiers through the streets of the capital.

King Charles and his wife, Camilla, who will be crowned queen, will return to Buckingham Palace in the gilded carriage that is rarely used, in front of large crowds, before watching an aerial show from the palace balcony.

The coronation ceremony is the second of its kind to be broadcasted on television and the first in color and on the Internet streaming service. It is a religious confirmation of Charles' accession to the throne.

And Charles, 74, has been the British monarch since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, seven decades after he assumed the throne.

Much of the two-hour Anglican ceremony will take place in Westminster Abbey, presided over by Jason Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a thousand-year legacy from the king's 39 ancestors who have been crowned in Westminster Abbey since 1066.

But while many of the rites and traditions of recognizing Charles as king remained unchanged, the king sought to modernize other aspects of the ceremony.

Women bishops will participate for the first time, as well as leaders of other religious minorities, and the Pythagorean languages will also have a prominent role.

As king, Charles heads the Church of England but leads a country more religiously and ethnically diverse than the one his mother inherited in the shadow of World War Two.

Charles also sought to make the 2,300 guest list more representative of British society, inviting members of the public to sit alongside heads of state, kings and princes from around the world.

In another change of tradition, the ceremony's logo will reflect Charles' enduring concern for biodiversity and sustainability.

From the Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland to Cornwall at the west coast tip of England, Westminster Abbey will be filled with seasonal flowers and boughs of green.

Single-use flower foams are banned, and all flowers will be donated to charities that help the elderly and the vulnerable.

Recycled ceremonial gowns from previous coronations will be used, and the oil Charles will be anointed with will be vegetable-based.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak deemed the event "a proud expression of our history, culture and traditions".

"A moment of exceptional national pride... living proof of the modern character of our country and traditions we cherish through which a new era is being born," he said.

But not everyone is convinced of that. Polls indicate declining support for the British crown, especially among younger men, with calls for modernization or the abolition of the entire monarchy.

And the Republicans, who demand an elected head of state, promised to stage a protest on coronation day with slogans saying "Not mine" (Nat May King).

Outside the UK, Charles's position as heir to the throne is weakening in 14 of the Commonwealth countries.

Earlier this week, Belize and Jamaica hinted at steps towards becoming a republic, and Australia, Canada and other countries are likely to take similar steps.

As for the British, who suffer from the high cost of living, they wonder why taxpayers should bear the cost of the ceremony, which is estimated at more than 100 million pounds ($ 126 million).

However, the royal crowds that camp all week on The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace are proof that the royal family still has a role in British history and tradition.

Many of these have been flown in from abroad, confirming the monarchy's unique position as the world's greatest British icon.

The coronation is the culmination of a three-day ceremony that includes a concert at Windsor Castle, west London, on Sunday night.

"It's amazing," Karen Chamberlain, 57, who works for a charity, told AFP. This woman set up a tent for her with her sister and son, hoping to follow the ceremony from the best places.
"Our mother came to London in 1953. Coming here is a way of saying we are proud of the throne. May we be here when (Charles's heir) William becomes king," she added.