The coronation of a new king or queen is always a momentous occasion, but in this particular case, it’s been an incredibly long time since Britain has crowned a new monarch. Queen Elizabeth II, who sadly passed away in September 2022, had her own coronation on June 2, 1953. It was the first televised coronation and was broadcast worldwide via radio. It is estimated that 27 million Brits watched the coronation live on TV, and about 11 million people around the world listened in on their radios. At the time, King Charles III was only 4 years old, but today, at the age of 74, he now holds his mother’s throne.
A 2023 coronation is quite different than one held 70 years ago. This time around, approximately 20 million people in the UK tuned in for at least a portion of the coronation, and a whopping 400 million watched from around the globe. But technology has not only affected this coronation in the way that it has made the event much more accessible for viewers. It has also made it much easier for those of us who tuned in to roast the entire occasion online. As with any major event, Twitter users are eager to start sharing memes and hilarious reactions, and lucky for us, this coronation was no exception.
While there’s no question that the coronation was an extravagant and impressive event, it’s also not hard to find aspects of it to poke fun at. For example, the Gold State Coach that carried the king and queen through London weighs 4 tons and can only be moved at a walking pace. It looks like something out of a film set hundreds of years ago and seems strikingly out of place in modern London, surrounded by viewers wearing 2023 clothing. Plus, there are smartphones all around the event, Katy Perry was even captured taking selfies with fellow guests at Westminster Abbey.
And that’s another thing that added to the hilarity of the whole event: the guests themselves. The service lasted over 2 hours, but the live stream shared on YouTube is over 6 hours long. With all of that coverage and over 2,000 people in attendance, the cameras were bound to catch some funny moments! One of which was singer Katy Perry being unable to find her seat and simply wandering around looking confused and out of place. Another clip shared what appeared to be the Grim Reaper walking by outside of the ceremony.
Something else curious that viewers spotted at the coronation was a person who appeared to be in a very obvious disguise. The internet quickly began sharing their theories as to who it was, including Meghan Markle, who opted out of attending the ceremony. However, it was later confirmed that the person behind this “disguise” was Sir Karl Jenkins, and actually, he wasn’t in disguise at all. Jenkins, the son of a a Swedish mother and Welsh father, is a composer and multi-instrumentalist known for his works including Adiemus, the Adiemus album series, Palladio, The Armed Man, and his Requiem. As it turns out, he was simply attending the historic event as himself.
While the ceremony feels like it is set back in time in certain ways, there were elements of this particular coronation that do reflect more modern views. For example, the archbishop acknowledged the various faiths that citizens of the UK observe, and he shared that the Church of England “will seek to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely.”
And while the coronation did include a reading from the Bible, done by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, there was also gospel music, which was a welcomed addition and a first for any coronation. Music in general was very central to the ceremony, as CNN reported that five new compositions were commissioned just for the main part of the service, and even Andrew Lloyd Webber, who’s known for composing many hit musicals including Cats and Phantom of the Opera, created an anthem for the occasion.
Among the 2,300 guests in attendance at the coronation were some household names. All previous UK prime ministers who are still living were in attendance, along with 100 heads of states from around the world and dozens of members of foreign royal families. “Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel all attended the service, as did French President Emmanuel Macron,” CNN reported. And while President Joe Biden was unable to attend himself, his wife Jill did make the trip to London, accompanied by her granddaughter Finnegan.
