When the late Queen was crowned some 70 years ago, Charles was just a three-year-old boy, who was totally unaware that the event he attended laid the foundation for him to become King one day. And that day has finally arrived.
May 6th marks the start of a new era for Britain. The much-awaited coronation is mere hours away and all eyes are on the British royal family and the big event.
British media outlets have speculated that the coronation will cost around $120 million, though neither Downing Street nor Buckingham Palace has confirmed the validity of this information.
A recent survey by YouGov shows that 32 per cent believe the coronation should be funded by the government, while the rest believe King Charles should pay for out of his own pocket. His fortune is estimated at £1.8 billion (around $2.2 billion).
The event would be attended by around 100 heads of state, and security services have been preparing for it for months. A record 11,500 police will be working on the coronation in what is set to be the most extensive security operation in British history.
The security will additionally include military personnel and three helicopters from the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit from Essex will be in the air, along with other aircraft.
Besides those who would be there to greet and support the new King and the Queen Consort, there will also be those who would protest. In fact, protests have been held on multiple occasions since the passing of Queen Elizabeth by those who don’t want to pay for the lavish lifestyle of the members of the monarchy and want it shut down.
“What we will not stand for and what we will not have is anyone committing criminal acts in the name of protest,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Adelekan said.
“We will come down very swiftly to intervene, to make sure that people that are going about their normal business that just want to enjoy the coronation are not interfered with.”
An incident which took place earlier this week raised a red flag, despite the fact that security has been as tight as it’s ever been in London as the coronation approaches.
At about 7pm local time on Tuesday, a man was taken for questioning after throwing what’s been reported as shotgun shells into the grounds of Buckingham Palace. The person was reported to have shouted: “I’m going to kill the king.” He was also carrying a knife.
“He was in his thirties. He’s been here the last few nights shouting, ‘I’m going to kill the King!’” one witness told The Sun. “As soon as he placed the bag on the ground, the police jumped on him. They were shouting at him, ‘Get down on the floor.’”
Following the incident, Charles and Camilla, who weren’t home at the time the man exposed his threats, posted on their official Instagram account. They wrote, “Three days to go… #Coronation.”
The suspect placed a bag by the gates to the palace grounds. Inside, there was a mobile phone, passports, bank cards, a laptop case, and a copy of the book The Happiness Advantage, about using positive psychology to “enhance individual achievement.”
“Specialists attended and, following an assessment, a controlled explosion was conducted as a precaution,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
“Officers worked immediately to detain the man, and he has been taken into police custody. There have been no reports of any shots fired or any injuries. Further enquiries are ongoing.”
We hope there won’t be any incidents during the coronation.
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