King Charles Looks Back at Coronation with Rewind Video Featuring an Emotional Close by Prince William
King Charles Looks Back at Coronation with Rewind Video Featuring an Emotional Close by Prince William
One year ago, King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned in a historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey — but the whole weekend was full of events
King Charles is celebrating the first anniversary of his historic coronation in a modern way.
On May 6, the royal family shared a new 90-second video looking back at the three days of festivities held in honor of the King’s crowning alongside Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023.
“Today marks the first anniversary of The King and Queen’s Coronation in @wabbey. As well as the service itself, the Coronation Weekend saw a carriage procession through central London, a fly-past, a Royal Salute by 4,000 troops in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, a Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle and a UK-wide volunteering initiative,” courtiers captioned the clip. “What’s your favorite memory of the weekend?”
The video opened with footage of the King greeting well-wishers on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace on coronation eve, as audio rolled from a pre-recorded message he released at the time for train and tube stations in the U.K.
“My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend,” the message from the King said.
The video rolled to show King Charles, now 75, and Queen Camilla, now 76, traveling to the ceremony from Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and footage from within Westminster Abbey, including the King’s dramatic moment of crowning by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the St. Edward’s Crown.
“God save the King,” the archbishop said, and the congregation of about 2,000 echoed.
The clip cut to the newly crowned King and Queen traveling in storybook style back to the palace in the Gold State Coach and stepping out on the balcony in their robes and crowns (which included a swap for the monarch, who switched into the Imperial State Crown at the close of the church service).
A flypast by the Royal Air Force soared over the palace and the pilot gave a thumbs-up, as audio from Tom Cruise rang out.
“Pilot to pilot, Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time,” said the message from the American actor and Top Gun star in the clip, which originally played during the Coronation Concert on May 7, 2023.
Other highlights from the recap video included three cheers from members of the British Armed Forces plus shots of Kate Middleton and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh at Big Lunch community celebrations on May 7. It then rolled to show Princess Kate and Prince William posing with their children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — for a group photo at a Big Help Out volunteer effort that May 8, where the family of five pitched in at a scout site.
The coronation montage closed with Prince William’s heartfelt remarks at the Coronation Concert held on the ground of Windsor Castle on May 7 and headlined by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Nicole Scherzinger and more.
“Pa, we are all so proud of you,” said the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne.
“I also want to express my pride and gratitude for the millions of people who serve, in the forces, in classrooms, hospital wards and local communities,” Prince William, now 41, continued. “I wish I could mention you all. Your service inspires us. God save the King.”
Although King Charles immediately became the new monarch of the United Kingdom upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, on Sept. 8, 2022, he continued nearly 1,000 years of royal tradition by being crowned at Westminster Abbey. The King put modern touches on the service, from a shorter schedule to sustainably repurposed regalia.
“Charles became King Charles the moment his mother died, but the coronation is to do with the job and being the monarch in the eyes of all the people,” royal historian Robert Lacey previously told PEOPLE.
Much has changed for the royal family since the crowning ceremony. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles was diagnosed with cancer following treatment for a benign enlarged prostate in January (a spokesman clarified he does not have prostate cancer).
In March, Princess Kate, 42, shared that she was also undergoing cancer treatment after post-operative tests following her abdominal surgery in January found “cancer had been present.”
The King resumed forward-facing duties with a visit to a cancer treatment center in London on April 30, while the Princess of Wales remains outside of the public eye amid her treatment.
