Photos show the moment Charles was officially crowned king, making history as the oldest British monarch

• King Charles took the throne when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in September 2022.

• His reign was formalized at his coronation on Saturday, which involved sacred traditions.

• After being anointed with holy oil and swearing his oath, Charles was officially crowned king.

King Charles III took over the throne from his predecessor and mother, Queen Elizabeth II, when she died in September 2022.

Upon the death of the Queen, Charles immediately was proclaimed the monarch. However, his reign wasn’t formalized until his coronation, which took place on Saturday.

In front of millions tuning in from around the world and the roughly 2,200 guests invited to the special ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Charles cemented his place in British royal history. At 73, he is the oldest British monarch to have ever taken the throne. Take a look at these photos showing the start of his reign.

The official crowning of Charles started with the five phases. The first involved guests saluting him with the “God Save the King!” chant.

Then, the king made an oath promising to support the Church of England and the law.

In the third phase, Charles was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The king is the first monarch in history to use animal cruelty-free anointment oil.

Charles then received royal regalia, including an orb and sceptre.

Finally, Charles was crowned King of the United Kingdom with the St Edward’s Crown, the same crown Queen Elizabeth was crowned with 70 years ago.

The Archbishop of Canterbury appeared to check the crown was on Charles’ head securely. The crown is made of gold and weighs almost 5 pounds.

Source: Royal Collection Trust

Prince William then pledged his allegiance to Charles before guests in the abbey and the public watching the televised event were invited to do the same.

Camilla was then crowned with the Queen Mary Crown, officially making her Queen of the United Kingdom.

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