King Charles III’s coronation was marked by many touching tributes to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.
The historic ceremony Saturday was Britain’s first coronation since Elizabeth was crowned 70 years ago. Charles immediately ascended to the throne following his mother’s death in September at the age of 96.
As Charles was crowned alongside his wife Queen Camilla at London’s Westminster Abbey, many royal watchers noted the absence of the beloved late monarch.
“If anything, I think the queen’s absence was felt more than anything,” royal expert Shannon Felton Spence told Fox News Digital.
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“We are not used to not having her in those spaces. To have a ceremony like that and not have Queen Elizabeth II there is still strange to see. Her absence was felt.
“For the past 10 years, she has very intentionally been moving Charles into those spaces (like the opening of Parliament) so that we would be accustomed to seeing him there, but she couldn’t have prepared us for not having her there.”
Elizabeth was the longest-serving monarch in British history. She ascended to the throne at the age of 25 after her father King George VI’s unexpected death in February 1952. Her coronation took place 14 months later in June 1953.
The late queen prepared her eldest son and heir Charles for his future role from an early age. Royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti told Fox News Digital Elizabeth’s influence on Charles was clearly seen during the coronation ceremony.
“This was the first time in most people’s living memory that the nation and the world saw a royal ceremony of this nature and scale without Queen Elizabeth II there,” he said. “By definition, of course, she was never going to be there for this moment, but she was present in many people’s thoughts and hearts.
“The ceremony was about King Charles and more broadly about the continuity of the crown. We all saw him undertaking his new role with a reverence and respect to the institution, which showed he had learnt much from the late queen.
“He will do things his way, but he had decades of learning from his mother in terms of the responsibilities of being monarch.”
Nile Gardiner, who served as a foreign policy adviser under former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, shared his thoughts on how Elizabeth’s reign had strengthened the monarchy and paved the way for Charles to lead it into the future.
“The queen is greatly missed and retains a special place in the hearts of the British people,” Gardiner told Fox News Digital. “The coronation marks the beginning of the new era of Charles lll and the official end of the second Elizabethan era.
“But the monarchy remains strong, is very popular with the British public and will likely continue for centuries to come,” he added. “The queen greatly strengthened the British monarchy during her 70-year reign and prepared a tremendous foundation for Charles to continue.”
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich noted the many nods of remembrance to Elizabeth that were included in the ceremony.
Queen Camilla incorporated tributes to her late mother-in-law in her coronation attire. Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing the crimson velvet Robe of State that Elizabeth wore for her own coronation. Camilla was crowned with the Queen Mary Crown, which was originally made for Elizabeth’s grandmother Queen Mary in 1911.
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Queen Mary wore the crown to Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip’s coronation in 1953. Prior to Charles and Camilla’s coronation, the Queen Mary Crown was altered to include diamonds from Elizabeth’s jewelry collection. The Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds were inserted into the crown, which boasts a total of 2,200 diamonds.
Kate Middleton also paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth through her coronation fashion. The Princess of Wales sported the George VI Festoon Necklace, which was commissioned by King George VI in 1950 as a gift for his daughter, then-Princess Elizabeth. Kate also wore a pair of diamond and pearl earrings previously owned by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.
The coronation ceremony also featured a floral tribute to Elizabeth and Philip. The High Altar at Westminster Abbey was decorated with arrangements that included branches from trees planted by Charles’ parents.
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“Boughs cut from flowering shrubs and trees from the five Royal Horticultural Society gardens across the British Isles will adorn the High Altar, including branches from the pair of Dawyck beech trees planted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh at RHS Wisley in 1978,” a press release from coronation florist Flowers from the Farm said.
Charles also honored his mother by beginning his procession in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which he and Camilla rode to Westminster Abbey. After they were crowned, the couple returned to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every crowning ceremony since King William IV’s in 1831.
The Diamond Jubilee Coach was originally commissioned to commemorate Elizabeth’s 80th birthday. However, the coach was used instead to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee after its construction was delayed almost eight years.
Charles broke with tradition when he chose to use the Diamond Jubilee Coach for the first part of his procession instead of the Gold State Coach. Many royal watchers believe that Charles chose the Diamond Jubilee Coach because it was the last coach constructed during Elizabeth’s reign.
