After 27,200 days as the heir, Charles Philip Arthur George will today be officially crowned King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Video /AP
King Charles III, Queen Camilla and members of the royal family have appeared on Buckingham Palace’s balcony to greet a cheering crowd after the monarch’s coronation - the first in the UK for 70 years.
The royal couple were flanked by first in line to the throne, Prince William, his wife Kate, and their children.
Also on the balcony were two of Charles’ siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
Thousands of well-wishers ran onto the Mall, the grand avenue leading up to Buckingham Palace, to get as close as possible and get a glimpse of the royal appearance.
The ceremony is expected to take about two hours. That includes the Recognition, the Oath, the Anointing, the Investiture and the Homage.
After that, the Coronation Procession, much larger in scale, will see the royals travel back to the palace, where they will appear on the balcony to wave to the public and receive a Royal Salute from the UK and Commonwealth Armed Forces.
Tomorrow, the royals will then be honoured at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.
The concert will feature performances from Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That and opera singers Andrea Bocelli and Sir Bryn Terfel.
Royal enthusiasts have been encouraged to take part in local Big Lunch celebrations and a Big Help Out volunteering day.
In London, streets have been lined with bunting, flags and ever-present merchandise with coronation themes in the build-up to the historic event.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, meets well-wishers during a walkabout on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace on Friday. Photo / Getty Images
On Friday, the New Zealand delegates to the coronation gathered in an informal welcoming ceremony with Hipkins.
But the beginning of New Zealand’s diplomatic mission to the UK for the coronation of King Charles has got off to a bumpy start with the shunning of the Māori King and tikanga at an opening event at New Zealand House in London.
The event was attended by King Tūheitia and hosted by High Commissioner Phil Goff, with dignitaries like Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro and Dame Rangimārie Naida Glavish also in attendance.
Things got off to a bad start from the beginning, with Goff taking the podium to greet the crowd and welcome all those in the meeting space.
Goff started with the Prime Minister and Governor-General - eventually, with his backside towards the King, he acknowledged the monarch.
The approach was greeted by puzzled faces before Goff went on to make a clumsy reference about how few people in the crowd had seen a coronation, to illustrate the significance of the proceedings involving King Charles III.
That was when the Kīngitanga spokesman got up and interjected.
First in te reo Māori and then in English, Archdeacon Ngira Simmonds addressed the ignoring of tikanga.
“I need to express significant disappointment as to what has taken place here,” Simmonds said.
There was no such tension overnight when Hipkins met his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing St.
Speaking to media after their meeting, Hipkins said the relationship between New Zealand and the UK is the best it’s been in a long time.
“The entry into force of the UK Free Trade Agreement [FTA] clearly is a very significant milestone for that relationship and the future opportunities within that relationship,” he said.
Ahead of their meeting, Hipkins and Sunak announced New Zealand’s FTA with Britain will come into force at the end of this month.
Opposition leader Christopher Luxon has also made himself known in London.
On the eve of the coronation, he visited a pub in London for a pre-coronation drinks function with ex-pat Kiwis.
On this side of the world, New Zealanders are also set to toast the coronation.
In Auckland, that includes everything from the Vector Lights on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge to the PWC Tower and even Auckland’s War Memorial Museum getting a coronation makeover.
On both Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, from sunset, the iconic landmarks will be tinged in the regal colour, and royal fans are encouraged to go down and take a photo to mark the once-in-a-lifetime event.
The full list of Auckland locations lighting up in royal purple tonight:
Vector Lights on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge
Sky Tower
Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath
Auckland War Memorial Museum
PWC Tower
Westfield Newmarket
Civic Theatre
Aotea Centre
Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour
It is just another way New Zealand is honouring the King and Queen Consort’s crowning after Hipkins revealed last month that the country will make a $1 million donation to Trees That Count.
The foundation will work with the Department of Conservation and community groups to plant over 100,000 native trees in He Rā Rākau Tītapu - King Charles III Coronation Plantings.
“The donation will create a living legacy to benefit all New Zealanders, provide more resilience against climate change, and aligns with King Charles’ life-long interest in environmental conservation,” Hipkins said.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (left) greets New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at 10 Downing Street in London. Photo / Jenni Mortimer
It’s a gift that’s sure to resonate with the King, who is passionate about the environment and taking steps against climate change as well as being a keen gardener.
To also honour the King, keen collectors can get their hands on commemorative stamps and coins from NZ Post, launched on May 3. The New Zealand Defence Force will conduct a gun salute in Wellington on May 7, and the next New Zealand Royal Honours List will be renamed The King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours List 2023.
For the most up-to-the-minute coverage, you can follow the NZ Herald for live updates from the coronation. Our Lifestyle and Entertainment editor Jenni Mortimer will be reporting live from London throughout the coronation events.
The coronation will also be broadcast from 10pm NZ time on TVNZ1 and TVNZ, and on Monday, May 8, TVNZ 1 will screen the Coronation Concert at 8pm.
