(London) King Charles III thanked the British on Monday, saying their support was “the greatest coronation gift”, as the festivities draw to a close after three days of celebrations.
“Knowing that we have your support and encouragement, and witnessing your kindness expressed in so many different ways, was the greatest gift we received at the coronation,” the king said in a message written in which he promises to “dedicate [his] life to the service of the people of the United Kingdom, the realms and the Commonwealth”.
After two days of celebrations, first very solemn on Saturday with the coronation at Westminster Abbey then more festive on Sunday with thousands of neighborhood lunches and a big concert, Monday – a public holiday for the occasion – was placed under the sign of volunteering.
Hundreds of thousands of volunteer assignments were to be filled with the more than 1,500 associations participating in this “Big Help Out”. Charles’ grandchildren – George, Charlotte and Louis – have made photographers happy by helping out with Boy Scouts in Slough, west London.
Eight months after his accession to the throne on the death of his mother Elizabeth II, Charles III, 74, was crowned at Westminster Abbey in front of 2,300 guests in a millennial Anglican rite. His wife Camilla, 75, was also blessed and crowned.
While it was the first coronation in 70 years, Charles remains less popular than his mother and more than 70% of Britons had no intention of attending any celebrations this weekend, according to a recent poll. The coronation received far less television coverage than it did at the funeral of Elizabeth II in September.
On Saturday, anti-monarchy demonstrators – increasingly audible even if they remain a minority in the United Kingdom – demonstrated in London as the carriages passed, as well as in Scotland and Wales.
Six officials of the anti-monarchy group Republic, including its leader Graham Smith, were arrested before the protest even started, drawing heavy criticism. They were released late Saturday.
On Monday, London police went into length about the arrests, explaining that they had taken place because the six people were “suspected of being equipped to chain each other”.
Under a law that came into effect on Wednesday, criticized as far as the UN, police can arrest people in possession of equipment that could be used to chain themselves on public roads, a technique used by climate activists .
The London police add, however, that the investigation could not prove such an intention, and assures that there will be no prosecution.
Graham Smith tweeted that three police officers came to his home on Monday night and issued an apology, which he did not accept.
Earlier in the day, he had criticized the new Public Order Act, which he said was introduced “to give them the power to arrest us on any frivolous pretext”.
“We no longer have the right to demonstrate in this country, we only have the freedom to demonstrate with the permission of the police and politicians,” he told the BBC.
In total, London police made 64 arrests on King’s coronation day, including environmental activists
