5 King Charles Coronation Moments You Might Have Missed
King Charles was officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, as viewers from around the globe tuned in to a moment nearly 70 years in the making.
The coronation day had a little bit of everything: appearances from confused U.S. pop stars, shadowy figures walking through Westminster Abbey, statement-making headwear, a few understandable yawns and the occasional awkward moment.
But amid the wall-to-wall coverage, there are a few moments that stood out that viewers might have missed.
Check out everything you need to know ― from the serious moments to downright silly ones ― below:
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1. Nearly 60 protesters were arrested at the coronation.
The anti-monarchy group Republic invited members of the public to protest at Trafalgar Square on Saturday, where demonstrators wore their signature yellow and reiterated their main message ― through signs and chants ― that Charles is “Not My King.” But as Republic CEO Graham Smith and his team “prepared for a peaceful and lawful protest,” he and members of his group were preemptively arrested, with their placards confiscated, hours before the coronation even kicked off.
Smith was released about 16 hours later and said in a statement that the arrests were “a direct attack on our democracy” and that the “right to protest peacefully in the UK no longer exists.” He slammed the Metropolitan Police for arresting protesters and vowed that Republic would “not be deterred from further protest.”
“As much as possible we will continue to protest wherever Charles goes, wherever William goes,” Smith said. “We will continue to protest with one simple message: Charles is not our king, it is time to abolish the monarchy.”
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2. The public’s pledge of allegiance to Charles was scrapped before the ceremony.
It was revealed last week that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the man in charge of conducting the king’s coronation ceremony, would invite members of the public to pledge their allegiance to the monarch during the service.
During the ceremony, the archbishop was expected to say: “I call upon all persons of goodwill … to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all.”
The so-called “Homage of the People” asked members of the public to say: “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”
But after reports of the new pledge caused a wave of backlash and protest, the homage was scrapped before the ceremony took place. Instead, the archbishop said during the ceremony that “those who wish to offer their support” can “do so, with a moment of private reflection, by joining in saying, ‘God save King Charles’ at the end, or, for those with the words before them, to recite them in full.”
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3. Katy Perry was indeed at the coronation, and she got a little lost.
Make no mistake: If you thought you saw someone who vaguely looked like Katy Perry at King Charles’ coronation, that was actually the “American Idol” judge.
The singer was dressed in a campy, head-to-toe Vivian Westwood look, complete with a matching lilac fascinator, lilac gloves and a jaw-dropping choker. While her statement-making outfit turned heads, she also made headlines after video surfaced of Perry looking a little lost trying to find her seat at Westminster Abbey.
To those who were concerned, rest assured that the entertainer tweeted “don’t worry guys I found my seat” after the ceremony was over.
If you’re wondering why Perry was at the first British coronation in nearly 70 years, it’s because the singer was invited to perform at King Charles’ Coronation Concert on Sunday, along with fellow U.S. entertainer Lionel Richie. The two singers are both involved in charity work with King Charles.
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4. Prince William pledged his loyalty to his father during the “Homage of Royal Blood.”
During the Westminster Abbey service on Saturday, Prince William, heir to the throne, pledged his loyalty to his father in the aptly named “Homage of Royal Blood” part of the ceremony.
The prince knelt before the monarch and said: “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.”
William then got up, touched his father’s crown and then kissed his father on the cheek. Charles responded to the emotional exchange by saying, “Thank you, William.”
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5. Queen Camilla’s coronation dress paid tribute to her family members — and her two dogs.
Much attention is paid to female members of the British royal family, as the way they dress and accessorize often carries a much deeper meaning.
Queen Camilla made it easy to identify who meant the most to her on her special day, as she spelled it out in plain sight on her coronation dress.
Camilla’s white dress included the images of two dogs embroidered in gold, which appeared to be the queen’s beloved pets, Bluebell and Beth.
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In addition to images of her rescue dogs, the dress also seemingly included the names of her family members, as pointed out by royal commenter Victoria Howard.
The visible names include Camilla’s two children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes. Tom has two kids (Lola, 15, and Freddy, 13) whose names appear embroidered on the dress as well.
Laura has three children (Eliza, 15, and twins Louis and Gus, 13), though only Gus’ name is pictured in the below photograph. All three of Camilla’s grandsons had a major role at her coronation, as they served as her Pages of Honour at the Westminster Abbey ceremony.
For more royal moments you might have missed from the coronation weekend, check out the photos below:
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The Princess of Wales speaks with guests Friday during a reception for overseas guests attending the coronation of King Charles III.
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People wearing cardboard masks of King Charles III and Queen Camilla are seen on Friday as preparations continue for the coronation.
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Another royal superfan wrapped in a Union Jack enjoys a drink at her camp on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.
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A royal fan adjusts her fake crown as she waits on The Mall in London ahead of Charles’ coronation on Saturday.
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Royal superfans wearing Union Jack outfits stand in their camp on The Mall near Buckingham Palace on the eve of the coronation.
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Charles speaks to guests Friday during a reception at Buckingham Palace for overseas guests attending his coronation.
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The Princess of Wales (center) speaks with Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark during a reception for overseas guests.
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Prince William speaks to Queen Suthida and King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand during a reception at Buckingham Palace.
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The Princess of Wales speaks with the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden during a reception at Buckingham Palace.
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Queen Rania and Abdullah II of Jordan at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
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Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attend the coronation reception for overseas guests at Buckingham Palace.
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Protestors and well-wishers line the route of the “King’s Procession,” a stretch from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, as they wait Charles and Camilla to pass in the Diamond State Coach, in central London, on Saturday ahead of their coronations.
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Charles and Camilla travel from St James’s Palace to Buckingham Palace in London ahead of their coronation ceremony.
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Charles and Camilla arrive by car at Buckingham Palace.
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Katy Perry and Edward Enninful arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronation.
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First lady of the United States Jill Biden arrives ahead of the coronation ceremony.
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Baroness Floella Benjamin (right) arrives at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronation.
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Lionel Richie speaks with Sadiq Khan in Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronation.
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Supporters of the Republic pressure group protest against the coronation on the edge of Trafalgar Square at the top of Whitehall on Saturday.
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More supporters of Republic.
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Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau attend the coronation.
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Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle arrives at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronations.
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Charles and Camilla travel in the Diamond Jubilee Coach built in 2012 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace ahead of the coronation.
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King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan attend the coronation.
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Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses in a selfie prior to the coronation.
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Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania attend the coronation.
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Charles and Camilla are carried in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.
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King Letsie III of Lesotho and Masenate Mohato Seeiso, Queen of Lesotho, enter Westminster Abbey.
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The Prince of Monaco and Charlene, Princess of Monaco, attend the coronation.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrives at Westminster Abbey.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive.
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Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, arrives at Westminster Abbey.
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Princess Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Prince Harry arrive ahead of the coronation.
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Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Zara and Mike Tindall arrive ahead of the coronation.
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Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, arrive with Lady Louise Windsor (right) and the Earl of Wessex (left) at the coronation.
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Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte hold hands as they arrive at Westminster Abbey.
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Prince George (center) stands at Westminster Abbey ahead of the coronations of Charles and Camilla.
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George (center) and Charles outside Westminster Abbey. George was one of his grandfather’s four Pages of Honour at the ceremony.
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Charles takes part in his and Camilla’s coronation ceremony.
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Charles bows his dead during the ceremony.
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Louis pointing at something interesting in Westminster Abbey.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby places the St Edward’s Crown onto the head of King Charles III.
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King Charles III is crowned with St Edward’s Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
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A closer look at the monumental moment.
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A young member of the public is “crowned.”
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A look inside Westminster Abbey during the coronation.
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Charles holds the Sovereign’s Orb during his coronation ceremony.
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Princess Charlotte and the Princess of Wales share a sweet moment during the coronation.
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Prince William touches the St Edward’s Crown during his homage to his father, King Charles.
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The Prince of Wales kisses his father, King Charles III, wearing St Edward’s Crown, during the king’s coronation ceremony.
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Charles after being crowned with the St Edward’s Crown, as William and Charlotte look on.
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Members of the British royal family pictured during the coronation ceremony of Charles and Camilla.
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Charles walks wearing St Edward’s Crown during the coronation.
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Charles and Camilla leave Westminster Abbey.
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The Duke of York during the coronation.
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Prince Harry leaves Westminster Abbey.
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The Prince of Wales exits Westminster Abbey.
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Princess Anne rides on horseback behind the Gold State Coach carrying the newly crowned king and queen as they travel down The Mall.
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Charles and Camilla set off from Westminster Abbey on route to Buckingham Palace.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales return to Buckingham Palace.
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Louis smiles through the window as he travels with his family back to Buckingham Palace.
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George peers out the window over his brother.
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Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, smiles as he departs following the coronation.
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Charles and Camilla travel in the Gold State Coach, completed in 1762 and used at every coronation since that of William IV in 1831.
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Charles — wearing the Imperial State Crown — and Camilla — wearing a modified version of Queen Mary’s Crown — wave from the Buckingham Palace balcony after viewing the Royal Air Force flypast.
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The royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony view a flypast by aircraft from the Royal Navy, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force.
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The British Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, the “Red Arrows,” perform a flypast over central London.
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Louis makes another great face during the flypast, as his brother George looks at him with a grin.
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William and Kate share a smile on the palace balcony.
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Charles give a last wave from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
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The Prince of Wales holds a can of ‘Return of the King’ Coronation Ale as he stands next to the Princess of Wales as they speak to people during a walkabout meeting members of the public on the Long Walk near Windsor Castle on May 7.
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Kate Middleton smiles during a walkabout meeting members of the public on the Long Walk near Windsor Castle, where the Coronation Concert to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla is being held on May 7.
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Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomes U.S. First Lady Jill Biden for a Coronation Big Lunch organized in Downing Street, in London on May 7.
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Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh waves as he attends a Big Lunch with residents and representatives from the Royal British Legion, the Scouts and the Guides in Cranleigh Village Hall on May 7.
