A slimmed down coronation for King Charles was still a majestic day for the history books

LONDON − The oil came from Jerusalem. The well-heeled guests, like their headpieces and colorful outfits, came from all over. And the tradition and splendor stretched back 900 years, to the time of William the Conqueror.

King Charles III was formally crowned monarch Saturday in a ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey that combined a religious service with longstanding customs and pageantry. It was watched by millions of people across the United Kingdom and far beyond. Queen Consort Camilla was also crowned.

It was a day of history. Ancient rituals. Tender moments between siblings. Star-studded glamor. But also modern twists. Some rain. A little protest. Recognition that this ascension to the throne comes amid a changing world.

The coronation sanctified Charles' rule, officially turning the page on the seven-decade reign of Britain's longest-serving sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September last year. Her son immediately succeeded to the throne, beginning his monarchical duties after a lifetime of waiting in the wings.

"Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth this seat of royal dignity, which is yours by the authority of Almighty God. May that same God, whose throne endures forever, establish your throne in righteousness, that it may stand fast for evermore," Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said as he placed the bejeweled, solid-gold St. Edward’s Crown on Charles' head in front of 2,300 people during the two-hour ceremony.

Welby had to give the crown a couple of twists to make sure it stayed on the king's head.

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It was the 40th coronation held at Westminster Abbey since the year 1066. It was the first in 70 years, when Charles' mother became queen at a time when Britain was still emerging from the ravages of World War II; when butter, sugar, cheese and meat were all still rationed; when British towns and cities were still pockmarked by bomb sites.

Among those assembled for Saturday's ceremony were 100 heads of state, foreign royals, pop stars, actors, Nobel Prize winners and representatives from charitable organizations dedicated to the environment, agriculture and other issues that have long mattered to the 74-year-old king. First lady Jill Biden was there; her husband was not.

Prince Harry was there, but his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was not, a reflection of the strained relations the California-living couple have with the royal family. Harry's nephew, 5-year-old Prince Louis, wore a blue tunic and dress shoes, and his niece, 8-year-old Princess Charlotte, donned an ivory silk dress and matching cape. They held hands as they walked into Westminster Abbey's Gothic nave behind parents Prince William and Princess Kate.

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The young prince failed to stifle several yawns during a ceremony that was full of prayer and song and awash in candlelight, floral emblems, scarlet plumes, ceremonial swords, and gold, silver and crystal.

Also attending were singer-songwriters Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and British gospel group Ascension Choir, who swayed stylishly in white.

"Britain in 2023 is clearly a very different place to how it was in 1953, when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned," said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. "That was reflected in what we saw during the coronation service with the inclusion of multi-faith leaders and all sorts of things we wouldn't have witnessed back then."

The ceremony had six stages: the recognition, when the king was presented to "the people"; the oath, when he swore to rule according to law, and with mercy; the anointing, when oil consecrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was smeared on his head, breast and hands, in the form of a cross; the investiture, when he put on a cloth robe made of gold and the crown was placed on his head; the enthronement, when he sat on the throne; and the homage, when Prince William knelt before him in fealty and kissed his cheek.

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A procession from and to Buckingham Palace featured 4,000 troops, 19 military bands and dozens of horses led by a rehabilitated police horse named Wilbur, known for his affability and calmness. The procession was a mile long. In a break from tradition, the king wore a military uniform instead of the breeches and stockings worn by his grandfather, George VI, at his coronation in 1937.

In another first, the king and queen traveled to the ceremony in the relatively sleek Australian-built Diamond Jubilee State Coach. It was made to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the throne, in 2012. It has electric windows, air conditioning, hydraulic stabilizers − all the mod cons. On the way back to Buckingham Palace, they opted for the older, less comfortable Gold State Coach, constructed 260 years ago.

The Gold State Coach is made of a thin layer of gold over wood and features painted panels of Roman gods and goddesses. It also has gilded sculptures, including three cherubs on the roof and a triton figure above each wheel. From a distance, it resembles melted wax. According to Buckingham Palace legend, when Queen Elizabeth II used it on her coronation day, her aides strapped a hot water bottle under the seat to fend off the cold and wet.

Like that damp Tuesday in 1953, Saturday's coronation was also a day of rain.

However, the crowds who lined the Mall – the wide and imposing avenue that leads up to Buckingham Palace – were jubilant as they sought to get as close as possible to the procession route to catch a glimpse of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. They didn't seem to mind the intermittent downpours.

There was a common refrain from the rain-soaked: "We'll only get one chance to see something like this."

There was a great cheer from tens of thousands of well-wishers when the king and queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with other members of the royal family including Princess Anne, Prince William and Princess Kate and their children, and various cousins of the king. Prince Harry was not on the balcony. The Royal Air Force’s aerobatics squadron wowed the crowds as it flew past and left red, white and blue trails in the sky.

"As an American living in the U.K., it's exciting to experience such a major celebration," said Hopwood DePree, 53, who watched the ceremony on TV from near his family's ancestral home in Middleton, in northern England.

DePree moved to the U.K. from Los Angeles in 2017. He has spent the past half a decade restoring Hopwood Hall after a chance discovery online that it had been abandoned. He said he recently found an old hand-written invitation sent to his ancestors at the hall to attend King George V's coronation, in 1911.

For sure, there were dissenters, too, outside the coronation.

London's Metropolitan Police said it arrested about 50 people during the coronation. Some of those arrested were chanting anti-monarchy slogans and wearing T-shirts that read, "Not My King."

Groups like Republic, some of whose members were among the arrested, want to see the monarchy abolished and the king replaced with an elected, democratic head of state free from the trappings of hereditary power.

Still, about 60% of Britons say they still want some form of monarchy, according to surveys. Little of Majesty magazine said that eight months into his reign, King Charles III has "hit the ground running."

He said that Britain's sovereign has recognized that he needs to make changes to how the monarchy operates. A more streamlined, cost-efficient structure. Fewer staff and palaces. He said that Charles' style is "rather less formal than his mother's, although he's still very much one for tradition. Often when he's out and about he'll shake hands with people in a way that she never did. It's an incredibly hard act to follow."

Reflecting this, as well as a lingering cost-of-living crisis and a deep generational divide over keeping an institution that has a highly compromised past, there was a deliberate attempt to scale back the coronation. The processional route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey was about a quarter of what it was last time around in 1953. The guest list was also shaved down compared to that of Elizabeth's coronation. There is no official estimate yet of what it cost, though some reports estimate the coronation bill could top $125 million.

The presence for the first time of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders at the ceremony reflected Charles' spoken intent to try to make the monarchy into a more inclusive and representative institution at a time when its reputation has been dented by personal scandals, allegations of racism and its colonial history.

“I come not to be served, but to serve,” Charles said as he placed his hand on a Bible inside Westminster Abbey, vowing to uphold several coronation oaths. He wore a velvet and gold lace robe.

“Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: King Charles coronation: Ritual, glamor and some protest