The Coronation of King Charles III Got Political With Colorful Nods to Ukraine

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Hikmat Mohammed
·2 min read

LONDON — The British royals, and some of their guests, expressed support for Ukraine in myriad ways during the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday at Westminster Abbey.

During a reception held at Buckingham Palace for overseas guests attending the coronation, Catherine, Princess of Wales wore a cobalt blue Jenny Packham dress. She paired the outfit with matching Aquazzura pumps.

The princess posed next to U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, who was wearing a black dress with large floral prints in predominantly light blue and yellow. The women posed alongside the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, in one of the gilded rooms of the palace.

The message couldn’t have been more clear — the women stand in solidarity with Ukraine.

Jean Seaton, professor of Media History at the University of Westminster in London, noted that the carpets at Westminster Abbey were yellow and blue instead of the usual red.

The Orb, the Sceptre with Dove and Saint Edward's Crown are brought to the thrones before the coronation of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen consort, inside Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023. - The set-piece coronation is the first in Britain in 70 years, and only the second in history to be televised. Charles will be the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at the central London church since King William I in 1066. Outside the UK, he is also king of 14 other Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Camilla, his second wife, will be crowned queen alongside him and be known as Queen Camilla after the ceremony. (Photo by Andrew Matthews / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW MATTHEWS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The blue and yellow carpet resembling the Ukraine flag at the coronation of King Charles III.

She also pointed out that the livery on the horses that pulled the king and queen’s gold carriage was blue. The color combination was another homage to the flag of Ukraine.

“We are at war, and it’s a very nasty war, and this is one bit of [the British] saying, we’re united and we’re together. We know which side we’re on,” added Seaton.

Kate Middleton’s mother and sister, Carole and Pippa Middleton, who walked into the abbey together, nodded to the Ukraine flag, too, by wearing blue and yellow respectively.

Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden walked into the abbey together, also wearing the colors of the flag.

The U.S. first lady wore a Ralph Lauren periwinkle blue jacket with an asymmetric neckline and a knee-length pencil skirt and matching gloves. Meanwhile her granddaughter was in a long, cream yellow cape dress by Markarian. She completed her look with a yellow floral hairband and a small vanity case-style bag.

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