King Charles’ Coronation, In Photos

King Charles’ coronation day is finally here, eight months after the sovereign ascended to the throne in September upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. 

The monumental day ― one that the monarch has waited for all his life ― kicked off in London with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, where coronations have taken place since 1066.

The ceremony consisted of six parts: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning), the enthronement and the homage. 

Following the ceremony, the British royal family made their way back to the palace’s balcony for an afternoon flypast of military aircraft. 

Members of the British royal family, heads of state and even foreign royals (a major coronation first) made up some of the 2,200 guests invited to witness the king’s crowning. While that might seem like a lot of people, it’s nowhere near the 8,251 people who attended Elizabeth’s coronation on June 2, 1953. 

Thousands of people turned out in the rain for a glimpse of the king in person, while millions more from around the globe tuned in to watch the ancient ceremony and the following celebrations.

Not everyone is interested in the pomp and circumstance surrounding the coronation, as the day included protests, most notably from the anti-monarchy group Republic. The group, headed by Graham Smith, invited members of the public to wear yellow and meet at Trafalgar Square from 8am to 1pm. Early on Saturday morning, Smith and other members of Republic were arrested before the ceremony even kicked off. 

“Republic’s protest will be the first time a major royal event has been met by a significant anti-monarchy protest,” Smith said in an email sent earlier this week. “We aim to use the opportunity to kick-start a major debate on the future of Britain’s democracy.” 

See more photos from the big day below: