In Qatar, the British embassy is supporting a number of events to commemorate the anniversary.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his spouse, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani attended the coronation of King Charles III of the United Kingdom on Saturday.
More than 200 top officials from around the world attended the historic coronation to witness the monarch being crowned in Britain’s biggest ceremonial event in seven decades, a flashy pageantry dating back 1,000 years.
Prior to his coronation in London, the British monarch hosted key officials from the Middle East and members of the royal family during a VIP reception.
He invited representatives from the region to Buckingham Palace as millions of people from all around the world prepared to celebrate the UK royal’s coronation on the eve of the event.
On Saturday, King Charles became the 40th monarch to rule the UK since 1066 after a formal celebration and symbolic ceremony in which he was crowned king.
The attendance of the amir and his wife is a testament to the strong and historical relationship shared between the two countries.
Sheikh Tamim and Sheikha Jawaher sent their best wishes for success to King Charles III and Queen Camilla as well as for the continued improvement and expansion of ties between Doha and London.
On the eve of the event, Sheikh Tamim met with the UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in which the two emphasised upcoming strategic discussion between their nations this year that are expected to encompass topics such as security, energy, and economic cooperation.
Last week, British envoy to Doha told Doha News that the English monarch’s personal interest are heavily tailored into the fabric of the ceremony, highlighting themes of youth, community, sustainability, and diversity.
This is reflective of the beliefs and aspirations of the British people, UK envoy to Qatar Jon Wilks claimed.
“The ceremony itself will have religious leaders representing Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. All Christian denominations will be represented. So the king is head of the Anglican Church, which is a Protestant church, and the ceremony itself will be an Anglican Protestant ceremony but the Roman Catholic Church will take part,” he said.
St. Edward’s crown, the first crown the new monarch wore after his coronation, will also be the focus of attention. It is a purple-covered, golden crown that is adorned with valuable stones.
The crown is made up of 2.23 KG of special gold. When Queen Elizabeth first wore the piece on her head, she noted it felt a little weighty.
Sapphires, blue sapphires, tourmalines, and other precious stones are among the 444 components that make up the crown.
The late Queen Elizabeth II ‘inherited’ millions of subjects around the world when she ascended to the throne in 1952, many of whom fought for their independence in years to come.
With many calling on the monarchy to formally confront its past and oversee the necessary reparations, the crown has yet to indicate any change in stance or political approach to its dark past.
King Charles, who now leads the Commonwealth with the passing of his mother, will begin a new era of relations with its members, nearly a third of whom are in Africa.