THE KING and Queen gave their people a royal first today, performing an ENCORE on the Buckingham Palace balcony after viewing a dazzling flypast by the Royal Air Force and the Red Arrows as Charles the III was Coronated in a “Shakespearian” ceremony and a truly spectacular day of British history, pomp and ceremony.
Despite the bad weather in London – it didn’t stop King Charles with an impressive encore return on the balcony sending thousands of royal fans wild outside the Palace.
Working members of the Royal Family and the King and Queen’s Page Boys joined them on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the coronation flypast.
The newly-crowned monarchs were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, nine – one of the page boys – Prince Louis, five, and eight-year-old Princess Charlotte.
George arrived before his parents and siblings with his fellow Pages of Honour, Lord Oliver Chomondeley, 13, Nicholas Barclay, also 13, and 12-year-old Ralph Tollemache, who are all sons of the king’s friends.
And Camilla’s Pages Gus and Louis Lopes, both 13, Camilla’s daughter Laure and her husband Harry’s children.
As well as their cousin Freddy Parker Bowles, also 13, Camilla’s son Tom’s offspring, and Camilla’s 10-year-old great-nephew Arthur Elliot.
Anne, Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Lady Louise Windsor were also there for the historical moment.
Following an impressive display from the few aircraft involved in the scaled-back flypast over The Mall and Buckingham Palace, which are lined with masses of people with brollies, the royals left the balcony, only for them to return for an encore, much to the delight of the crowds.
The flypast was much shorter with fewer aircraft due to the poor weather conditions in London.
Only the helicopters and The Red Arrows acrobatic team took part in the display for king and queen, as rain pours down on the British capital this Saturday.
The display over The Mall and Buckingham Palace.
More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force were meant to take part, all flying in different formations.
Prince Harry – who attended the service alone without his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who is with their two children at home in the US – and scandal-ridden Prince Andrew were not on the balcony because they are no longer working royals.
Watch highlights of the historic royal spectacle on BBC One at 7pm with a special Live programme from Buckingham Palace: “The Coronation – A Day To Remember” with Kirsty Young.
