For all their recent scandals, one thing you can say about the royal family is that they rarely allow external forces to rain on their parade – but for the crowds who gathered to watch King Charles’s coronation, it couldn’t be avoided.
Outside Westminster Abbey’s ornate west door, press, TV crew and photographers waited for hours in the rain to catch a glimpse of the dignitaries, politicians and – finally – members of the royal family as they arrived in their finery.
The US first lady, Jill Biden, was one of the first to enter, and former PMs Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron then filed in unison into the entrance via a covered tunnel.
One of the last motorcades gliding through the downpour – before the golden carriage itself – brought Prince Harry, who entered alongside his cousin Princess Beatrice and other members of the family including Prince Andrew, who had been booed by crowds on his approach.
Only the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, arrived on foot – in line with the Jewish law, which prohibits travel by car on the sabbath.
Amid all the cameras and soggy notebooks, the artist Phoebe Stannard was capturing proceedings via her sketchpad – one of three artists commissioned by the king to draw this historic event for the royal collection. “There’s been an exciting mood here. I am trying to capture the fast-paced movement of the state processions and the amazing visuals of the ceremonial pomp,” she said.
For the early risers, the day had started off pleasantly, but as the carriage finally made its way down the Mall to Westminster Abbey, umbrellas went up, ponchos went on, and the heavens opened.
Paul and Lorraine Gardner had travelled with their son, Charlie, from Rayleigh, Essex to celebrate. Huddled under two union jack umbrellas on a bench next to Horse Guards Parade, they said that they were determined to make the most of being there “to see history in the making”, adding that “people have made a big effort to turn out even in the pouring rain”.
In St James’s park, where large screens broadcast the ceremony, Amanda and Mark Bailey were standing on fold-out steps wearing the US marine ponchos they had bought online when they had seen the forecast. The pair, who had left Cheltenham at 2am to secure a good spot, said: “We’ve attended lots of royal events and we know that in Britain, the one thing you can’t organise in advance is good weather.”
For Scout leader Kyle Mallory planning ahead is par for the course. He had brought six scouts from his Yorkshire contingent – just some of the 130 Scouts volunteering across central London on the day.
Mallory, who also helped out when the queen lay in state, said: “The weather doesn’t stop Scouts doing anything. We’ve been preparing all week and we’re used to being out in the open.”
He added: “It’s a real honour as the king is our patron and our promise as Scouts is to God and the King.”
Clive and Pat Mann had also risen early, travelling from Sussex with their three grandchildren and two tents in tow. Granddaughter Olivia said she refused to let the weather spoil her fun, adding that she had written a letter to the new king wishing him well and sharing with excitement that his coronation coincided with her ninth birthday.
Anna Mattia had driven her ice-cream van from Croydon to central London – one of many mobile businesses providing refreshments to the crowds. “The cold and damp hasn’t affected ice-cream sales,” she said, “but our hotdogs have also been flying off the shelves”.
Shoumik Saha, from India, wasn’t so upbeat. He was one of a huge number of international visitors enduring the quintessentially British climate. Navigating the crowds with friends, he confessed he felt the rain had been a “spoilsport” and explained that of the hundreds of photos he had taken, most feature umbrellas “a bit too heavily”.
“The rain has dampened my mood a bit, but hats off to the people of this country still braving it.”
Ashley Brown was with her brother, Dan, and mother, Sandra – one of many families picnicking under a tree as the ceremony got under way and they watched live on their phones. “We were in the Uber from Worcester at 4:15 this morning,” she said. “The day has been very wet and my feet are aching, but it’s also been surreal, emotional, and very memorable. For me, the weather has done nothing to put a dampener it.
“I just hope his crown is waterproof.”
