Canadians were joining the crush of jubilant royal fans who were converging on London on Friday, ahead of the first coronation to take place in the United Kingdom in 70 years.
Flag-draped tents were lined three deep along the road to Buckingham Palace as royal fans from all over the world donned fancy hats and plastic crowns, sipped champagne and took photos with cardboard cutouts of King Charles.
Over a dozen members of the Monarchist League of Canada gathered in front of a statue of King George VI 91裸聊视频� the first reigning monarch to visit Canada 91裸聊视频� where they unfurled a huge Canadian flag. They then laid bouquets of red and white flowers at the base of the monument and sang 91裸聊视频淥 Canada.91裸聊视频�
Sally Harris, from Ottawa, said it was important for her to witness the moment in history. She said the monarchists are hoping to watch the coronation procession under a big Canadian flag and wave at the King and Queen Consort as they go by.
91裸聊视频淜ing Charles is the King of Canada and it was very important for me to be here because I think that in my lifetime this is the only coronation I91裸聊视频檒l ever see, so I wanted to be a part of it,91裸聊视频� she said.
She said the scene outside the palace was 91裸聊视频渓ike a party,91裸聊视频� with a safe and celebratory feel.
Security was heavy near the palace, where workers were setting up giant screens to show the coronation, as well as medical tents, bathrooms and designated quiet spaces.
The occasional thundershower didn91裸聊视频檛 dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, although it didn91裸聊视频檛 do much to improve the appearance of the cardboard cutouts of King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.
A big cheer went up from the crowd when they were rewarded with a glimpse of the real thing, as King Charles and his wife were seen leaving the palace in a motorcade.
Several of the tents lining the Mall 91裸聊视频� the route to the palace 91裸聊视频� were festooned with maple leaf flags. A mini Canadian camping section was formed by royalists from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario, who met at the queen91裸聊视频檚 funeral last year.
Futher down, Lynne Paterson had also draped her small tent with flags. The Toronto resident said she91裸聊视频檇 gotten her love of the royals from her mother, 91裸聊视频渨ho must have owned 60 books91裸聊视频� about the family.
91裸聊视频淚 think (the royal family) give stability, and I think because I lived in Britain it91裸聊视频檚 different, they91裸聊视频檙e just such a part of the fabric,91裸聊视频� said Paterson, who spent several years in London. 91裸聊视频淎nd obviously the Queen worked so hard and I really admired that.91裸聊视频�
Canada91裸聊视频檚 official delegation to Saturday91裸聊视频檚 coronation includes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Governor General Mary Simon, as well as several Indigenous leaders, two astronauts, and several representatives of youth organizations.
Outside of that delegation, there will also be other attendees from Canada, including musicians from the Regina Symphony, who will play in a coronation orchestra.
There will also be 21-year-old Jay Patel, who was able to get a job as a cook at the CN tower through the Canadian arm of the King91裸聊视频檚 charity, the Prince91裸聊视频檚 Trust. Patel said he was stunned at the invite.
91裸聊视频淭here was no chance in the world I (had thought) I would wake up and get a call from the CEO saying, 91裸聊视频榓re you interested in going to a coronation,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� said Patel, who came to Canada in 2021 as an international student from India.
The Indigenous members of Canada91裸聊视频檚 delegation include the leaders of the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the M茅tis National Council, who were granted a rare audience with the King on Thursday.
Chief Perry Bellegarde, the former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations and honorary president of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, said it91裸聊视频檚 important for Indigenous people to witness the coronation due to their treaty relationship with the Crown.
More recently, he said King Charles, then Prince of Wales, was given a traditional name in 2001, in Saskatchewan, which translates to 91裸聊视频淭he sun watches over him in a good way91裸聊视频� in Cree.
Bellegarde, who has worked with the monarch, believes that King Charles 91裸聊视频渉as showed and demonstrated a willingness to listen, but as well to open doors and convene and bring parties together to have difficult conversations.91裸聊视频�
While reconciliation is a long process that is far from complete, he believes the King has earned his Indigenous name, due in part to his commitment to the environment and willingness to tackle climate change.
91裸聊视频淲hat better person to head up the Commonwealth than somebody who91裸聊视频檚 already doing that?91裸聊视频� he said in an interview near Buckingham Palace. 91裸聊视频淭o me, that91裸聊视频檚 hope for the future.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频擬organ Lowrie, The Canadian Press
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
