King Charles III is being crowned at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony built on ancient traditions, at a time when the monarchy faces an uncertain future.
More than 2000 guests, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged in and around the abbey as the king traveled from Buckingham Palace in a gilt-trimmed, horse-drawn carriage.
It was the final mile of a seven-decade journey for Charles from heir to monarch.
The ceremony will be filled with pomp and pageantry: There will be crowns and diamonds, soaring music, purple robes, magnificent hats -- and a rousing cheer of "God Save the King" inside the abbey and in the streets outside.
As guests arrived, the church buzzed with excitement and was abloom with fragrant flowers and colourful hats. Streaming into the abbey were celebrities, dignitaries and world leaders, including US First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, eight current and former British prime ministers as well as Judi Dench, Emma Thompson, Australian Nick Cave Lionel Richie.
Thousands of people from across the UK and around the world camped overnight along a two kilometre route. The crowds grew during morning, in intermittent rain, along the route, which the newly crowned King and Queen Camilla will take back to the palace, this time in a 261-year-old gilded carriage accompanied by 4000 troops, forming Britain's biggest military parade in 70 years.
To the royal family and government, the occasion -- code-named Operation Golden Orb -- is a display of heritage, tradition and spectacle unmatched around the world.
Dean of Westminster David Hoyle who will help lead the service, predicted it would be spectacular.
"I'm used to ceremony on a national level. Even I think this is pretty jaw-dropping," he said.
But to republican protesters who gathered to holler "Not my king," it's celebration of an institution that stands for privilege and inequality.
The anti-monarchy group Republic said six of its members, including its chief executive, were arrested as they arrived at the protest. Police have said they will have have a "low tolerance" for people seeking to disrupt the day, sparking criticism that they are clamping down on free speech.
For 1000 years and more, British monarchs have been crowned in grandiose ceremonies that confirm their right to rule.
These days, the king no longer has executive or political power, and the service is purely ceremonial since Charles automatically became king upon death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.
The king remains the UK's head of state and a symbol of national identity -- and Charles will have to work to unite a multicultural nation at at time when reverence for the monarchy has been replaced, for many, with apathy.
Double-digit inflation is also making everyone in the UK poorer, raising questions about the cost of all the pomp.
Charles has sought to lead a smaller, less expensive royal machine for the 21st century. So this will be a shorter affair than Elizabeth's three-hour coronation.
Heir to the throne Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their three children were all in attendance. William's younger brother Prince Harry, who has publicly sparred with the family, arrived alone. His wife Meghan and their children remained at home in California.
Built around the theme "Called to Serve," the coronation service began with one of the youngest members of the congregation -- a boy chorister -- greeting the king. Charles will respond by saying, "I come not to be served but to serve."
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