AMIDST much pomp and ceremony, King Charles III is crowned. The ceremony was watched by millions of people across the globe including royalties, foreign dignitaries and several world leaders including President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
The British monarchy is one of the oldest institutions in the world, spanning a period of over one thousand years. The last time the British people, indeed the world, witnessed such a spectacle was seventy years ago with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953; someone who had the distinction of being one of the longest serving monarchs in the world.
The new King is no stranger to the Guyanese people having visited the country on more than one occasion, the last such visit in 2000 as part of his nine-day visit to the Caribbean.
At the time of his visit, he was Prince of Wales and also held the title as Patron of Iwokrama Rainforests, besides being a strong advocate and patron of several charities. He was warmly embraced and greeted by Guyanese from all walks of life. He also met and shook hands with a wide cross-section of the Guyanese people.
Now, he is officially King Charles III and at age 75, he is the oldest member of the British monarch to be so coronated. His wife Camilla has also been coronated as Queen.
Significantly, the new King pledged to serve the British people and all those who are part of the British Commonwealth. Laying his hands on the Holy Book during an ancient crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, the King said, “I come not to be served, but to serve.”
This is no ordinary responsibility and much is expected of him. This reality has not been lost to the new King who in his first public speech said: ”And wherever you may live in the United Kingdom or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background of beliefs, I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life. My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities.”
He had been King in waiting for several decades and is no doubt aware of the enormous weight of the Crown and the legacy of sterling service he inherited from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II who passed away in September 2022.
The coronation ceremony was not without its hiccups as a small group of anti-monarchists was detained by police and had their posters seized. That, however, did not in any way diminish the glory and splendor of the moment which clearly was characterised by unprecedented levels of organisation and grandeur. Making the monarchy relevant and in line with modern parliamentary democracy will no doubt be high on the agenda of the new King’s monarchical rule.
The coronation of the new King has taken place at a time when relations between Guyana and Great Britain have never been stronger. Guyana, despite having attained political independence from Britain on May 26, 1966 and full republican status on February 23, 1970 remained an active member of the British Commonwealth. In fact, a Guyanese in the person of Sir Sridath Ramphal at one time served as Secretary-General of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
President Ali, who was accompanied by Minister of Trade and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond and the Head of Go-invest, Peter Ramsaroop, also took the opportunity to promote tourism and investment in Guyana.
It was indeed a productive engagement between President Ali and his team in the United Kingdom in which several high-level bilateral meetings with his counterparts from across the world to discuss potential collaborations in a wide range of areas took place. In this regard, President Ali must be commended for his proactive leadership role in seizing every possible opportunity to promote the interests of Guyana and the region on the international stage.
