LONDON, May 6. /TASS/. The King of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth realms, His Majesty Charles III, is anointed to reign.
The sacrament was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in Westminster Abbey in London. From the eyes of 2,200 guests of the ceremony and millions of viewers around the world it was hidden by a special screen.
The coronation, the first in the UK in almost 70 years, and the first time in May in four centuries, is broadcast by all major British television channels.
Although the sacrament was hidden from the public eye, all the details of the ceremony were described by Buckingham Palace in advance. During the sacrament, the archbishop pours oil from an ampule - a golden vessel in the shape of an eagle - into a coronation spoon made of gilded silver, which was made back in the 12th century. This is the only medieval royal regalia of the British monarchs, preserved after the English Revolution of the mid-17th century.
The archbishop applied oil to the head, chest and arms of the 74-year-old king, who is seated in the oak coronation chair of King Edward facing the altar. Before this, the sovereign took off his mantle, ornaments, and all other symbols of his status in the face of a higher divine power.