Finally, He’s King: After 70-Year QEII Reign, Charles, 74, Takes Throne

King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned Saturday at London’s royal church, Westminster Abbey, the first coronation England has had held since the late Queen Elizabeth took the throne on June 2, 1953.

The coronation welcomed more than 2,000 invited guests, thousands of British soldiers, and tens of thousands of spectators who flocked to the streets of London to show their support for the new monarchy.

The historic event that began after 10:30 a.m. when Charles traveled to church from Buckingham Palace in a golden, horse-drawn carriage reserved for such ceremonies since the era of William IV of Normandy.