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Saturday, May 6th, 2023 11:31 am
I'm watching the coronation of King Charles III, not because I'm a monarchist (I'm a republican) but because I'm 61, not in good health and this may be my only chance to see one.

Can't help wondering, though, what non-British people make of all this flummery,
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Saturday, May 6th, 2023 11:34 am (UTC)
Non-British 64-year-old lady who got up at 5 local time to watch this. I do hope I'll be around for William's coronation, but just in case...here I am. I think I like all the regal foofery because we have very little in the way of anything like it here.
Saturday, May 6th, 2023 06:12 pm (UTC)
Non-Brit, who slept through the night and missed the pageantry, sad to say.

Discussions that include Brits, about politics, have suggested that they'd want a republican system of government, except that the current office-holders are so terrible that they'd prefer this king instead. As long as it stays constitutional.
Saturday, May 6th, 2023 07:01 pm (UTC)
I haven't watched it live on TV but I have watched some video clips, and it seem very OTT to this non-Brit. Especially the wacky names of the ritual objects. Like a bag of RPG loot with magic swords, stones, robes, mantles and scepters. Even spurs and bracelets apparently. It's a bit much.

TBF the inspiration probably went the other way round, but I have to admire nobody laughing while they equip a "sword of temporal justice" on somebody in a state ceremony.

One or two objects to symbolize an office with a ritual can add gravitas but piling a dozen on top of each other comes across as a bit of self parody.
Saturday, May 6th, 2023 07:43 pm (UTC)
what non-British people make of all this flummery

"One *can* overdo it with the historical re-enactment, you know..."
Saturday, May 6th, 2023 09:54 pm (UTC)
Did not get up early or stay up to watch it, but I like the ritual and foofery. ...mostly because it's someone else's ritual and foofery, based on my utter lack of patience with, say, presidential investitures.
Monday, May 8th, 2023 12:56 am (UTC)
Wasn't interested, didn't watch. When the coronation came up in my news feed I did click and looked through some photos. That gilded automobile was wonderfully over the top! I may look up some vids later of the highlights.
Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 05:52 pm (UTC)
I just looked at pictures of the coach, but it doesn't look like what I saw. (That coach is freaking amazing, though!)
Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 07:50 pm (UTC)
I didn't bother watching; I watched (most of) Liz's funeral, because I thought she'd been sort-of lumbered with the job and carried it out, mostly, with a good bit of dignity. Chuck is a non-entity. Anne would have been better! (Though she'd have turned it down had it been offered, I'm sure.)

If Chuck conks it after a few years (he's 74, isn't he?), we can watch Wills's coronation (assuming he has one)!