Stunned Charles’ touching reaction to cheering crowds on the Mall spoke volumes… his biggest wish has finally come true
LOOKING down from the rain-lashed Buckingham Palace balcony, King Charles III and Queen Camilla allowed themselves a loving glance.
They had just claimed their place in history together, crowned before God in a line of succession stretching back a thousand years.
Yet the treasured moment for the couple — whose affectionate nicknames for each other are Fred and Gladys — also marked the culmination of their own romantic story.
If Charles had wondered how the nation might take to his beloved Camilla as Queen, he only had to survey the elated thousands gathered beneath him at the Palace.
The “hip hip hoorays” rang in their ears from a teeming Mall in a chorus of public affection that surpassed anything the couple had received in the past.
The King, 74, who has been appearing on the famous balcony since he was two years old, seemed astonished by the reaction they both received.
“Oh my goodness, it’s wonderful,” he told the Queen.
Some had once believed the public would never accept Camilla as Queen after Princess Diana had famously said, “there were three of us in this marriage”.
Yet in the intervening years Camilla has proved to be a tireless public servant whose deep love for Charles is abundantly clear.
Now tens of thousands rapturously cheered the King and Queen to cement Camilla’s place at the heart of the royal household.
People from across Britain and the globe had camped out for days or queued in torrential rain to wish the couple well.
Flanked by 13 close family members, the monarch and his wife seemed lost in reverence as they acknowledged the crowds’ adulation.
Charles — who had stood on the same balcony to celebrate his 1981 marriage to Diana — appeared genuinely moved.
Before shuffling inside, he mouthed to the multitude: “Thank you very much.”
‘I might give myself a fright’
Earlier, the royal procession had passed along The Mall as the Coronation party travelled to and from Westminster Abbey.
A sea of selfie sticks mingled with low-hanging branches of the plane trees as well-wishers craned to get an image of the gilded coaches and their royal passengers.
Barrister Michelle Fawcett, 52, said: “It was a moment in history and pretty spectacular.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
“No one else in the world does the pomp and ceremony like us.”
Londoner Mark Strasshine, 36, said: “It’s great to be able to get a glimpse, even if it’s a very busy and very wet event.”
After the solemn service at the Abbey, Charles and Camilla returned to Buckingham Palace in their Coronation finery.
Charles wore his grandfather King George VI’s robe of state made of crimson velvet, gold lace, and trimmed with ermine fur.
Firmly balanced on his head was the 22-carat gold St Edward’s Crown, decorated with 444 gems including rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines.
Camilla — in her ivory, silver and gold embroidered Coronation dress created by British designer Bruce Oldfield — wore the silver-gilt Crown of Queen Mary inset with 2,200 diamonds.
Edging towards the waiting balcony, the Queen had understandably poked out a hand to test how hard it was raining.
Evidently she gave the all-clear as the royal party appeared at 2.25pm, shortly before the Red Arrows’ fly-past.
The King told his wife: “I mustn’t get too close to the edge or I might give myself a fright . . . be careful.”
The crowd soon spontaneously burst into chants of “God save the King”.
Londoner Michelle Roycroft — who had been waiting in the rain since 7am — said the royal couple’s balcony appearance had “absolutely made my day”.
Charles and Camilla then retired to the shelter of the Palace’s interior — but their public wanted more.
And, as the chants of “we want the King” reached a crescendo, there was an encore.
So delighted were the King and Queen with their reception that they returned to the balcony for a second time, to the delight of the rain-sodden crowd.
Charles, who had kept his emotions in check for much of the day, could no longer hide his happiness.
The woman he truly loves is finally his Queen.