The 06 May 2023 saw the coronation of King Charles III descend upon London after weeks of build-up. Thousands of people flocked to central London to see the coronation procession, with some camping out on The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace for over a week.

On a grey, wet, and overcast Saturday morning thousands of people started lining the procession route from the early hours, many wearing Union Flag attire, clinging to lukewarm coffees and demonstrating classic British eccentricity. Sand had been laid on the road to cover up the potholes for the king’s procession, perhaps an allegory for the state of the country and the true role of the coronation itself: hiding the cracks that reveal a nation ravaged by rising inflation, incompetent government, and a battered democracy.

Nearby, a group of protestors gathered from Republic to demonstrate against monarchy and to campaign for an elected head of state, waving banners stating “Not My King” in yellow. Their protest continued despite being marred by the unjustified arrest and detention of a number of their group, including their leader, Graham Smith. Another blunder, or perhaps a diktat from above, unveiling a worrying anti-democratic trend in British policing.

As the Gold State Coach creaked by, King Charles sat waving looking more like a clown than a monarch; I couldn’t help but pity him and the ridiculousness of it all. The event had all the spectacle of a child being driven home after a trip to Burger King, but with a bill of over £100 million.