Police arrest 52 people as King and Queen crowned in historic ceremony – live

The world tuned in to watch the crowning of His Majesty King Charles III during his coronation on 6 May 2023. But how has each nation and culture celebrated the occasion in their own way?

As part of the global celebrations, countries and world leaders from across the Commonwealth and beyond have given their support in shows of symbolism and pageantry. As thousands line the streets of London and across the United Kingdom, we explore from North America to Gibraltar just how the world has greeted the new king.

Members of the anti-monarchy group who were arrested on Saturday have started to be released from police custody.

Shortly before 11pm on Saturday, Republic released a short statement that the first of its members who were arrested just before the coronation had been released.

The group posted to Twitter: “Update: first member of the team out (nearly 16 hours in). Phone confiscated.”

In a follow-up post, Republic said its chief executive Graham Smith had also just been released, adding that his phone had also been confiscated.

The Met Police have been heavily criticised over the arrests, with some campaign groups likening them to “something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London”.

Mr Smith confirmed his release from police custody, adding that Republic’s other members were still being held.

He posted to Twitter: “I’m now out of the police station. Still waiting for my colleagues.

“Make no mistake. There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK.

“I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name.”

The coronation was the most diverse in the 1,000-year history of the ceremony, with a guest list that embodied the King’s determination to modernise the monarchy and reflect a multi-cultural Britain:

A council has said it is “deeply concerned” by reports that volunteers who work on women’s safety were arrested in the early hours of coronation day.

The Metropolitan Police said that at around 2am on Saturday three people were stopped by officers and arrested in the Soho area of central London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance.

Among items seized were a number of rape alarms, the force said. Those arrested were reportedly volunteers with Westminster Council’s night life safety team.

The Met said it “received intelligence that indicated groups and individuals seeking to disrupt today’s coronation proceedings were planning to use rape alarms to disrupt the procession”.

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The Princess Royal, 72, served as the Gold Stick during the Coronation Procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. As King Charles and Queen Camilla made their way to the Palace in the Gold State Coach after the ceremony, Princess Anne led 6,000 armed services personnel through the streets of London.

Some unexpected stars at the coronation stole the limelight:

A British expat who participated in preparations for the late Queen’s coronation in 1953 says worldwide interest in royal events shows that “human beings love ceremony”.

Michael Vincent had been one of the “test groups” and had marched in a practice procession almost exactly 70 years ago – when he was 18 years old.

Mr Vincent, now 88, watched replays of the King’s coronation on Saturday morning from Ye Olde King’s Head pub in Santa Monica, California, alongside fellow expats and US anglophiles.

Recalling the build-up to the previous coronation, he said: “My aunt came down to see me march past.

“I was playing the tenor drum because I couldn’t carry a tune so I had the easy job, just twirling the sticks.

“You just did what you were told in those days. It was historic but we didn’t really think of it that way.”

Asked his opinions on the coronation events going on back in the UK, he added: “Human beings love ceremony”.

“Everywhere you go, whether you go to Cairo and look at the Pyramids, there is always ceremonies,” he said.

“The weakness of human beings is that they’re always showing off, that’s why they go dancing on Saturday night.”

Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis stole the show, writes Meredith Clark:

Police have said they “understand public concern” after officers made 52 arrests throughout the King’s coronation day – including alleged affray, public nuisance and breach-of-the-peace offences.

The Metropolitan Police came under heavy criticism on Saturday after what campaign groups described as “incredibly alarming” detentions during republican protests.

Protesters from the anti-monarchy group, including its chief executive Graham Smith, were apprehended during the day – as well as demonstrators from Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising.

The Met said it received information that protesters were “determined to disrupt” the coronation – including defacing public monuments with paint, breaching barriers and disrupting official movements.

But campaigners said the protests were “peaceful”, describing the arrests as “a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation”.

The force confirmed reports from Just Stop Oil that 13 demonstrators were detained on the Mall and six public nuisance arrests on St Martin’s Lane following protests from Republic.

Three people were also apprehended in Soho, three at Wellington Arch and five on Whitehall on conspiracy to cause public nuisance, with another in Whitehall arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment.

The Met said a further 14 people were detained in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.

All suspects remain in custody, the force said.

Over 100 dogs that share the King’s name participated in a pup parade after the coronation: