There was one Greek moment that stole the show at King Charles III’s coronation ceremony on Saturday at Westminster Abbey in London, the United Kingdom on Saturday.
What was it?
The moment when King Charles was presented with the Jewelled Sword of Offering and his spurs, the Byzantine Chant Ensemble sang a Greek Orthodox chant.
“Incredible to have Psalm 71 sung in Greek, adds a spectre of mystery to the exchange of swords,” one Twitter user said.
“As an orthodox it really touched my soul,” another user said.
The Psalm 71 was requested specifically by King Charles as a tribute to his late father Prince Philip of Greece. Prince Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu in 1921.
The two-hour coronation service ended with “three cheers” for the King and Queen by the members from the household regiments on Buckingham Palace’s lawns.
Between the 2,000 guests gathered at Westminster Abbey for King Charles’ coronation were also members of the Greek royal family. Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and her son Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, as well as his wife Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece were present.
Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, was also in attendance on the day.