Editor of Iltalehti Sara Valavaara and the photographer Elle Laitila were on the spot in London to follow the king of Charles III coronation. This is what a historic day looked like on the streets of the metropolis.
The army started marching towards Westminster Abbey already before seven o’clock. Iltalehti’s reporters Sara Valavaara and Elle Laitila, who were present in London, noticed that the march was taking place directly in front of their hotel. Elle Laitila
A lot of people were watching the army move to the venue. Westminster Bridge was closed to civilians, so those hugging to the venues had to detour several kilometers. Elle Laitila
The official route to the coronation was along narrow alleys. The bottlenecks were crowded, but the revelers seemed to respect their fellow travelers and the traffic moved forward despite the congestion. Queuing people also moved if coronation staff wanted to get through. Elle Laitila
There was a large crowd of people watching the coronation on the screen in St. James’s Park. The Union Jack was found in the equipment of almost every celebrant, either in the form of an outfit or a flag. Elle Laitila
If you wanted good seats for the screen, you didn’t have to wake up early. Rosemary and Sandra were in the front row, although at the time of the interview they had only been in the park for half an hour. Elle Laitila
Some of the dogs had also received the colors according to the day’s theme. Elle Laitila
The whole Saturday was very rainy. It didn’t seem to bother the party people, but everyone was equipped with either an umbrella or a raincoat. Elle Laitila
The Mall street was really crowded, because people were waiting to see even a glimpse of the king. The luckiest got lifting help from their companions, the smartest had brought their own stool. Elle Laitila
Just before the coronation procession was due to make its way down The Mall, the protesters showed up. The rest of the party crowd did not tolerate their presence, but began to demand their removal with shouts. Expression was strictly guarded. Elle Laitila
At least the sight of the royal carriages made the crowd shout for joy. King Charles and Queen Camilla smiled and waved. Elle Laitila
You could get the best view of the royal couple if you stayed in a tent on The Mall street. There was a chance for such a picture if you could stand still for three minutes. Elle Laitila
Not everyone liked the rainy weather. Fortunately, almost every restaurant and pub had a TV showing the coronation live. People in the Greencoat Boy pub cheered as Charles was officially crowned. Elle Laitila
The coronation guests left Westminster Abbey by Lambeth Bridge. The suits were traditional British style, although the international guests also wore spectacular outfits. Elle Laitila
The army left Westminster by the same route it had come from in the morning. The rain only got harder and harder. Elle Laitila