Vice-President Dhankhar to attend Charles' coronation ceremony; Camilla asked not to wear Kohinoor to avoid controversy

New Delhi, April 29

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar will attend the upcoming coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla in the United Kingdom next month. President Draupadi Murmu had represented India at the funeral of Queen Elizabath in September last year while then PM Jawaharlal Nehru had attended her coronation in 1953.

The coronation will be held at Westminster Abbey on May 6, with more than 2,000 guests especially invited for the occasion. It is understood that the invitation had gone out to Murmu but the Government decided to send Dhankhar for the ceremony. US President Joe Biden will give the event a miss and he will be represented by the First Lady Jill Biden.

From the neighbourhood, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will attend the event.

London sought to avoid a controversy by deciding against Charles’ wife Camilla wearing a crown adorned with the Kohinoor diamond which was looted from India by the British. According to reports from London, “there were concerns about a diplomatic row with India if it had been used” as New Delhi has sought its return. Camilla will instead wear Queen Mary’s 1911 crown.

The Coronation Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the King and his consort arriving at Westminster Abbey in a procession from Buckingham Palace, known as ‘The King’s Procession’. They will then return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as ‘The Coronation Procession’. The duo will be joined by other Members of the Royal Family.

At Buckingham Palace, The King and The Queen Consort, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.