from msnbc world headquarters here in new york, i am alex witt. welcome to our special coverage of the coronation of britain s king charles. this is london live, you are about to see it is under light rain, it is ten a.m. british summertime. over the next five hours we will step into instant history. the scenes that we watch together will be in high definition, but centuries old. ancient ritual, but contemporary in immediate s spectacle. tradition in scope and afield but accented in modern controversy and attended by a worldwide audience, many of whom will view in fascination. others, disdain. we will try to provide a spectrum of motion and analysis in that perspective as the events unfold. happening right now, heads of state, government officials, and other dignitaries arriving at westminster abbey in anticipation of a ceremony steeped in 1000 years of tradition. the last coronation was 1953 when then 25 year old elizabeth the second was crowned queen as the four year old so
elderly prince of wales. people reach their own conclusions, many people still blame him for the death of diana. many people still resent the fact that camilla was in an adulterous relationship with him is going to have a crowd put on her head. but we have a monarchy, it is inevitable, the majority of people do still, i think, keep the majority. we have a republican movement, we may even see protesters today, but it is quite small. the biggest problem, to me, that with a royal path of family has is indifference. people are much less interested in them than they were many years ago. and the challenge that charles now faces is to somehow revive interest in the monarchy, and if you possibly can, to make it relevant. all of those same rather unseemly issues to be raising on a day like today when we all love these pictures, we all
excitement. we know that king charles iii very well, he has been waiting for the job for 70 years. it does not have that sense of freshness that it did back then. but you can imagine that he must be feeling a level of this excitement as he travels out of westminster abbey. kathy kay, i understand the damage ability carriages passengers to you right about now. are you gonna get a close look? alex i feel like i could put my hand out and touch it, we ve got the best seat in the house. the diamond carriage is just passing behind me with king charles and now queen camilla, the coronation service booklet calls for queen camilla so from now on she will be known no longer as the queen consort, but queen camilla. they are dressed in cream robes. it looks, despite the fact that yes it is raining here in london, it looks fantastic. this is what the british royal family does so well. pomp and pageantry, the history of it, of the cold is sparkling, the white horses with the blue
now about to be crowned. it has been a long, long journey. he has worked enormously hard, he has created an identity for himself, and he is now become king. he is going to be crowned alongside camilla, the woman he loves, and she herself has been on a long journey over the last few years. behind us, as we leave, it is an extraordinary day for the country. for the monarchy, for the british people. i think a lot of people have been here today thinking that we never thought we would see this. it is extraordinary, bringing together of the historic and the modern, and what britain is today. well indeed, queen elisabeth, given her excellent holes and the many years that she is on the throne, people thought that, perhaps, she would continue on indefinitely. of course that could not possibly the case, but something that is interesting, simon, you worked with the royal family helping the queen with her royal image after the