- Saturday, March 01, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
King Charles III was officially coronated on Saturday (6) as Britain’s new monarch who succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth II, the country’s longest-ruling monarch.
More than 2,000 guests attended the ceremony at the Westminster Abbey in London and among them were many Indian and Indian-origin celebrities, politicians and public figures.
Jagdeep Dhankar: Indian vice president Dhankhar represented India at the coronation ceremony. He reached the UK along with wife on Friday (5) and was seen greeting King Charles III and other dignitaries at a reception at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the coronation.
Sonam Kapoor: The Bollywood actor was one of the high-profile Indian celebrities present at the ceremony. She also delivered a speech and introduced British rhythm and blues artiste Steve Winwood and the Commonwealth virtual choir at the event, the Economic Times reported.
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty: Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first Indian-origin prime minister, was present at the coronation ceremony as a custom. He also read from the Biblical ‘Book of Colossians’. Sunak’s Indian-born wife Akshata Murty was also among the guests. The businesswoman led the procession with the premier, carrying the UK’s national flag.
Sourab Phadke: Phadke, who was born in Pune, India, was among the guests at the event. The renowned architect is a graduate of the Prince’s Foundation Building Craft Programme and an alumnus of the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts.
Jay Patel: Patel, a Canadian of Indian descent, is an alumnus of Prince’s Trust Canada’s Youth Employment programme.
Dr Isaac Mathai: The doctor based in Bengaluru, India, was also among the esteemed attendees. He is the chairman of SOUKYA, a top Ayurvedic healing centre in India of which Camilla has been a patron since 2010.
Mumbai Dabbawalas: The lunchbox delivery men from Mumbai, India’s financial capital, were also among the invitees and gifted India’s traditional ‘Punedi Pagdi’ turban and ‘Warkari’ shawl to the newly crowned king.
Manju Malhi: A noted Indian-origin chef, who is a recipient of the British Empire Medal for her community service during Covid-19 pandemic, also attended the ceremony. She works with the charity Open Age that helps elderly citizens to remain fit and active.
Raghav Das: The 16-year old from India’s Bihar state was among the attendees. He is one of the 48 King’s Scholars at the Westminster School of London.
