Buhari joins world leaders for King Charles coronation today

The President, Major General Muhamadu Buhari (retd.), who is currently in England, will today join other world leaders to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

King Charles ascended the British throne on September 8, 2022, after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and will officially be crowned King of England today.

Accompanying the President are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; and the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.).

Others are the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar; the Chairperson/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and other senior government officials.

Other world leaders expected at the event are the wife of the President of the United States, Jill Biden, who will represent the US; prime ministers and royal representatives from the 14 realms where the monarch is the head of state, including Australia and Canada, according to Reuters .

On Friday, Telegraph UK, reported that world leaders gathered in London in preparation for King Charles III’s coronation reception, which would be the biggest ceremonial event to be staged in Britain for 70 years.

Charles, 74, and his wife, Camilla, will be crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey in a glittering but solemn religious ceremony with traditions dating back some 1,000 years, followed by a procession, resplendent with pomp and pageantry.

Royal fans have been gathering on The Mall, the grand boulevard that leads to Buckingham Palace, and heads of state and global dignitaries have been arriving in the British capital ahead of the big event.

Before the coronation, Charles will hold a meeting of leaders from the Commonwealth of Nations, the voluntary associations of 56 countries which he also heads.

Across Britain, preparations are underway for the first coronation since 1953 when his mother Queen Elizabeth was crowned. The king has even voiced announcements for the London underground network, reminding passengers to “mind the gap”.

Set against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis, some public scepticism, and in a modern era when questions are being posed about the future of the institution, its role, and finances, today’s event will be on a smaller scale than the previous one 70 years ago.