New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will represent India at the next month’s coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the United Kingdom. The event, scheduled for May 6, will mark almost seven decades since the last coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru represented India. Although the UK had initially invited President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Dhankhar will be attending instead.
The invitation for the coronation, designed by Andrew Jamieson, features the Green Man motif, an ancient figure from British folklore symbolizing spring and rebirth to mark the new reign. The invitation includes the UK coat of arms, emblematic flowers, and a British wildflower meadow and wildlife.
This is also the first time Camilla will be referred to as a queen.
British PM Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, of Indian origin, will lead a procession carrying the UK flag at the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. The flag will be carried by a high-ranking RAF cadet, according to Buckingham Palace.
The ceremony will take place at the Abbey Church of Westminster, with 2,000 guests in attendance. However, Camilla will not wear a crown adorned with the Kohinoor Diamond during the proceedings due to its controversial history. The diamond was obtained by the British during India’s colonial period and is viewed as a symbol of the country’s exploitation and looting.
Last year, in September, President Droupadi Murmu visited London to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sign the condolence book on behalf of the Indian government, following her death at the age of 96 in Scotland.
