A sizable part of my pedigree can be traced back to England; complete with my early ancestors being nobility prior to their migration to America in the 1600’s. I have often wondered why they would leave "a privileged life" to face the unknown and hardships of a new land.

That being said, the descendants of these ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War for freedom from British ties. In 1776, America became its own country free of all connection to the British monarchy. As an American, I can’t fully understand the current tight relationship that the King and Queen of England still have with so many modern-day countries that were once part of the British empire; including our neighbors to the North. I find it curious.

I really didn’t plan to watch Charles’ coronation. It took place in the middle of the night here when “normal people” should be asleep. However, I got to bed very late (for other reasons) and casually flipped on CNN for a couple of minutes before going to sleep. Well, 6 hours ahead of us, the procession to Westminster Abby had started. Seeing history happening “live” got me hooked me into watching more and more until I had stayed up all night watching the entire church service. I finally gave up and tried to get a couple of hours sleep, as the new king and his wife left the Westminster Abby. CNN had a programing note that the entire coronation would be rebroadcasted for America during Prime Time that evening. So, I figured I could then watch what-I-had-missed. However, there sadly had been still another mass shooting in America; so, CNN had to use the time slot for live US news.

As a result, I turned to PBS to tried to find a rebroadcast of the coronation, but no luck. Oddly, I finally discovered that C-Span was airing the entire ceremony and the royal celebration afterwards. The C-SPAN network's core programming is live coverage of the U.S. House and Senate, with the C-SPAN channel emphasizing the United States House of Representatives. So, this seemed to be a strange place to find the King of England’s coronation. Whatever.

I got to see the ending that I had missed after I couldn’t stay awake any longer. It was very interesting to watch the entire televised public event. It was historic. And well worth watching.

Although I don’t understand the modern monarchy, Queen Elizabeth was always “there” for my entire lifetime plus. She has always been a respected world figure. Watching her son’s coronation was kind of like taking a trip back to the historic past when other English Kings and Queens were crowned in Westminster Abby. If Charles’ coronation was “scaled back”, I can just image the pomp and pageantry in days of old. Fascinating. Just as are the Royal Jewels. Did you all notice that necklace on Camilla???

My photo above is just a snapshot of the TV: a memory of how I saw the event on this side of the Pond. Nothing more. However, there were a lot of average people in England who got to celebrate the coronation in person. Seeing their overwhelming joy - via the magic of TV - was my favorite part of it all. Although the British monarchy is no longer what it once was, it still is a beloved "tradition" for many. I respect that. I'm glad I got to see the entire televised coronation of now King Charles.