Vice President Dhankhar To Represent India At King Charles III's Coronation Ceremony On May 6

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be visiting London on May 5 and 6 to represent the country at King Charles III's coronation ceremony.

British High Commissioner Alex Ellis called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to discuss preparations for the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III

Source : ANI

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be in London on May 5 and 6 to represent the country at King Charles III's coronation, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday (May 2). The ceremony will take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, with 2,000 guests expected to attend, including several heads of state and reigning monarchs.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be visiting London, UK on 5-6 May to attend the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III on behalf of the Government of India.

(File photo) pic.twitter.com/qFxlLfJVLg

— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2023

British High Commissioner Alex Ellis met with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to discuss preparations for King Charles III's Coronation.
In a tweet, "Honour to call on the Vice President before he attends the Coronation - a momentous occasion and an opportunity to further deepen UK-India ties". 

Honour to call on @VPIndia before he attends the #Coronation - a momentous occasion and an opportunity to further deepen 🇬🇧🇮🇳 ties. https://t.co/S83bbMfHAo

— Alex Ellis (@AlexWEllis) May 2, 2023

According to media reports, Dhankhar is likely to address the Indian diaspora during his brief visit to the United Kingdom.

Although the UK had initially invited Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Dhankhar will instead attend the event. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will also be present, while First Lady Jill Biden will represent the United States.

Dhankhar's presence at the coronation comes seven decades after the last such ceremony in the UK, that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, at which former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru represented India. Following Queen Elizabeth II's death at the age of 96, President Droupadi Murmu visited London in September 2022 to pay tribute to her on behalf of the Indian government.

President Murmu also attended a reception for world leaders hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace during her three-day visit to the UK.

READ | British PM Rishi Sunak To Recite Biblical Verses At Coronation Of King Charles III: Report

The ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey Church, with 2,000 people in attendance. Camilla, on the other hand, will not wear a crown adorned with the Kohinoor diamond during the proceedings due to its contentious history. The diamond was obtained by the British during India's colonial period and is seen as a symbol of exploitation and looting in the country.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty will lead a procession carrying the UK flag at King Charles III's coronation ceremony. According to Buckingham Palace, the flag will be carried by a high-ranking RAF cadet.