King Charles’ coronation: Never meet your heroes – unless they’re the Royal family

Opinion:

It’s nigh impossible to explain what it feels like to have been in London this past week witnessing history in the making and living out a career dream that I didn’t even know I had.

As I stood in the 4th row – not the one behind Harry in the Abbey, but in the crowd on The Mall – I felt more grateful for my nearly 6ft frame than ever when getting a clear shot of every royal who came by.

While the story of how I ended up in the 4th row of a reserved area – complete with food and toilets - is best left unpublished, the stories I was part of and what I witnessed this week will stay with me forever. Because despite writing about the Royal family for seven years, absolutely nothing compared to seeing the pageantry in motion.

From the second I touched down in London the glitz and glam of the occasion were in full force – though it was blindingly obvious that parts of London and the country were not in the mood to celebrate during the cost of living crisis and local elections. Fair enough.

But what struck me was the majesty of London itself, which felt alive again after some pretty tough years. Businesses were thriving, people were shopping, eating, drinking and celebrating their city.

Being on the ground in London also saw some political encounters, as I headed to 10 Downing Street to be part of the media scrum outside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official residence, when our Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins met him.

The pair spoke and exchanged a plate of sausage rolls in the same room that Churchill and Thatcher had sat in, and I got to see the staircase lined with portraits of Prime Ministers past that each had walked. I got an especially British welcome when I was pushed by a member of the local media – maybe my most British encounter yet.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at Canada House in London, while in town for the coronation. Photo/Jenni Mortimer

The following day we headed to Canada House to see our PM meet Justin Trudeau the Canadian Prime Minister - a surprise in the social and swoon calendar. Yes, Trudeau was as breathtakingly handsome and lovely as you may have imagined and Canada House smelt like mahogany and maple syrup with chandeliers to rival those in Buckingham Palace.

And while fancy light fixtures may have been a treat for the eyes, nothing in London this weekend compared with seeing the Coronation procession in all its glory. Sure, Mike Hosking got a seat in the Abbey, but standing with the crowd and reporting on their special stories, I felt like there wasn’t a better, or wetter, place in the world to be at that moment.

As the rain poured down and the carriages came past, the masses literally gasped when they caught the first glimpse of the Gold State Coach. Seconds later King Charles and Queen Camilla came into view, crowns on heads and the gasps turned into cheers and suddenly the polite old ladies in the crowd weren’t afraid to shove in order to secure their heavily zoomed video on their iPad.

The royals, horses, uniforms, crowns, robes, carriages, fabrics, smells and sights were all impeccable and faultless – minus Prince Andrew.

Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte ride in a carriage during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Photo / Getty Images

The next carriage with the Cambridges followed with two future Kings inside, as well as breathtakingly beautiful Kate, the wife of a future king and the mother of another.

It crossed my mind what she must have been thinking on that day, knowing that one day her son would also have a coronation after her own husband had passed on. It’s a lot to process while in a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece.

Then there was strong and sensible Charlotte and truly sweet Louis who showcased emotional maturity far beyond his years when navigating a situation of such magnitude.

The other royals followed; Edward and Sophie with their kids, stoic Anne on horseback, Andrew with Eugenie whose heart must have broken a little when her disgraced father was booed.

And the second they disappeared from view, it was all over and the hundreds of thousands of people began to fill the city’s cordoned-off streets, hoping for a place to get dry and celebrate. The masses of security and police on hand ensured the exit was safe and the organisation was nothing short of impeccable.

New Zealand Defence Force personnel marched through central London as part of the historic Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on Saturday 06 May. Photo / NZDF

The event was magnificent, the company and crowds were the stuff of legends and the city – well she was magic.

And while they say never meet your heroes, this event was somewhat of a career hero for me and it didn’t disappoint for one second. The Royals, the tradition, the pomp and the pageantry were everything I hoped and more.

Even the staunchest of Republicans would have been hard-pressed to not be in awe and maybe a little bit proud to see their flag, their defence force and their dignitaries represented in the flesh.

Of course, there are past issues that need to be addressed and wrongs that need to be put right, but it felt incredible to see so many nations come together in a show of respect and put issues of the past and present to the side in order to gather together in a show of unity. It felt like the Commonwealth nations all had each other’s backs and the Kiwis I met felt exactly the same.

This week we were part of something and we were proud to be part of something. I felt incredibly content shouting “God save the King” with Percy Pigs in hand, a coronation mug in the other and being so grateful to have witnessed the majesty of it all.