Celebrities, heads of states, and representatives from overseas governments were among the guests invited to the coronation of King Charles III in London on Saturday. The guests, from 203 countries around the world, were an eclectic mix including Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska, vice-president of China Han Zheng, and Lionel Richie as well as Saturday night TV legends Ant and Dec.
Everyone was dressed in their finery and some, including Ant and Dec, were seen wearing medals. The wearing of medals is very common among members of the military on royal occasions but it is not always expected to see celebrities adorned with metal on their chests. In the case of Ant and Dec the large gold crosses emblazoned on their chests are the OBE. The Geordie duo were appointed OBE in 2017 at Buckingham Palace by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales.
Other attendees bearing medals included the actress Dame Emma Thompson. She was wearing her medal awarded as a DBE. You can see more about the medals given for different honours here.
Other well-known faces sporting medals included a CBE worn by director-general of the BBC Tim Davie and the same honour worn by actor, comedian, and writer Stephen Fry who was given the CBE in 2018 for services for drama that replaced his previous OBE.
There was a great deal of colour within the Abbey. Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson was wearing her robes from the House of Lords. You can follow the coverage throughout the weekend in our live blog here.
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