Ornate coronation ceremonies in Thailand
Thailand is holding three days of coronation ceremonies for King Maja Vajiralongkorn, who ascended the throne in 2016. The ceremonies follow a period of mourning for his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Wearing a 200-year-old crown
In one of Saturday's ceremonies, the king put on a crown weighing 7.3 kilograms (16 pounds) and measuring 66 centimeters (26 inches) in height. It symbolizes his royal powers, which include the right to intervene in government affairs. "I shall reign in righteousness for the benefits of the kingdom and the people forever," he said in his traditional first royal command.
Regal arrival
King Maja Vajiralongkorn arrived at the Grand Palace in Bangkok in a Daimler DE36 from the now-defunct British Daimler Company, with streets before the building lined with officials. Although he has already reigned as constitutional monarch since 2016, the ceremonies will fully and formally invest him with regal power.
Army in attendance
No coronation would be complete without immaculately attired King's Guard soldiers. Thailand's army plays a major role in the country's politics and the country is currently ruled by a military junta since a 2014 coup. But opposition politicians are seeking to push the army out of politics.
Artillery salute
Cannon were fired to salute the king while ceremonies began in the Grand Palace. Horns and pipes also accompanied the moment when the king was anointed with consecrated water taken from more than a hundred sites across the country.
Water purification ritual
The king donned a white robe for the Royal Purification Ceremony, which saw him showered with water from old royal water vessels. The rites are a combination of Hindu and Buddhist practices and go back centuries. The king, who will also be known as Rama X, is the 10th in the Chakri dynasty, which has reigned since 1782.
Watching on television
The coronation, costing around $31 million (€27.6 million), was broadcast on television, with subjects also able to watch it on LED screens sited outside the palace. But people should avoid making any negative comments about the coronation or the king or they may risk severe penalties for lese-majeste.
A royal procession
Wearing a traditional golden costume, the king was carried on a palanquin by orange-clad soldiers to greet more than 150,000 people sitting along the roads of Bangkok. Many of the spectators wore yellow — a color associated with the monarchy. The king's carriage was also surrounded by soldiers carrying swords and others playing music.