8 important details you might have missed from King Charles' coronation and the meaning behind them

The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. The ceremony confirmed Charles' role as monarch of the United Kingdom after he ascended the throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022.

The historic event involved a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey before Charles and Camilla were officially crowned. It was attended by 2,200 guests, according to a palace press release, and the procession and coronation were televised worldwide. Whether you watched from home or from afar in London, there are many special details you might have missed.

Westminster Abbey is a royal church that has hosted many royals over the years, including royal weddings, coronations, and funerals. The venue has hosted coronations since 1066, including the late Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, according to its official website. Charles is the 40th monarch to be coronated there, Insider previously reported.

The church was the location of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's royal wedding in 1947 and the monarch's funeral in September 2022.

Westminster Abbey is also the church where Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011.

Charles' coronation was the first British coronation to be held in 70 years, and it's clear he wasn't afraid to do things differently. There were more than 2,200 guests in attendance, which is drastically smaller than the 8,000 attendees at Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953.

The BBC reported that the holy oil used to anoint Charles as king was animal cruelty-free, as it was created using olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli and benzoin, and orange blossom.

Previous oils used in royal anointments consisted of civet oil, from the glands of the small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales, the BBC reports.

There were multiple flower arrangements placed at various locations in Westminster Abbey for the coronation, including at The Grave of the Unknown Warrior, belonging to an unknown British soldier from the First World War, according to the royal family website.

Flowers framing the grave included sprigs of rosemary, bay for virtue, bluebells and forget-me-nots for constancy of love, daffodils for chivalry, cowslips, lilac for memories of youth, and lily of the valley and auriculas, which both appeared in Camilla's wedding bouquet in 2005, according to a palace press release.

Camilla was crowned with the Queen Mary's Crown, which was created in 1911 for Queen Mary, the consort of King George V, according to a press release on the royal family website.

The crown was adjusted with some personal touches to reflect Camilla's personal style and was also reset with Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds which belonged to Queen Elizabeth and were often worn by her as brooches, the website adds.

Charles was crowned with the St. Edward's Crown, the same crown that was used at his mother Queen Elizabeth's coronation, according to Historic Royal Palaces.

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, wore a custom Alexander McQueen dress that was embroidered with the national flowers of the United Kingdom: roses for England; thistles for Scotland; shamrocks for Northern Ireland; and daffodils for Wales, the Daily Mail reports.

She accessorized with an Alexandra McQueen silver headpiece, pearl and diamond earrings that belonged to Princess Diana, and a necklace that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, the publication added.

Prince Harry attended the event solo, as Meghan Markle and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet remained in California. It's not known why Meghan chose not to attend, though it's worth noting that the coronation is on the same day as Archie's 4th birthday.

The coronation marked Harry's first appearance alongside the royal family since the publication of his memoir, "Spare," in January.

He appeared to be on good terms with the royals; he was seated next to his cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, and was photographed smiling and chatting with Princess Anne. However, he didn't interact with his brother, Prince William, during the coronation despite being seated two rows apart.

Charles and Camilla selected some of their grandchildren to be their Pages of Honor, who were responsible for carrying their robes during the procession. The Pages of Honor stood for photos with the couple on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the ceremony.

Charles' Pages included Prince William and Kate Middleton's eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince George, as well as Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Master Nicholas Barclay, and Master Ralph Tollemache.

Meanwhile, Camilla chose her grandsons, Master Gus and Master Louis Lopes and Master Freddy Parker Bowles, and her great-nephew, Master Arthur Elliot, to be her Pages.

They were also joined on the palace balcony by royal family members including William, Kate, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne, though Harry was noticeably missing.