Kenya Defences Forces (KDF) deployed its soldiers to the UK to participate in a joint parade ahead of the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, May 6.
The servicemen and women drawn from the Commonwealth countries took part in the ceremony after training for several days at the Pirbright Army Training Centre near Aldershot, South East England.
KDF soldiers and other troops from the Commonwealth countries marched alongside the King as part of the coronation, marking the transition of power after Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's death.
The soldiers from the 33 countries lined up alphabetically from Antigua and Barbuda to Uganda and Zambia. In the formation, they created a kaleidoscopic display of ceremonial dress.
They then ushered the King inside Westminster Abbey, where Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, led the ceremony.
He was then crowned with the 360-year-old St. Edward’s Crown. After crowning the King, Welby proclaimed, "God Save the King."
Viral Photos Before Coronation
KDF's presence at the coronation event became public after photos of their training went viral.
During the training, the KDF soldiers tried out wearing the bearskin hats, worn by the flag-bearing members of the Royal Guards.
KDF joined the procession as Kenya is part of the Commonwealth, an association of countries worldwide.
President William Ruto also joined other world leaders in attending King Charles III's coronation in the UK.
"At the invitation of the King, President Ruto will attend the historic event to be held at the Westminster Abbey and presided by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welsh," a communique from State House read in part.
In September 2022, Ruto attended the burial of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. According to Buckingham Palace, the Queen, died on September 8, and was laid to rest on Monday, September 19, 2022. Following her death, King Charles III assumed the crown.
