Prince William pours a pint, meets public before coronation

William pulls the first pint of Kingmaker—a new brew celebrating the coronation of King Charles III— at a pub in London. Pic/AP

Prince William poured a pint of ale and took a ride on the subway with his wife Kate as part of a royal ramble in central London before King Charles III's coronation. The royal couple also took the time to chat with fans, tourists and Londoners on Thursday in the UK capital's bustling Soho entertainment district.

The pair took their first trip on the Elizabeth line, named after Queen Elizabeth II and the latest line on London's busy train network. They then stopped at the historic Dog and Duck pub, where William went behind the bar and poured a pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed to celebrate the coronation. William joked that he would have to watch how much he drank and "get back into work mode."

Hundreds of royal fans - some hailing from China, Canada and the United States - lined the streets hoping for a glimpse of the couple, a handshake or a brief chat.

Criticism in former colonies

Guards carry flags from Commonwealth countries during a full tri-service and Commonwealth rehearsal at RAF Odiham. Pic/AP

For some, the coronation will affirm the ties that bind Britain and its former colonies. But for many others in the Commonwealth - a group of nations mostly made up of places once claimed by the British Empire - Charles' coronation is seen with apathy at best.

In those countries, the first crowning of a British monarch in 70 years is an occasion to reflect on oppression and colonialism's bloody past. The displays of pageantry in London will jar especially with growing calls in the Caribbean to sever all ties with the monarchy.

"The coronation is only relevant in so far as it kicks us in the face with the reality that our head of state is simply so by virtue of biology," Rev. Sean Major-Campbell, an Anglican priest in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, said.

1962
The year Jamaica gained independence after 300 yrs

Aus PM wants a president

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday he would declare his allegiance to King Charles III at the monarch's coronation despite believing that Australia should have its own head of state. Albanese had voted in a failed referendum in 1999 for an Australian citizen to replace the British monarch as the country's head of state. He said he accepted that a majority of Australians chose for the country to remain a constitutional monarchy instead of becoming a republic and would reflect that sentiment when he attended the king's coronation on Saturday in London.

Biden sends wife to coronation

President Joe Biden's has sent wife Jill to represent the US at Saturday's coronation of King Charles III, the late queen's eldest son. No American president has ever attended a British coronation.

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