The real pleasure of the coronation lies in the ridiculousness of the detail

The very existence of a special ‘anointing spoon’ is nearly too much to handle, writes Marie Le Conte

I wondered if King Charles’s coronation would end up swaying me (PA Wire)

When I first moved to Britain, I assumed I hated the royal family. I have chosen my words carefully here: it isn’t that I hated them, merely that I expected to, or supposed I did. I am French and not exactly conservative; it made sense that I would be a hater.

When William and Kate got married 12 years ago, I dressed like a Victorian widow and went to an achingly edgy “royal funeral” party in a squat in Deptford. There is still a picture of me taken that day somewhere on the Vice website.

I hated the royal family because I felt I ought to, until I realised that it all rang a bit hollow. I was being both a try-hard and lazy, perhaps because I was still at the age when righteous anger feels like the most obvious option.