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Charles III Officially Crowned As King Of Britain; Huge Crowds Gather In London To Honor King And Queen; Katy Perry Looking For Her Seat At Ceremony Goes Viral; Trump Appears In Newly Released Deposition Tapes; El Paso, TX, Struggles With Migrant Surge Ahead of Title 42 Ending; Former UC Davis Student Pleads Not Guilty In Series Of Attacks. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired May 06, 2023 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:29]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
A historic moment for all of the world to see. After 70 years Great Britain officially has a new monarch. King Charles III was crowned today during a coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Then nearly 400-year-old St. Edward's crown was placed on his head officially marking him as the new king.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the king.
WHITFIELD: Also, being crowned a new queen. King Charles' wife Camilla receiving her crown during that ceremony, as you see right there. And there was elation over the coronation in the streets of London. Tens of thousands lining the streets to catch a glimpse of the royal family. The King and Queen waving to the public from the gold state coach there which was originally built back in 1762. And then a royal salute from 4000 British troops.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three cheers for His Majesty, the King, and Her Majesty, the Queen! Hep-hep.
SOLDIERS: Hooray.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hep-hep.
SOLDIERS: Hooray.
WHITFIELD: All right. And in a moment that some have been waiting for days to see in person, people camping out on the streets. In fact, King Charles and Queen Camilla and the Royal Family stepping onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the crowds lining them all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. It was a day and many will never forget. CNN's Max Foster takes a closer look at this remarkable day in history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A day of destiny, the patient Prince crowned at last. Charles III, king of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the king.
FOSTER: London stood still as well wishers lined the streets huddled in the rain to join the celebration of British monarchy. Leaders, dignitaries, family members and celebrities, more than 2000 gathered in Westminster Abbey for this once in a generation event. Prince Harry entered alongside other Royals including Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived behind the King and Queen and followed them into the Abbey and what appear to be a break from the schedule. King and Queen married in 2005 arrived in splendor. The couple wore their respective robes estates, Camilla in the robe estate originally made for Queen Elizabeth II. The deeply religious ceremony moved through several stages.
First, the recognition. Charles faced the four points of a compass symbolically presenting himself to the people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hear present fun to you, King Charles.
FOSTER: Breaking from tradition, Charles read a prayer allowed.
CHARLES III, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: Amen.
FOSTER: Another first, a gospel choir. Before the oath, Charles acknowledged the role of the Church of England to foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely.
CHARLES III: They will.
FOSTER: Seventy years since his mother before him, Charles fulfills his destiny and takes his place in the holy lineage of kings and queens. Made for the last King Charles in 1661, the Sovereign crown comprises solid gold set with rubies and sapphires and other gems with the crown fit.
From Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, a vast procession of 4000 ceremonial troops accompany the Royals into a new era ruled by its newly crowned monarch.
Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[13:05:00]
WHITFIELD: And as Max mentioned, thousands in the crowd braved rainy weather to see the newly-crowned monarch and his queen. CNN's Scott McLean joining us now from London. And it's still raining but this is very London, right? People are used to this. Walk us through some of the top moments that, you know, engage everyone.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Yes. So, this is very London. This is very English weather as well. But people, they just keep coming here. It's still pretty festive atmosphere, a bit of a party atmosphere, despite the weather, and they've been here all day. In fact, some of them have been here for a few days. Look over here. People were camped out along the Mall to try to catch a glimpse of the procession.
And you can see what is left of a few days of camping. They have some cleanup to do, for sure here. A lot of people that I talked to, you know, we're just over the moon to be here. I met one woman who is 70 something and she sat in the rain on a lawn chair overnight just to be here. Not everyone was so enthused, though. Of course, there were anti-monarchy protesters. The Metropolitan Police say that more than 50 people are arrested and some of them seemingly for very little as well.
The police have just been granted new powers to arrest, make arrest during peaceful protests. They say that some of those people were committing conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. In other words, they thought that they were going to glue themselves to gates or buildings or roads, or what have you. The ceremony itself as you saw in Max's piece there went off virtually without a hitch, but there were a few funny moments.
One of them that went viral was Katy Perry. The singer who's actually here to perform in a coronation concert tomorrow couldn't find her seat, it seemed. And so, she kind of walked around the Muse. Befuddled for a little while and she tweeted later saying, don't worry, guys, I did find my seat. There was also a bit of a timing mix up with King Charles and his son, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, where Charles actually arrived at Westminster Abbey, before his son sort of waited in the carriage for a few minutes and then it was decided that the King would actually proceed into the Abbey before his son out of order.
But a lot of people surely wouldn't have noticed or wouldn't have cared. One of the things I mentioned, Fredricka is this was an amazing exercise in crowd control. So, people were along the Mall for the duration of the day, with the exception of the very end of the ceremony where they open this up and allowed people to come down here towards Buckingham Palace. That building right there.
To see the Royals waving on the balcony there which they saw and even when people were allowed to come down and you didn't see a stampede of people, it was really an amazing exercise in crowd control. Unfortunately for people here, they had to cut short, the flyover, it was supposed to be some six minutes of military flying past it ended up being less than half of that.
They also missed out on seeing Prince Andrew and Prince Harry who were left out of that balcony shot. And I asked some people about it afterwards. And while some people were happy that Harry wasn't included because he's no longer working royal, others realize just how difficult of a decision the King had to make and who to include and who not to include, but it seems like nothing could have put a damper on this day for most people, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Pretty gorgeous day. All right. Scott McLean, thank you so much. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is also among the crowd and in that rainy weather. Salma?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was just a short time ago that the newly crowned King Charles, of course, stepped out onto the balcony with the royal family and gave the many thousands here that balcony moment they've craved. And now that this area is opened up, of course, it was cordoned off for the last couple of days, it's really become an opportunity for people to walk through.
To ponder and reflect on this historic day to bring their families, to take pictures, to have a break. Some families were here for days camped out, waiting to see a procession. Waiting to get a glimpse of this once in a lifetime event. And perhaps, it's the youngest here. You can see so many kids in the crowds, that -- this really stood out. Families were so insistent that this be an intergenerational event.
And that's what you heard from the palace time and time again. They wanted this coordination, to be inclusive, to be diverse. They wanted the public to be a part of it. And as you can see around me, it very much is. After a day like this, of course people just taking this opportunity to take a breath, to think about the day, to reflect with their family. And to remember a historic event.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, just outside Buckingham Palace.
WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Salma. All right. Let's talk more about the opulence. There were so much to take in, wasn't there? Simon Perry is with us. He is the chief foreign correspondent for People Magazine. He's joining us from London. Simon, great to see you. I mean, it was eye candy all over the place, wasn't it? I mean, the tradition, the spirituality of it, I mean, the organization of it, impeccable.
[13:10:04]
But can we -- you talk about the stuff that we all, you know, we're just remembering in terms of the opulence that we saw? I mean, let's start with the king. I mean, that crown was just amazing. And created for the last king in 1661. It was very ornate. But then we understand that it was kind of -- some of the jewels were taken out of the queen's crown, I guess to set a -- I guess, a more ordinary tone if there's such a word to associate with the crown.
What can you tell us about just the tone that was set by the Royals today?
SIMON PERRY, CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Yes. Well, Fredricka, it was absolutely stunning, as you say. And there were jewels everywhere. Although, of course they'd said no tiaras generally, so there were no princes -- princesses around with tiaras. There were still so many sparkles, wasn't there? Princess Kate with her head -- headpiece that had been specially created that had that beautiful floral look to it.
But to go back to that crown, yes, the heavy -- incredibly heavy five pounds of St. Edward's crown that the King had placed very gingerly on his head, didn't he?
WHITFIELD: Yes,
PERRY: Those pictures were incredible of him. It looked almost like I was speaking to a guest. In fact, earlier this evening, who said that they all felt it might wobble, it might fall because it -- the way that Archbishop was maneuvering it, wasn't it? On his -- on his head. And -- well, you wouldn't want to -- you wouldn't want to drop it, would you?
WHITFIELD: No.
PERRY: The Archbishop. It's four or 500 years old, as you were saying. 1661 it was made to replace another one. Very similar that had been melted down in Britain's only real revolution, actually at that point.
WHITFIELD: So stunning.
PERRY: But it hasn't been one since. So -- but yes, that was that.
WHITFIELD: So, Simon, you talked no tiaras. I mean, that was kind of the rule set for this. No, tiara. So, you did make mention of, you know, Princess Kate, that floral kind -- you know, like headband since we're not going to call it a tiara, you know, that she wore. And this was made by a very famous British milliner, Jess Colett. And she's also with the brand, Alexander McQueen. Alexander McQueen is that the dress that she was wearing.
And the flowers apparently were representative of many nations. But, you know, she didn't -- she didn't depart totally from the jewels. I mean, she was wearing earrings from the late Diana, which was a gift, right? From King Charles when they married. So, while she wasn't there, of course, Diana and everyone kind of envisions her as what would have been like if she was there. That was a very concerted, not an effort to bring her into the fold.
PERRY: Yes, it was. I think it's interesting. Kate does this a lot obviously with her husband, Prince William's blessing. He must enjoy this too. These little memories of mum Diana at events like this or whether it be other formal events they go to. And it was lovely that those earrings that were Diana's were being worn by Kate. Of course, if life had been different, three decades ago now and Diana may have been there, may have been sitting as a queen, obviously, is how she would have -- would have been if she -- if their marriage had been happy and lasted.
As it is, of course, it was tinged with sadness that she wasn't there as well, of course to see -- to see it anyway because of her passing of 26 years ago.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: It is a thought that just crosses so many people's minds.
PERRY: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Hey, so let me ask you about the American first lady. She was there. She was apparently wearing a Ralph Lauren, pastel blue dress with her granddaughter Finnegan who was wearing yellow there. The colors of the Ukrainian flag. You think that was intentional? Oh, I guess I'm doing the same thing. I didn't even mean to do that. But yes. Was that intentional on their part?
PERRY: Well, it's -- it may have been. I genuinely haven't heard that directly from them, but it may well have been. It was interesting too. I don't know if you noticed there was yellow and blue it felt in the backdrop in the actual Abbey. Which someone points out to us wasn't a deliberate thing for the Ukraine but also brought out better the velvet -- the purple and the Red Velvet of the -- of the ropes.
[13:15:03]
Well, that was the point of that. So -- but I think it's a happy accident in some ways that it tribute to Ukraine at the same time, I think is what a lot of insiders thought.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Oh, Simon Perry. That was a lot -- a lot of fun reflecting and hearing your thoughts on what has been a really gorgeous day. Thank you so much.
PERRY: Thank you, Fredricka. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Our coordination coverage will continue in a moment. Stay with us.
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WHITFIELD: With Charles' coronation now in the history books. The royal family's multibillion dollar fortune has officially changed hands once again. But the Royals face many of the same economic challenges as the rest of Britain. Here's CNN's Richard Quest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[13:20:04]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: It was King Charles' grandfather King George VI who's believed to have been the first to refer to the royal family as the firm. It is a name that stuck, often used by the late Queen Elizabeth to describe the business of being the British Royals. The firm has a large sprawling financial empire that certainly made the Windsor family rich indeed. But there are many myths about just how wealthy they are.
For instance, the family doesn't privately owned Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, or the crown jewels. These are owned by the nation. There are other assets like Regent Street, Ascot Racecourse and even Britain's lucrative seabed that are owned by another institution called the Crown Estate. In a deal struck in 2011, the Royals have paid the Sovereign Grant. It is set at 25 percent of the crown estates profits.
This money is given as a kind of allowance pays for staff, royal duties and the upkeep of palaces. And the rest of the Crown Estate money goes back to the British Treasury.
DAVID PEGG, INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT, THE GUARDIAN: Whereas something like Buckingham Palace, you know, he can't sell it and take the money and go on a nice holiday. That's as distinct from something like Sandringham and Balmoral which country estates that are associated with them. Those are privately owned by them. And that means that they could sell them tomorrow, if they wanted to. There would be nothing stopping them from doing that.
QUEST: So, what do the Royals actually own? As heir to the throne to then Prince Charles at the age of 21 became entitled to the income from the Duchy of Cornwall. The duchy owns a portfolio of farm lands, art, jewels. It owns the oval Cricket Club and most of the land on the Isles of Scilly. During his 64 years as the Prince of Wales, Charles turned the duchy into a billion-dollar portfolio.
And it gave him a vehicle and the financial muscle to pursue his passions for the environment and climate change.
CHARLES III: I minded about balance and harmony because I felt that if you push things too far, you will always create an equal and opposite reaction, which is exactly what's happened.
QUEST: Charles has taken that message of sustainability, right to the heart of the business world. Something I asked him about in 2021.
CHARLES III: It's been a -- what could only be described as an uphill battle to try and persuade people that you can't go on doing the things we've been doing ad infinitum without having a terrible price to pay.
QUEST: Now there's a debate about slimming down the family firm, and those who are on the payroll.
Some of that slimming has been done for the King already. Prince Andrew is out, Harry and Megan have left, which leaves the frontline Royals shorthanded to actually go out and do the business of royalty. And that's why there's such eagerness about the next generation. And the roles they might play.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome, Charlotte. Lovely to have you with us.
PEGG: And the monarchy has always existed on its own terms, because it has the consent of the public. That's not a one-time deal, you know, that consent needs to be informed and it needs to be accountable, it needs to be ongoing. So, if that's going to require some change, then it may be the only option they got.
QUEST: When all said and done, on the money front, the Sovereign Grant cost each U.K. taxpayer about $1.60 in 2021. For a family firm that in 2017 was estimated by Brand Finance to boost the British economy by around $2 billion a year. In the end, this isn't about hard numbers. It's a battle over whether this is good value for money or a giant waste. And it will be very much on the King's mind in the years ahead.
Richard Quest, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And we'll have more coronation coverage straight ahead. But first, Donald Trump's video deposition is now public. When we come back, we'll hear how he responded to the accusations that he raped a woman in a New York department store in the 1990s. Stay with us.
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[13:28:45]
WHITFIELD: Attorneys for both E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump have rested their cases in the battery and defamation trial of the former president. But the judge has given Trump the weekend to decide if he wants to testify. On Friday, Trump's video deposition was made public showing him for the first time reacting to the accusations.
Here now is CNN's Paula Reid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She's accusing me of rape. A woman that I have no idea who she is.
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Brand new video released showing former President Donald Trump being grilled for nearly an hour in the civil battery and defamation case that writer E. Jean Carroll brought against him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What you're saying there is Ms. Carroll fabricated her claim that you sexually assaulted her right?
TRUMP: Yes, totally. 100 percent.
REID: The tape coming out in evidence during a weeks-long trial all centered around Carroll's allegation that Trump forced himself on her in the New York Department Store in the 1990s. A claim Trump has denied both in public and during his deposition under oath in October of last year.
[13:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She said that I did something to her that never took place. I will tell you, I made that statement and I said, well, it's politically incorrect, she's not my type. And that's 100 percent true, she's not my type.
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Trump at times getting combative with Carroll's lawyers questioning him.
TRUMP: The worst thing you can do, the worst charge -- and, you know it's not true, too, you're a political operative also. You're a - you're a disgrace.
REID: At one point, Trump confusing Carroll for his ex-wife in a 1980s photo with him in it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You say Marla's in the photo?
TRUMP: That's Marla, yes. That's my wife.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Which woman are you pointing to?
TRUMP: Here.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The person you just pointed to was E. Jean Carroll.
REID: This was the only time the jury in the trial heard from Trump, as there's now no plan for him to testify, and closing arguments are expected early next week.
Carroll took the stand early in the trial, telling the jury, "I'm here because Donald Trump raped me. And when I wrote about it, he said it didn't happen. He lied and shattered my reputation and I'm here to try to get my life back."
Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, known for his brash and sometimes confrontational style defending clients, pressed Carroll on her allegations.
"Using your own words, the facts you have alleged in this story, you have alleged here are odd," Tacopina said. Carroll responded, "Certain parts of this story are difficult to conceive of, yes".
Tacopina pressed Carroll on why she wasn't making a scene during the alleged assault. "I'm not a screamer. I was too much in panic to scream. You can't beat up on me for not screaming."
Tacopina shot back, "I'm not beating you up. I'm asking you questions, Ms. Carroll."
Through tears, Carroll asserted, "I'm telling you he raped me, whether I screamed or not. I don't need an excuse for not screaming."
REID: Now that the defense has rested in the case. The judge is giving Trump until the end of the weekend to decide if he wants to testify in person.
If he doesn't, this newly released video will be the only time the jury in this case has heard directly from the former president.
Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: We'll have more from London in a moment, including details of the pomp and ceremony that accompanied the coronation of King Charles III.
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[13:36:33]
WHITFIELD: Welcome back. The Pentagon is sending additional active- duty troops to the border. They will be there to help with an expected surge of border crossings next week as Title 42 ends on Thursday.
That's the Trump-era policy kept in place by federal courts and used by the Biden administration to allow the government to quickly turn away some migrants at the border during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Border towns in northern Mexico have thousands of migrants waiting for the policy to end so they can cross into the U.S.
And while border towns in the U.S. are already overwhelmed, CNN's Rosa Flores is in El Paso to find out how people there are coping.
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(CHURCH BELL TOLLS)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The streets around this El Paso church, have turned into a migrant camp, where desperation looms among thousands who are hungry and broke.
FLORES (on camera): Have you ever seen anything like this?
RAFAEL GARCIA, PRIEST: Not like this.
FLORES (voice-over): Father Rafael Garcia runs the shelter, here, and says that the surge started, about two weeks ago, ahead of the lifting of Title 42, the rule that allows immigration agents to return some migrants quickly to Mexico.
GARCIA: And this is it's an international issue. And we're just like the neck of the bottle or the funnel.
FLORES: With Border Patrol roaming the area, migrants like Daniel Gomez (ph) say they feel trapped.
FLORES (on camera): Can you work?
DANIEL GOMEZ (ph), MIGRANT: No --
FLORES (voice-over): Because they have no money to continue on their journey.
FLORES (on camera): The fear is that immigration can pick you up if you leave?
GOMEZ (ph): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
FLORES (voice-over): He said they have no other options but to loiter and pray. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gracias. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
FLORES: That kind residents, like this woman, who distributed 90 burritos in minutes, will help them meet basic needs.
Others, like John Alvarez, from Venezuela --
JOHN ALVAREZ, MIGRANT FROM VENEZUELA: Glad of the design (ph).
FLORES: -- are the life of one encampment, where he set up a barber shop.
ALVAREZ: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE) $1, $2, $3, $4. $4 -- $4.
FLORES (on camera): $4 or $5?
ALVAREZ: Yes.
FLORES (voice-over): And even at a few bucks a cut, he says he's earned more in El Paso in the last 12 days than in one month in Venezuela.
Across the street from the church?
FLORES (on camera): How long have you lived here?
MARINA CARIO (ph), RESIDENT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
FLORES: So, about 12 years.
FLORES (voice-over): Marina Cario (ph) has been nervously watching the growing number of migrants who are now her new neighbors.
FLORES (on camera): What are you worried about?
CARIO (ph): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
FLORES: She says that she's worried about security and also about potential diseases.
FLORES (voice-over): She says her heart breaks for them, that she's helped some of them with food and water, but that she too lives paycheck-to-paycheck.
Javier Garcia (ph), the manager, at a nearby hardware store --
FLORES (on camera): Do they ask you for jobs?
JAVIER GARCIA (ph), HARDWARE STORE MANAGER: Yes, usually.
FLORES (voice-over): -- says he has no complaints about the migrants.
FLORES (on camera): Has it impacted your business at all?
J. GARCIA (ph): No.
FLORES (voice-over): His frustration is with Texas governor, Greg Abbott, and President Joe Biden.
(CHURCH BELL TOLLS)
J. GARCIA (ph): Not even Abbott, not the federal government, is doing their job.
(CHURCH BELL TOLLS)
Rosa Flores, CNN, El Paso, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[13:39:39]
WHITFIELD: And a suspect is in custody after a series of stabbings near the campus of U.C. Davis. A former student is now accused of carrying out the deadly stabbing spree. What police are saying about a possible motive, next.
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WHITFIELD: During one of the most iconic moments of today's coronation, the royal family took to the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the so-called Red Arrows fly past. Of course, you see the adoring fans there.
This is the view from inside the cockpit of one of the planes from that Royal Air Force aerobatic team spreading the red, white and blue colors high other London in the skies.
Wow, that is a really cool look. And looking down below.
Joining me now to talk about today's coronation of King Charles III is Sally Bedell Smith. She is a CNN royal commentator and author of a new book "George VI and Elizabeth, The Marriage that Saved the Monarchy."
[13:45:06] Sally, great to see you.
So you were there. First hand --
(CROSSTALK)
SALLY BEDELL SMITH, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR & AUTHOR: -- is wonderful.
WHITFIELD: Well --
BEDELL SMITH: It's a rainy London.
WHITFIELD: Yes, rainy London.
(CROSSTALK)
BEDELL SMITH: Really magnificent.
WHITFIELD: You go ahead. BEDELL SMITH: Really magnificent.
WHITFIELD: Oh, right.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: There were lots of high points. What did you love the most?
BEDELL SMITH: The most moving part, obviously, was -- well, we didn't see but we knew what was going on, the anointing, because it is the sort of core of what is a deeply religious as well as constitutional ceremony.
Then of course, the crowning. You know, it's just such an emotionally charged moment.
Then once the king was enthroned and when his son and heir, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, came up and put his hands between his father's hands and pledged to be liege man, it was a very emotional moment.
You could see the emotion on the king's face and on William's face. That was the sort of emotional core.
Otherwise, the music was magnificent. There's nobody who knows music better than the king.
In addition to all the traditional pieces that were within the service, he commissioned 12 wonderful compositions, including the anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber that was played when Camilla was crowned, which I thought was a wonderful moment.
WHITFIELD: Grand is the right word. There was so much that was so striking and beautiful about the entire ceremony.
You are right. Among the most -- one of the most poignant and emotional ones was Prince William pledging to honor his dad. I mean, of course, he is the heir apparent.
But you couldn't help but watch that and also think about Harry. Had Harry not departed from the royal duties with the family, would he have been a part of that moment, too?
BEDELL SMITH: No. He would not. He would have been sort of humbly pretty much where he is.
Because what they did away with this time, which was certainly a factor when the queen went through her coronation with her father, George VI, and mother, Queen Elizabeth, went through theirs.
After each of them was crowned, the peers of the realm all took their gold coronets and put them on their heads. Then it was the archbishop. And there it was a series of hereditary peers who paid homage.
But Prince William was really the only one. In a previous era, it would have included his brother. But in the interest of slimming it down and making it more 21st century, he was the one who paid homage.
There was the now modified request by the archbishop of Canterbury for everyone who felt so inclined to pay homage to the new king.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And it's interesting, too, because I understand that -- I mean, traditionally, the king and queen would assign duties to the prince, princesses, to the heirs.
But in this case, I understand King Charles is not doing that. He's really allowing people to be led by their own interest and their heart.
BEDELL SMITH: Yes.
WHITFIELD: We know King Charles has been very attuned to and devoted to causes about climate change, the environment.
Is that --
BEDELL SMITH: Yes.
WHITFIELD: I guess, is that a nod to a more modern monarchy, that he is encouraging people to do what interests them as opposed to being assigned duties?
BEDELL SMITH: Yes, I think it is. His mother, the queen, had very much that same point of view. She didn't make him do anything other than what he was sort of obliged to do from time to time in representing her.
But she allowed him to pursue his passions and the charities that he believed were going to make an impact.
[13:49:55]
He was the most well-prepared, industrious prince of Wales we've ever had.
And he took the same view with William and Harry. And he didn't expect them to carry on his own charities, but to do what they wanted to do. And I think that was a modern and very enlightened approach.
WHITFIELD: Queen Camilla -- we're all getting used to saying Queen Camilla --
BEDELL SMITH: Yes.
WHITFIELD: -- she was also accompanied by two women, and they were wearing white.
And a lot of times I was thinking to myself, boy, they look like they could be related. They look very similar. Come to find out one is her sister and the other is like her --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: -- like her best friend.
BEDELL SMITH: Yes, yes.
WHITFIELD: Talk to me about the role of the companions, because Queen Camilla selected them as her companions. What will those roles mean? Is it beyond today?
BEDELL SMITH: Well, I think -- for one thing, when Queen Elizabeth II went through her coronation, she had maids of honor who were young women, young aristocratic women, who were in charge of carrying her train.
In this case, Queen Camilla had pages from her family. And she had both her sister and, as you say, her best friend or one of her best friends to accompany her. And they were more there as kind of moral support, I think.
It was kind of a sweet idea, because they didn't have any responsibility for carrying her train or anything.
I guess, when she came in the abbey originally, it was pretty rainy and discombobulated, and I think they were helping things get organized. But they didn't have any formal role, except as her companions.
WHITFIELD: Her comforts, just in case.
All right, Sally Bedell Smith --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Wonderful. Great to see you. Thank you so much.
Beautiful spot right there
BEDELL SMITH: Great to see you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: -- in front of Buckingham Palace there in London.
All right, we'll be right back.
BEDELL SMITH: Thank you.
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WHITFIELD: A former third-year student at the University of California Davis has pleaded not guilty in connection with three stabbings near campus. Police say 21-year-old Carlos Dominguez was arrested on two counts of homicide, and one count of attempted murder.
Those three stabbings spanned five days, claiming the lives of two men and leaving one woman severely wounded.
CNN national correspondent, Camila Bernal, is joining me with more. Camila, what are you learning about the suspect?
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, so I'll start with the arraignment. He was very quiet, looked straight forward, answered yes when the judge asked him if he knew what these charges were.
You're seeing the images there. Sometimes his hair got in his face.
But what's interesting here is just that a few weeks ago he was a student at U.C. Davis. He was a member of this community. Now, the university did say that he was separated for academic reasons. They did not go into details.
But look, it was members of that same community that essentially led police to Dominguez. Fifteen people, at least, called on Wednesday saying they had spotted someone that matched the description of the suspect in this case.
And at least one of these callers followed Dominguez to the point where authorities were able to get to that exact location. Once they got there, authorities found a large knife in his backpack. They arrested him for that to begin with.
And authorities saying they spent hours trying to interview him. They described him as someone who was very reserved. And, unfortunately, police say they do not have a motive.
What they do have, though, according to authorities, is evidence linking him to the crime. And evidence that they say suggests that a lot of these victims also fought back.
Again, two people died as a result of these stabbings. One was severely injured and she is now speaking out from her hospital bed about what she went through.
Here she is.
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KIMBERLEE GUILLORY, STABBING SURVIVOR: I was so scared when he started punching me. I thought that's what he was doing, was punching me. I didn't realize he was stabbing me until afterwards.
I'm glad that they got him fast. I was praying for that. Nobody else will have to go through this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERNAL: And that survivor is not the only one that is glad that they got him, because this community was terrified after seeing one stabbing after another one, and really not knowing what was going on near U.C. Davis.
We reached out to the attorney representing Dominguez and have not heard back.
And as you mentioned, he pled not guilty to these charges. So we'll have to see how this legal process plays out -- Fred?
WHITFIELD: Yes, quite extraordinary.
Camila Bernal, thank you so much.
Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
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WHITFIELD: History unfolding today before our very eyes. In London, for the first time in 70 years, a new British monarch has been crowned.
The nearly 400-year-old St. Edwards crown was officially placed on the head of King Charles III today at Westminster Abbey. The sacred coronation ceremony was filled with tradition and pageantry.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the king!
CROWD: God save the king!
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WHITFIELD: The king's wife, Camilla, also receiving her crown during this ceremony, officially making her Britain's new queen.
