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Official Coronation Of King Charles III Of The United Kingdom Takes Place In London; Large Crowds Gather In London For Coronation Of King Charles III; Prince Harry Of Sussex Attends Father's Coronation But Does Not Attend Balcony Waving With Working Royal Family Members; Favorite In Kentucky Derby Scratched From Race; Leader Of Mercenary Wagner Group Threatens Kremlin With Pulling Troops From Ukrainian City Of Bakhmut; Video Released Of Bryan Kohberger Being Pulled Over For Traffic Violation Shortly After Murder Of Four University Of Idaho Students; Members Of Anti-Monarchy Group Protesting Coronation Of King Charles III Arrested. Aired 2-3p ET.
Aired May 06, 2023 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The king's wife, Camilla, also receiving her crown during this ceremony, officially making her Britain's new queen. Tens of thousands lined the streets of London to greet the royal family, an enthusiastic reception to honor their new king and queen, and then a royal salute from 4,000 British troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For his majesty, the king, and her majesty, the queen. Hip, hip --
CROWD: Hooray!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hip, hip --
CROWD: Hooray!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And in a moment, some had camped out for days to see King Charles and Queen Camilla and select members of the royal family stepping onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet crowds of adoring royalists lining the mall. And there were many other memorable moments. CNN's Max Foster has this report from London.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: A day of destiny, the patient prince, crowned at last. Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms. London stood still as well-wishers lined the streets, huddled in the rain to join the celebration of the British monarchy.
Leaders, dignitaries, family members, and celebrities, more than 2,000, 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 in what appeared to be a break from the schedule. King and queen, married in 2005, arrived in splendor. The couple wore their respective robes of states, Camilla in the robe of state originally made for Queen Elizabeth II.
The deeply religious ceremony moved through several stages. First, the recognition. Charles faced the four points of the compass, symbolically representing himself to the people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I here present unto you, King Charles.
FOSTER: Breaking from tradition, Charles read a prayer allowed.
KING CHARLES III, THE UNITED KINGDOM: -- we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace.
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. 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. Would the crown fit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the king!
CROWD: God save the king!
(MUSIC)
FOSTER: Queen Camilla received her own coronation. Like her husband, she was anointed with holy oil, and the keeper of the Jewel House then presented the consort's ring, marrying her to the king, to God, and their people.
(MUSIC)
FOSTER: From Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, a vast procession of 4,000 ceremonial troops accompanied the royals into a new era, a new Britain, ruled by its newly crowned monarch.
Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: And as Max Foster mentioned, thousands braved the rainy weather to catch a glimpse of the newly crowned monarch and his queen, and they were running to get in place, as you see right there. CNN's Scott McLean is joining me live from London. Scott, what moments stood out for you today?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka. Look, I think what stood out to me is just the fact that people don't want to go home, it seems. We're now four hours clear of all of the pomp and pageantry wrapping up, and you can see there's still tons of people coming and going just to soak in the atmosphere. This is the Admiralty Arch where the parade route would have come to and from Buckingham Palace, and the king would have passed by twice today.
[14:05:01]
And people have come from all over the world, really, to this day, and I've been surprised by the number of people that I've met from places that you would not expect it. I have also met people who camped out for, in some cases, days or even overnight. I met a 77-year-old woman who camped out, not even with a tent, but just in a lawn chair and an umbrella overnight last night. When I spoke to her after the coronation as she was leaving, she could not have been in better spirits. It was pretty remarkable to see.
The ceremony itself went off, really, without a hitch, save for one moment where the king was a little bit too prompt in getting to Westminster Abbey, and his son, the Prince of Wales and his family, was just slightly behind schedule. And so the king ended up going ahead of Prince William and his family, but that's something that perhaps the people watching at home wouldn't have known about, or surely wouldn't have cared about.
When the ceremony actually wrapped up, while they went back to Buckingham Palace, and then there were people lining up the streets of the mall here, and then they actually allowed people to go down and get closer to the palace, which had been previously blocked off. And it was remarkable to see just how well-organized people were, and how well they had managed to control the crowd. You didn't see a stampede. You didn't see people rushing.
When the royal family did step out on that balcony, Prince Harry was missing, Prince Andrew was missing, as would be expected. But I asked people about the absence of Prince Harry, who came over from California for the occasion. And here is what people told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCLEAN: Do you think that Prince Harry should have been on the balcony today?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For what he's done, for what he's said about the royals, I don't think he should have said what he said. I don't think that was necessary.
MCLEAN: Do you think that he -- was it right to leave him out of the balcony?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But then that's up to King Charles. It's his son. It's his decision. So it's a family matter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His choice was to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he was heading home because it was his son's birthday, so I don't think he should have.
MCLEAN: Do you think he should have been if he --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's a hard one. It would have been nice to see him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But, no, he chose to leave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLEAN: One other thing to mention quickly, Fredricka, and that is that in this country you don't often see very many outward signs of patriotism, you don't see Union Jacks flying on people's houses on a day-to-day basis, for instance. But this surely is an exception. Everyone has the flags out, everyone is wearing the Union Jack. And it's just a reminder of the monarchy, when they do do this pomp and pageantry, it's a reminder of the monarchy's ability to really unite this country, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Indeed. Scott McLean, thanks so much.
Let's talk more about all of this. Joining us once again to talk about this historic coronation is Emily Nash. She is a CNN royal commentator and royal editor for "Hello!" magazine, Emily back with us. Thank you so much.
So you were there for today's events, and even just hearing some of the royalists there tell our Scott McLean about their feelings about Harry and his role, here it was, King Charles' day, but people have some very strong thoughts about the family dynamic and Harry and no longer having royal duties, and kind of how he's, I guess, been subjugated to a less prominent presence there.
EMILY NASH, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it was sad at moments today to see Harry, not sidelined in particular, but just away from the heart of this family that he was such a big part of for so long. And we're very well versed in what has gone on behind the scenes, from Harry's own words in his memoir "Spare." There's obviously a lot of work to be done on both sides to repair relationships.
But the fact that he was there at all, I think, was a very positive sign. I think it was never going to be revolved over this weekend, given the intensity of activity and the brevity of his stay, of course. As far as we understand, he's en route back to the U.S. already, and getting back to spend Prince Archie's birthday with him back in California, as much as he can.
So I think the fact that he arrived, yes, people, I think, are happy to see him. But I feel on the whole, people feel it's right that he didn't become a big focus on what was essentially Charles' day.
WHITFIELD: And his invitation was still extended by his dad, and this was King Charles III's day.
[14:10:00] WHITFIELD: And there was a lot of tradition, and then there was some departure of tradition during the day. So what does this tell you about the monarchy, now led by King Charles III? What can people expect about the road ahead?
NASH: Well, I think there was a great deal of thoughtfulness about the ceremony. As we talked earlier about the inclusion of different people, different voices, we had the ascension choir, who are fantastic. We have Greek choirs that represented Prince Philip, his Greek heritage coming through there.
But we also saw people from all walks of life being represented in the abbey, and different faiths in particular. And that was a big departure for what is essentially at its heart an Anglican, protestant ceremony. This really reflects how the king views his role. He believes he can bring people together across many divides, and ultimately the monarchy in this country does a lot to unite people.
It's a kind of stabilizing force in often difficult political situations. And I think he understands, and the monarchy understands that they have to remain relevant and reach out to different people.
WHITFIELD: Queen Camilla, everyone has to get used to calling her Queen Camilla, and it's been a long time since the British monarchy has seen a queen consort, even though she will be addressed as the queen. So is it her role to define? What will we see in her?
NASH: I think her key role is to support the king. And Charles and Camilla have had this fantastic dynamic for a very long time, where she is able to calm him. We know he sometimes can have a bit of a temper, for example. She is able to make him laugh. And they make a fantastic team. And I don't see her as particularly wanting the limelight for herself.
She's worked very hard over the last two decades on charities and causes that mean a lot to her, and I see that continuing. But her primary role now is to be at his side and to give him the support that he very much needs. They're both entering these new roles in their 70s, at a time when most people have long since retired. And it's a huge challenge for them.
WHITFIELD: Right, people want to slow down by that point in their lives, but now he's got to pick up the pace. He's got to keep it going, as does she. Emily Nash, thank you so much.
More on today's festivities out of London in a bit. But first back home, a heavy favorite is out of today's big race. The run for the roses, Forte was scratched from the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby because of an injury. It is the fifth horse now to withdraw from today's stakes. Live to Louisville next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A major shakeup ahead of today's Kentucky Derby after the heavily favored Forte was scratched from the race. Churchill Downs made the announcement after a veterinarian with the racing commission found the horse had a bruised right front foot. Forte is the fifth horse now to be scratched from the event, which drops the number of horses racing today down to 18.
I want to discuss this more with Lisa Lazarus, CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Lisa, great to see you. So the scratching of the favorite, just ten hours before race time, how unusual is that?
LISA LAZARUS, CEO, HORSERACING INTEGRITY AND SAFETY AUTHORITY: So, listen, it is unusual, but it has happened before. And I think really what it underscores is how committed the industry is to making sure, and also to the participants, making sure that every horse that races is safe to race and is sound.
WHITFIELD: And what is the routine for the medical checks on the day or hours before the race would begin to check on the racing fitness of a horse?
LAZARUS: Yes, so there are multiple checks, like, leading up to the race itself. What probably is notable is on the day of the race, only the commission can actually scratch the horse, so at that point in time the trainer can no longer scratch the horse. And what it does is it ensures that there are checks and there are ways to ensure that the horse is sound to race right up to post time.
WHITFIELD: OK, and so in the backdrop of today's event, are these recent deaths as well, four horses in over a five-day stretch at Churchill Downs, unrelated to the race, however. Churchill Downs suspended a trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., until further notice. And the suspension prohibits Joseph for any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Joseph, from entering horses in races or applying for stall occupancy at all CDI owned racetracks. That sounds pretty severe, or is that in keeping with what traditionally happens, or is there something different going on here?
LAZARUS: So, listen, it is severe, and it is a very firm position that Churchill Downs has taken, along with the Kentucky Horseracing Commission. Ultimately, the important thing is that everyone determines what actually took place. There's an investigation ongoing.
Both myself on behalf of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, Churchill Downs and the commission, are looking at the circumstances and the facts that have led up to these tragic horse deaths. And until ultimately there's some sort of resolution to that investigation, it was the prudent thing to make sure that the trainer could not participate in the derby and racehorses.
[14:20:01]
WHITFIELD: And that trainer is accusing Churchill Downs of using him as a scapegoat. What do you think of that response?
LAZARUS: Listen, what I think is that -- and certainly as the CEO, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, safety and the horses have to always be our priority, along with, of course, the jockeys who are riding them. If a horse is unsound, that's one of the biggest risks for a jockey to be injured. So prudence and care have to be the priority. And given that, I think Churchill Downs absolutely did the right thing under these circumstances.
WHITFIELD: So now, just 18 horses left for the 149th Kentucky Derby. What does this say about the rigors of what it is to be a racing horse?
LAZARUS: Like any sport, there are injuries, and they're not always predictable. We do everything that we can to minimize them. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act only came into effect in July of 2022, and we have a number of things in place to make sure that we minimize the risk of horses breaking down. We have provisions to make sure the track is safe, that the horses are sound, that there are no medications, of course, in the horse's system.
And so I'm very optimistic about sort of the future of horseracing and all of these procedures that we have in place. We've seen overall the number of horses being injured actually go down in 2022. So what I would say is it's just incredibly important that we continue to be vigilant, and we continue to prioritize the horse's soundness and the horse's health above all else, and that's, I think, the way forward. And obviously that's what the Kentucky Horseracing Commission and Churchill Downs did in this case.
WHITFIELD: And I guess a lot of people don't realize, these are young horses. Forte is only two, and on average you're talking about two and three-year-old horses that are going through the rigors to get ready for race time, but then also we're seeing the numbers are seemingly pretty surprising of injuries and others who have had to be euthanized.
Lisa Lazarus, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
LAZARUS: Thank you so much for having me.
WHITFIELD: Coming up, a battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest and deadliest of the war. Now Russian mercenaries say they're pulling out of the fight. We'll tell you why and what it means for the Kremlin, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:26:42]
WHITFIELD: The head of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group is doubling down on his threat to pull out of the battle for the city of Bakhmut. He now says he will hand over his fighters' positions to Chechen forces, who are also fighting for the Russians. The Wagner chief is accusing Russian military leaders of withholding ammunition from his fighters. CNN's Nic Robertson is in eastern Ukraine with details.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, HEAD OF WAGNER GROUP (through translator): These guys here are Wagner men who died today. The blood is still fresh. Film all of them. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Russia's top mercenary is turning on Moscow again, with a vengeance. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin screaming at President Putin's defense minister and army chief of staff, accusing them of killing his troops in Bakhmut by starving them of ammunition.
PRIGOZHIN (through translator): We are pulling out of Bakhmut. We have only two or so kilometers left to capture out of 45.
ROBERTSON: Hours later, an ultimatum -- send ammo or he'll pull his troops out of Bakhmut just as they are close to taking it.
Also troubling for the Kremlin, Prigozhin hired Mikhail Mizintsev as a Wagner deputy commander. Until last week he was Russia's deputy defense minister. It hints at a pending Wagner-Kremlin showdown. Ukraine's military spokesman says Bakhmut could be at a turning point if Russia doesn't fix its ammunition supply problem. He also says that Prigozhin cannot afford to continue losing troops at this rate. If he does, the spokesman says, Wagner will be destroyed. Prigozhin, he says, has not option but to pull out.
Prigozhin's machinations having no impact on the fighting around the devastated city Friday. Both sides still feeding men into the front lines known as Ukraine's meatgrinder. And the fighting not just on the battlefield. In Turkey, a Russian diplomate rips down the Ukrainian flag and is quickly punched at a parliamentary assembly intending to get both sides to agree an extension to the U.N. brokered Black Sea grain deal.
Russia's diplomats also hitting out at the United States. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announcing the U.S. and Russia are on the verge of open armed conflict, a further escalation of recent unsubstantiated Kremlin rhetoric claiming the United States directed Ukraine to fly drones over the Kremlin in an attempt to assassinate President Putin, an allegation both Kyiv and Washington categorically deny.
Nic Robertson, CNN, eastern Ukraine.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: Let's talk more about what's happening at the Kremlin and beyond. Steve Hall is joining us right now. He's a CNN national security analyst and former CIA chief of Russia operations. Steve, great to see you.
[14:30:02]
What do you think the Wagner commander is doing here? It would seem suicidal that he would be so outspoken and critical of the Kremlin like this.
STEVE HALL, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, Fred, let's start with what he's not doing. So he's not really mourning his troops. He has no great concern for the corpses that were piled around him in that particular video. He is the one who is espousing these meatgrinder tactics. So he's not making a plea out of the humanitarian part of his part.
What he is doing is a power play. He's seeing how far he can extend his power in today's Russia. And it is surprising that Putin is giving him, in my view, as much running room as he has. But you have to understand that the way the that Russian system works, it's extremely byzantine.
A lot of it goes on behind closed doors, a lot of it, Putin stands back, it's a dog eat dog, last man standing, and they're all men, a last man standing kind of thing to determine who the next wave of leadership is going to be. And Prigozhin might be making a play for that, Fred.
WHITFIELD: But it seems like it would be embarrassing for the Kremlin because it's exposing some real vulnerabilities in the group that it has been leaning on, particularly in Bakhmut.
HALL: Yes, it is a little bit of -- it's a stretch, and it will be interesting to see how Putin handles this. But the other thing is, there's not a whole lot of room for Putin to maneuver in here. He's got a losing situation on the battlefield. If they indeed, if Prigozhin follows through on his threat and pulls his forces out, really regardless of whether there's forces that come back in, it could be a big setback for Bakhmut and Russia on the battlefield, which is indeed embarrassing to Putin.
But he doesn't have a whole lot of options left. It's not working with the current leadership or the former generals that he's had. So I think to a certain extent Putin is trying to figure out what's the next move is here, and there's just not a lot of good ones.
WHITFIELD: OK, and then let's talk about that alleged drone attack. Moscow has implicated the U.S. and Ukraine in that drone attack on the Kremlin this week, or, in your view, is this another case of some Russian anti-war, anti-Kremlin group that is trying to shake up the Kremlin?
HALL: Yes, that's another fascinating question. So, first of all, I'm not a big believer or subscriber to the theory that this is a Russian false flag operation, that they did this themselves. That really shows weakness if you can't protect your own airspace around the Kremlin, and, really, does Putin need any further excuse to shoot more Ukrainians or to launch more artillery? No.
So, yes, is there this set of groups, groupings of partisans or guerillas inside of Russia that are actually striking out against the Russian infrastructure and the Russian government? Things have been blowing up recently besides the stuff that was happening over at the Kremlin. You've had fuel depots. You had a very nationalistic war blogger who was attacked in a car bomb recently.
And who did that? So you do have to ask, and I think the Kremlin is probably asking, do we have a problem inside of Russia that isn't necessarily Ukraine? The FSB, the internal intelligence service would be in charge, and they're usually very good at sussing out and finding if there's any groups that are trying to operate against the Kremlin. But, yes, it's something else that Putin has to worry about.
WHITFIELD: At the same time, Russia is good about staging things, right? I mean, is it at all possible, when you have Russia's deputy foreign minister warning this week that the U.S. and Russia are on the verge of open armed conflict, is it looking for a reason to poke at the bear, so to speak, to try and get things started between the U.S. and Russia?
HALL: Yes, Ryabkov is very good, and he understands the west very well, especially the United States, and he understands that when the Kremlin starts making accusations against the United States or other NATO partners, that they're actually the ones who are responsible for all of this, that we get nervous, and we start talking about, oh, my goodness, have we backed Putin into a corner. That's what they're hoping to do with this.
I think the other thing that's going on is they're anticipating the counteroffensive from the Ukrainians that all of us are, and if it doesn't go well for the Russians, I think the line from Putin and the Kremlin is going to be, well, we would have finished off with the Ukrainians had it not been for the Americans who were the ones that we're really fighting against here. So I think they're setting up a propaganda line as well.
WHITFIELD: Steve Hall, good to see you. We'll leave it there for now. Thanks so much.
HALL: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Still ahead, police video obtained by CNN showing the man charged in the killings of four University of Idaho students talking with an officer during a traffic stop a month before the killings. How investigators used the video to identify and locate him, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:39:00]
WHITFIELD: New police body cam video shows Bryan Kohberger about a month before he was arrested for the murders of four University of Idaho students. Kohberger was pulled over for a traffic violation and let go with a warning, and that video ended up playing a key role in his apprehension. CNN's Veronica Miracle has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A simple traffic stop a month before Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the murders of four University of Idaho students. This bodycam video taken 20 minutes away from that crime scene on the campus of Washington State University.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You ran the red light.
BRYAN KOHBERGER: What actually happened was I was stuck in the middle of the intersection.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I was behind you the whole time.
MIRACLE: Kohberger, who was getting his Ph.D. in criminal justice at the school, presses for more on the law he was violating.
KOHBERGER: I'm just curious about the law. I don't mean to --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no. Yes, I can find it for you, yes.
KOHBERGER: It never occurred to me that that was actually something wrong, except for the fact that I was blocking the crosswalk.
[14:40:05]
MIRACLE: The video significant, because it was later cited in a probable cause affidavit as one of the videos that linked Kohberger to a Hyundai Elantra seen in the vicinity of the Idaho crime scene around the time of the murders. It was allegedly that vehicle, now with Washington plates, that a license reader found it in Colorado a month after the murders and later tracked it to the rural Pennsylvania home where Kohberger was eventually arrested.
KOHBERGER: I'm actually just from a very rural area, so we just don't have crosswalks.
MIRACLE: The Washington traffic stop not the only video being released by authorities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police department, search warrant, come to the door.
MIRACLE: Here police search Kohberger's campus apartment after his arrest. These new warrant documents indicate two presumptive positive results for blood from a reddish-brown stain on an uncased pillow and a mattress cover with a brown, irregular drip. None of this alone implicates Kohberger but makes clear authorities hoped DNA evidence will seal their case.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hope that helps.
KOHBERGER: Definitely.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Have a good day.
KOHBERGER: Definitely. You too.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MIRACLE (on camera): Incidentally, Kohberger was let off with a warning for that traffic stop. Another interesting note, the warrant documents said that his apartment was sparse, noting that there was no shower curtain or trash in the trashcans. Kohberger's previous attorney has said that he plans on pleading not guilty after a preliminary hearing that starts on June 26th. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: Veronica Miracle, thank you so much. Still ahead, in the U.S., British expats and royal fans hosted
festivities to celebrate the U.K.'s first coronation in 70 years. We'll take you live to New York's West Village next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:46:25]
WHITFIELD: Welcome back. It was quite the day. While there was no official U.S. delegation at the royal coronation, first lady Jill Biden did attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey with her granddaughter Finnegan as her plus one. Other notable Americans in attendance, pop stars Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, both of whom will perform at tomorrow's coronation concert.
Let's go now to CNN's Gloria Pazmino who is live in New York in the West Village where there are celebrations, people are gathering. They're toasting their tea and everything else, right, all in celebration of King Charles?
GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. That's exactly right. And if you want to have a proper cup of tea, this is one of the few places you can come to in New York City to do exactly that. And I just want to give you a look of everything that is available here. You can see all the memorabilia, the flags, the teacups. Look at this one. Prince -- King Charles, I should say, commemorating the coronation. This is just one of the few items that you can get here today.
And all day people have been celebrating, coming together to mark this moment in history, 70 years in the making. I spoke with the owner of Tea and Sympathy just a short while ago, talking to me about tradition, and one of those many traditions that is so important to the British, the tea. Listen to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICKY PERRY, OWNER, TEA AND SYMPATHY: This is my England, I've got my own England. My husband used to say we've made our own England. We know all the English people in town, and we've introduced lots of amazing Americans to really good British food and how to drink a proper bloody cup of tea.
I think for them it just makes them feel part of what's going on, especially the English people. And people coming into the shop to buy English things, to have at home for their parties. And I think it's fantastic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAZMINO: So there's tea, there's scones, there's pastry, and there's champagne, because this is, after all, a celebration.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God save the king!
PAZMINO: As you can see, people here are really in the spirit, marking the moment, taking it all in, in this little corner of New York City, which today has turned into a little corner of London in celebration of King Charles, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yes, a little corner, lots of big action taking place there. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much. We'll check back with you.
Meantime, back in the U.K., London's metropolitan police have confirmed several dozen arrests in central London today as anti- monarchy protesters are accused of disrupting or planning to disrupt the celebration of King Charles' coronation. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more from London.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This protest was called for by the group Republic that for long has opposed the British monarchy. They say they don't want to see the coronation of another British monarch. They say they want real democracy and an elected head of state. They called on protesters to gather on Saturday morning in Trafalgar Square. But authorities had blocked off the area, making it very hard for many to reach the square. But they have gathered close by. Now, what we've seen happen is a number of protest organizers have been arrested.
[14:50:00]
They say that authorities didn't give them a reason for those arrests, that hundreds of their "Not my king" placards had also been confiscated by authorities. But what the police are saying is they arrested seven people. They say four were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, and three others were arrested, they say, for possessing articles that could cause criminal damage.
This coming just days after a new hardline legislation was passed really putting restrictions on the freedom of protesters in the country. And what we had heard, also, from authorities earlier, saying that they had very low tolerance for any disruption today.
But despite that, you can still see that hundreds of protesters are still gathered, they're wearing yellow, as was called for by the group Republic, they say for maximum visibility. Take a listen to what some of these demonstrators told us earlier.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a huge amount of money that the taxpayer is paying when everyone else is struggling throughout the country.
KARADSHEH: Certainly for these protesters they say they have managed to come out and make their opposing views heard.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Jomana.
May is mental health awareness month, and according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five American adults struggle with their mental health, but less than half receive treatment. This week, 2021's CNN Hero Michele Neff Hernandez, shares some critical advice. Let go of the stigma and reach out for help.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MICHELE NEFF HERNANDEZ, CNN HERO: I think our society has told us that there's something wrong with you if you feel broken, and that mental health breakdowns equal weakness. I believe that the truth is it's the ability to allow ourselves to be broken that opens an opportunity for healing.
One of the things that we underestimate as a society is how our global mental health impacts us as individuals. And we have seen it over and over again as we experience gun violence. On one hand, we can see what happens when people don't get the help they need. There can be tragic consequences. On the flipside of that, you have families dealing with the grief and trauma of living through or not living through gun violence.
So we are in this canoe together. We are all impacted by gun violence, and how that influences us changes depending on where we sit in the canoe. If you're actively struggling with your mental health and you haven't told anybody, I'm asking you today to please share your struggle with one person.
And if you don't have a personal relationship with someone where you feel like you could make that call, please use one of the many mental health hotlines that are available. It feels so lonely when you're struggling by yourself. Know that you're not alone in this. I promise.
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WHITFIELD: For more advice from Michele Neff Hernandez and several other CNN Heroes on nurturing good mental health, go to CNNHeroes.com. And if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call or text the 988 suicidal and crisis lifeline to connect with a trained counselor.
We'll be right back.
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WHITFIELD: Did a now discontinued baby powder cause cancer? In a new episode of "The Whole Story" you will hear from both sides of the multibillion dollar court case putting baby powder on trial. CNN's Pam Brown has more.
PAM BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, Johnson & Johnson talc based baby powder was an iconic product that was a signature part of American life for more than 125 years. And it is that very product that is at the center of nearly 40,000 lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson.
The plaintiffs claim asbestos and the powder caused their cancers, mainly mesothelioma or a variant cancer. Johnson & Johnson counters the science says it is safe and does not cause cancer, but ultimately stopped selling it several years ago, it says not because it wasn't safe, but because of what it says was misinformation leading to a barrage of lawsuits.
So in our special we take a deep dive into a claims, following the journeys of three women bringing suit against this giant multibillion dollar corporation.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It started in spring and summer. I was starting to feel like I wanted to have kids. So I saw a doctor and she told me, yes, we should do your follicle count, and the next day I got the results. It just said, yes, your count is fine, but you have malignant masses.