Feature: Boy "crowned" as King of England back at school after a whirlwind coronation re-enactment

Schoolboy Fraser Martin, aged 11, will be back at his school desk Monday after a weekend of regal pageantry when he was "crowned" as King of England.

The young boy was chosen after a contest to re-enact the coronation in Gloucester Cathedral 800 years ago of boy-king Henry III, the nine-year-old son of Britain's infamous King John.

That coronation in 1216 was the last time an English or British monarch was crowned outside of London and Westminster Abbey.

On Saturday the cathedral was packed as the coronation re-enactment was carried out by the city's religious leaders, exactly the same way as it was eight centuries earlier.

Young Fraser Martin was allowed to keep his coronation crown as a momento, and plans to show it to his school pals Monday when he returns to his classes at the city's Crypt Grammar School.

After the solemn coronation service, during which Martin delivered his coronation oath with perfection, he was carried in a ceremonial chair through the crowded city center streets in a parade similar to what would have happened in 1216.

Fraser Martin, who won the "Search For A King" competition organised by the city's Marketing Gloucester department, was joined by his "footmen", eight-year old Harry Morris and eleven-year old Toby Sellers.

Before his coronation, Fraser Martin has been practising his regal walks and regal looks to ensure he looked royal on his big day, said his mom Francesca Martin.

The real King Henry III died in 1272, after a reign of 56 years and 29 days, the fifth longest in British history.

Jason Smith, CEO of Marketing Gloucester told Xinhua Sunday: "This was a great day and a great occasion for the cathedral and our city. The cathedral was packed and it was just like a real coronation ceremony. There was a real sense of what the atmosphere must have been like 800 years ago during the real coronation."

"Young Fraser delivered his words perfectly and when people chanted 'God Save the King' there were tears streaming down people's faces. It was a very moving moment," said Smith.

"I spoke to Fraser afterwards and he enjoyed every minute of it. Appearing in such a solemn event before a building crowded with 1,200 people must have been a bit scary for an 11 year old, but Fraser handled it perfectly."

"We gave him his coronation coronet as a keepsake of the day he became King of England. It will be interesting to see how he is treated on his return to school on Monday morning," said Smith.

Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: "The coronation of Henry III is a truly historic occasion that Gloucester can lay claim to. It is important that we celebrate our heritage as a city, especially when it is of national significance."

The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester Stephen Lake said "Fraser Martin will be blessed with life-long memories of his day spent in the Boy King's shoes."

The coronation re-enactment, which took 18 months to organise, is part of Gloucester History festival which continued until Sept. 18. It features a medieval market and a tournaments on the Cathedral Green. Endit