Mitra DeBloois of Old Lycoming Township, sits in her guest room dedicated to her home country, England. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

When King Charles III of England is officially crowned today, he will step onto the pages of history as the latest of 62 monarchs who have served England and Great Britain for over 1,200 years.

And his subjects both in England and those scattered throughout the world are going all out in celebration of this day.

There has not been a coronation in England since Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, took the throne in 1952

Preparations have been going on since King Charles took over after the passing of his mother last year.

The coronation is both a state and religious event with the king swearing to uphold the law and the Church of England. The British monarchy is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the king is the head of state, but the ability to make and pass legislation rests with the elected Parliament.

Mitra DeBloois, a native of England who has lived in the United States for 30 years, works at the UPMC Muncy Valley skilled nursing facility. Her plans are to decorate for the coronation with a display at the unit.

“I’m sure that some of our residents were alive for the queen’s coronation,” DeBloois said.

“I think it would be quite an historic event for them to participate and watch the king’s coronation because it’s going on all day. So if they could watch some of that I think it would be wonderful. And I also am going to bring some of my British bunting and memorabilia and put that up as well and incorporate that,” she said.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a huge loyalist, but I’m not against it either. I think I’m proud to be English. I’m proud of the royal family and I’m proud of the next generation of what they go on to achieve,” she said.

When Queen Elizabeth II passed away last year, DeBloois was in England visiting her family, which she tries to do once a year. When she returned home, she put up a display at the hospital commemorating the queen.

“When I got back we did have a display that I put up for a month. We had her photo, we had flowers, and we had British bunting all in the front of the nurse’s station,” she said.

DeBloois shared what it was like when the queen, who many in the country had known all their lives, died.

“When the queen died, we actually had just spent having tea at a hotel on the seafront, and we were coming back and we heard on the radio. And then it was just this entire feeling of gloom and sadness. You could feel it around you, the whole country. You could just feel it and nobody said anything, you could just feel it.

“Immediately everybody put their flags out and their bunting. The flags were at half mast and everywhere you went, immediately, everybody had memorials up in their windows, pictures, flowers and it was almost immediately within the hour this happened that there was such signs of respect to the queen. It was so immediate that people, shops, every store, every memorial — in every church, the bells were ringing. That’s what I vividly remember, was hearing the church bells ringing, because my parents lived right next to a church and the bells were tolling — they were tolling that death toll, so it really sort of hit home. You could just feel the sadness. If you went to the store you could just see in people’s faces, the sadness. You could just feel it and you could sense it around you and it was really just very sad,” she said.

Although she had to leave England before the queen’s funeral, DeBloois said that she was glad to be there with her family at that time.

“I was happy I was in England and almost privileged I was there when it happened, to be able to be a part of it because I think again, it was history being made. I was sad that I had to be back home before the funeral but glad I was with my family to be there. For the older generation, like my mother, my father you know it was very hard on them because that was their queen. That was who they knew,” she said.

DeBloois sister, Catrina Sawyer, who lives in Eastbourne, East Essex, said that she loves all the preparations that have been going on in England for the King’s coronation, but that she still feels “really sad the Queen died.”

When contacted earlier in the week, Sawyer said that a lot of the decorations would be going up closer to today.

“Toward the end of the week there will be lots of houses with buntings and flags. There are street parties so neighborhoods can celebrate together,” she said.

“Lots of home baking with traditional Afternoon Teas. Very British things like cucumber sandwiches, scones with jam and cream. Also a lot of Union Jack decorated cakes and of course all washed down with Pimms and cups of tea along with strawberries and cream,” Sawyer said.

One activity that has already begun is the traditional red post boxes are being decorated with elaborate crocheted coronation crowns. No one seems to know who’s doing it. They just appear, Sawyer said.

For DeBloois and her family here, scones will be made and possibly a tea prepared for the occasion.

“My whole family loves scones. They particularly like cheese ones. If I have time I’m gonna throw a tea party together. That would be kind of fun. I did one on the Queen’s birthday a couple of years ago and that was lots of fun. I set all my English tablecloths. I have English everything — bunting, napkins, everything,” she said.

“I set up a display and we had a tea party. We do have a British flag we fly at our house all the time. That’s always up so that everyone on the street knows I’m English because I have a queen on my car, of course. I was thinking that it would be fun to have a little tea party and celebrate the king.

Not having a monarchy in this country, we sometimes forget the affinity the British people have for their queen or king.

“I think it’s just being born and raised in England. It’s just something you’re born and raised with. It’s just a part of you,” DeBloois said.

“I remember as a child the Queen’s silver jubilee at school. We had a big fete, and a picnic and a parade. I remember my mother making me a red white and blue skirt and being so proud to wear that in this little parade. And, you know, I vividly remember that as a small child at school and I was only little, it was elementary school, so I was tiny. I remember the street parties. It’s just a part of your culture. That’s what you’re raised with,” she said.

Her family also served their country in the war.

“They were very proud of that. And the Royals always served in the wars as well and it made them feel connected to them.

When he ascends to the throne today, King Charles III will be one of the oldest monarchs to be coronated, following the 70-year reign of his mother.

DeBloois admitted that she’s not sure if all generations in England are looking forward to the monarchy continuing.

“I don’t really know, I hope so. I’m not sure about the younger generation. I think the older generation are but I honestly don’t know about the younger generation. Their views tend to change a lot,” she said.

“I’m excited for them and I think the younger generation — William and Kate — are certainly an amazing example of a future king and queen. I think they’re lovely. I know everyone loves them,” she said.

“But you know no family is perfect, not even the royals. There’s lots of people who don’t like them and support them, but I think for me growing up it was just normal in my family that we always supported them and that was just how it was and we’ve always been very proud to be British,” she said.