Early-rising Montrealers gather at NDG Legion to observe coronation of King Charles III

It was an early wake-up call for Montrealers who gathered to watch King Charles III's coronation at the Royal Canadian Legion's NDG Branch on Saturday.

The Legion opened its doors at 6 a.m.

"I thought it was a very important moment to come together and watch this ceremony, the coronation, as a group," said Legion treasurer Sean Frankham.

About 20 to 30 came to watch the historic coronation ceremony.

"I was actually very impressed at how it's going and how it looked," said NDG Legion president Bob Boutilier. "It is impressive."

The occasion held special significance for the veterans in attendance.

"I'm ex-air force, so for me, it's important because a lot of my friends still serve, and he's the commander of our armed forces, so we have a special relationship with the King," said Sean Frankham, NDG Legion treasurer.

• Listen on CJAD 800 Radio: King Charles' Coronation seen through the eyes of a McGill professor

The Legion served up a traditional English breakfast of scones alongside berries and cream.

From the food to the ceremony full of pageantry, there was a sense of nostalgia for many attendees, including Bernard Cornell.

"It's exactly what I thought it would be. It's very similar to his (King Charles) mother's, who my parents and myself and my five sisters saw back in 1953," he said.

Cornell recalls watching the royal spectacle at age four, huddled around a small black and white TV. But his ties to the monarchy began at birth.

"My middle name was named after Prince Charles because he and I are born the same year...my father being from Manchester, Liverpool, I guess it was appropriate," he said.

Not all Canadians planned to celebrate the coronation, however. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute of more than 2,000 Canadians found 41 per cent said they don't care about the event at all.

Of the remaining respondents, 29 per cent said they would probably read a little about the coronation, 20 per cent would watch some of it, and nine per cent were really looking forward to it. 

-With files from The Canadian Press