Coronation Guest As King Charles' Was Crowned: 'Gosh, We're Here, and It's Happened!'

King Charles "gets it" and Britain, says head of a charity who was in Westminster Abbey

It was a symbolic minute for which King Charles has been destined and preparing for much of his life. And when his crowning came midway through the coronation service on May 6, the guests inside Westminster Abbey felt the solemnity hang in the air around them.

"It felt like a real moment in life when the crown was put on his head," says guest Hitan Mehta. "Gosh, we're here, and it's happened! In the most wonderful way and in a way that reflects him and this idea of service."

Mehta has known the King for more than 15 years through King Charles' support of the British Asian Trust (of which Mehta is executive director), and he says the atmosphere inside Westminster Abbey was like a "reunion" of many people who had worked alongside the King Charles and Queen Camilla over the decades.

"Everyone was so kind," he says. He sat close to Katy Perry, who is an ambassador for the BAT and will be singing at the Coronation Concert on Sunday. I was "so honored and felt such an honor to be in that historic moment. It was lovely to have her along as well."

Related:Every Photo from the Coronation of King Charles III

The ceremony reflected the theme of service, Mehta tells PEOPLE. "It felt solemn and that was in keeping with the role. It was about 'I am here to serve.' That came out all the way through — whether it was responses that the King made in response to the Archbishop or elsewhere. The idea of serving people and serving the community and serving the nation or the globe really came across."

The diversity and the multi-faith make-up of Britain (something that, as Prince Charles, he worked to foster cooperation and understanding) also resonated, Mehta says.

"The procession at the start of all the faith communities acknowledged the fact that we are living in a multi-cultural country," he explained. "The diversity was evident from the young people who have been on charitable programs through to global megastars. I met people from all over the country and from all communities. There was a lovely feeling."

"And then at the end there was the chief rabbi, the Hindi leader, the Muslim leader and Buddhist leader all stood there speaking in unison was testament to the inclusion of the faith communities in the United Kingdom in a powerful well. And there was the [Catholic] Cardinal from Westminster included too," he adds. "It reflects the King and his commitment to understanding and evolving and being part of understanding different faiths and cultures in the United Kingdom. He gets it, and it was great to see that reflected in what you saw around the Abbey."

Those who know him say King Charles, 74, is the best prepared monarch of all time.

"I think he is a person who understands the United Kingdom and the diversity of this nation. He also understands the challenges in front of people here in the U.K.," Mehta adds.

"He will make a wonderful monarch — he gets it, he gets the people he is head of state for. He understands the global context really well, as head of the Commonwealth and understands the global position and the challenges some of these countries has and he will be able to talk about our country anywhere in the world and represent us as a nation in the best possible way."

He adds, "The Abbey is stunning and is designed for big pieces of music and is a great place for things like that to happen — and the rousing singing of the 'God Save the King' felt quite historic, felt a big moment. And when people belted out 'Praise My Soul the King of Heaven.' It felt very poignant and celebratory. And everyone really went for 'God Save the King."

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Mehta also commented on King Charles including his family in the service — with Prince George looking after his grandfather's cloak as one of King Charles' Pages of Honor.

"I caught a glimpse of him," says Mehta. "Again, it was lovely that there was level of inclusion of his grandson. It was a little bit like the photographs that have been around of the King when he was a youngster at his mother's coronation. It was nice to see him."

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