King Charles' Coronation Guest Hands Out Cough Drops To Emma Thompson and Husband Greg Wise

“We were all in it together,” cookbook writer Manju Malhi tells PEOPLE of attending King Charles' coronation and her famous seat neighbors

The egalitarian nature of King Charles' coronation on Saturday was summed up as ordinary guests mingled with celebrities and famous faces in London's Westminster Abbey.

Cookbook writer and chef Manju Malhi even handed out cough drops to her celebrity neighbors, Dame Emma Thompson and husband Greg Wise (who helped point out music in the grand ceremony).

Malhi, 55, was invited because she had received a BEM honor for work in her community during the COVID-19 pandemic and entered the Abbey, alone, looking for a seat. They hadn't been allocated seats and she saw the empty seat. "I asked Greg Wise is this seat taken? And they both said, 'Yes, sit down.' We were all in it together," she told PEOPLE.

Wise explained some of the music that was playing before the ceremony begun. "He was identifying 'Jupiter' from The Planets. It was like I was watching a movie and asking, 'What happened there?' They were both really lovely," added Malhi.

Related:Every Photo from the Coronation of King Charles III

Towards the end, as a little hunger kicked in following the long service, and an even longer wait in their seats for the ceremony to start, the chef didn't have any snacks with her. But she did have something else. "We were all feeling a little cold. But I did offer cough sweets that I had – Emma took one. So she owes me some cough sweets!"

The chef added, "There was a real sense of being together. There was a mixture of people in a service, that's how it felt – from different walks of life, different faiths and beliefs. It was very inclusive and a bit special."

She continued, "It was overwhelming. The acoustics were fabulous which made the music even better. It was magical as well as historic. The atmosphere was good enough to absorb the moment, and the feeling."

Related:What Did King Charles Say to Prince William After the Heir Kissed His Cheek at the Coronation?

When Charles was crowned, she recalls, "it was a powerful moment. We didn't gasp, we were simply in awe of it really. It looked stunning and we thought 'wow, there is a new era beginning.'"

Earlier, when he made his entrance, she thought the King "looked really relaxed, like everything was under control." She added, "It didn't feel tense. It was a really organic moment. He seemed with it, relaxed and content."

Malhi said Kate Middleton and Prince William also seemed calm, with their children a few steps behind them. "Even Prince Harry seemed relaxed too. Everyone was carrying out what they'd been asked to do, carrying out that duty."

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"It was a good inclusive day. Coming into the Abbey everybody was saying, 'Hello' – which would be usual – but this time it felt like everybody meant it. There was a sense that there was something special and we would all make it work."

"I didn't expect to be that involved in the service – we sung hymns and we weren't spectators. It was in our interest too to make it work. It wasn't just the King and the Queen who had to make it work on the day. The timing and rituals – everyone played a part," she added.

Malhi was invited to join the 2,300 guests in Westminster Abbey, following the work she did during COVID when she hosted online cooking classes focusing on older members of the community.

She is one of many guests who had previously been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) honor for their work. Malhi's presence, and that of hundreds of other ordinary people, "resonates with what the new monarch is thinking," she said. "He is very empathetic."

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