The nation is ready for the Coronation of King Charles III at London’s Westminster Abbey. Here’s a rundown of the day’s events and celebrations.
The ceremony, where the King will be crowned alongside the Queen Consort Camilla, is taking place at 11am BST and will be conducted by the archbishop of Canterbury.
Formal celebrations began at 6am with a 1.3-mile procession, where crowds gathered along the Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Parliament Square, before arriving at the abbey.
The congregation was seated inside the abbey at 9am.
The King’s Procession set off from Buckingham Palace at about 10.20am, where the King and Queen Consort are expected to arrive at Westminster Abbey at 10.53am.
They will be traveling in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was built in 2012 to mark 60 years of Queen Elizabeth IIs reign, rather than the traditional Gold State Coach.
As the King is crowned at 12pm, trumpets and gun salutes will sound across the UK.
When the archbishop places the St Edward’s crown on King Charles’ head, he will be the 40th monarch crowned in Westminster Abbey since 1066.
The newly crowned King and Queen are expected to begin their coronation procession back to the Palace, this time in the Gold State Coach, at 1pm.
In the palace gardens, the King is expected to receive a royal salute from the military.
Later in the afternoon, at about 2.15pm, the King, Queen and members of the royal family will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the flypast.
Celebrations will continue throughout the weekend, with a Coronation Big Lunch and The Coronation Concert, closing with an extra Bank Holiday on Monday 8th May, where the royals are encouraging the public to volunteer as part of a Big Help Out.
Image: Samuel Regan-Asante, Unsplash
