Guests arrive for King Charles’ III ‘historic’ Coronation
Guests arrive for King Charles’ III ‘historic’ Coronation
The first coronation in 70 years will take place later, with King Charles III and the Queen Consort preparing for their historic carriage ride to Westminster Abbey.
Large crowds with Union jacks have gathered along the procession route, with many camping out overnight.
Thousands of military personnel are arriving in London to take part, and a large security operation is in place.
The first guests have arrived for the service which begins at 11:00 BST.
Among them are a large group of peers, including Lord Mandelson and Baroness Casey, dressed in their traditional red robes.
The service will last for around two hours and be seen first-hand by some 2,300 people, including 100 heads of state.
A key theme of the Coronation for King Charles will be served and in his first prayer when he reaches the Abbey he will say: “I come not to be served, but to serve.”
Following the ceremony, the King and Camilla will leave Westminster Abbey to return to Buckingham Palace.
The guest list also includes Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who arrived from the United States on Friday on a commercial flight.
It will be the first time since the release of the duke’s memoir that he will have been seen in public with his brother, Prince William, the Prince of Wales.
It is thought Prince Harry may fly back to the US a matter of hours after the ceremony to rejoin his wife Meghan, with their son Archie celebrating his birthday the same day.
More than 5,000 armed forces personnel are arriving by train into London Waterloo station from garrison towns across the country, before marching over Westminster Bridge.
It is the largest movement of military personnel on Britain’s railways since Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965, according to Network Rail.
Thousands of people have gathered along the procession route despite the forecast of rain later.
Among them is 10-year-old Hudson, who in the last few years has witnessed Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, the Jubilee and the late Queen’s lying-in-state.
“I’m extremely excited for today,” he told the BBC. “I’m excited to see the King in the gold carriage, and hopefully the aeroplanes.”
Charles became king of the United Kingdom and 14 other realms in September, when his mother Elizabeth died after 70 years on the throne. Months of intense planning have gone into the coronation celebrations – the 40th to take place at Westminster Abbey since 1066.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will preside over the service, with guests ranging from US First Lady Jill Biden to President Macron of France and entertainers Ant and Dec.
He will be assisted by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who has already been seen arriving at Westminster Abbey.
“There have been wall-to-wall rehearsals this week, and indeed last week,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“None of us have done this for a very long time, so working out the choreography has been complex”.
There has been controversy over whether people at home were being asked to pledge their allegiance to the King.
The Church of England has made clear this is entirely optional and people might instead have a “private moment of reflection”.
The high point of the ceremony will come when the St Edward’s Crown is placed on the King’s head, a moment that will be marked by the Abbey bells being rung and a gun salute in nearby Horse Guards Parade.
Camilla will be crowned alongside Charles – and after the couple’s long and often complicated relationship, she will now be officially described as “Queen Camilla”.
The ceremony will emphasise diversity and inclusion, with more multi-faith elements than any previous coronation, with contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh representatives.
A Bible lesson will be read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu, and music will be sung in Welsh and Scottish and Irish Gaelic.
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