The King’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey is taking place today and millions of people are filling the streets of London to mark the occasion.
The key timings for today include the procession leaving from Buckingham Palace at 10.20am, the service from 11am and the return procession from 1.30pm.
The bank holiday weekend will also feature the Big Lunch and the Coronation Concert on Sunday, followed by the Big Help Out volunteering day on Monday.
Here is a look at everything you need to know for the next few days, including what is happening day-by-day over the weekend and how the celebrations will unfold:
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, pictured at Buckingham Palace in March
TODAY – THE CORONATION
Viewing areas along the procession route opened this morning at 6am and guests for Westminster Abbey began to arrive at security checkpoints in Victoria Tower Gardens between 7.15am and 8.30am.
Heads of state, overseas government representatives, Government ministers, first ministers, former PMs, foreign royals and members of the royal family are arriving from between 9.30am and 10.45am.
Some of those expected to be among the 2,300 guests include US first lady Jill Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron, Chinese vice-president Han Zheng, Sinn Fein’s leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and all his living predecessors are expected to be there alongside Cabinet ministers and leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer.
Others expected to be in the congregation are TV presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful and singer-songwriter Lionel Richie.
The King and Queen Consort’s procession will set off from Buckingham Palace at 10.20am and arrive at Westminster Abbey at 10.53am.
The service will begin at 11am and last for two hours, with the key moment coming at midday when the King is crowned.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will place the St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head. Trumpets will sound and gun salutes will be fired across the UK.
The service will include the first Homage of the People – a modern addition to the ancient ceremony that will see people across the UK and overseas realms invited to swear an oath of allegiance to Charles.
When the service ends, the newly crowned King and Queen will embark on their coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach via the tried and tested route of Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall, arriving back at Buckingham Palace at 1.33pm.
The King’s Coronation Procession stretches to just 1.3 miles – around a quarter of the length of the late Queen’s five-mile celebratory journey.
Thousands of members of the armed forces will take part on the day of the coronation – the largest military ceremonial operation for 70 years – staging gun salutes and a flypast, and parading in the processions.
Charles and Camilla will receive a royal salute from the military in the palace gardens at 1.45pm.
This will be followed by a balcony moment when the couple will be joined by other members of the royal family to watch a flypast at around 2.15pm.
Aircraft involved in the coronation flypast will jet over large parts of eastern and southern England, giving millions of people the chance to view them.
More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force – including the Red Arrows – are scheduled to fly over Buckingham Palace.
But many people outside London will be able to see them as they fly to and from the capital.
The exact routes of the aircraft are not being published in advance for security reasons.
But airspace restrictions relating to the flypast have been announced, revealing the areas being flown over.
The restrictions have been split into eight zones, each with a specific time slot to prevent the aircraft being disrupted by other pilots.
These are the areas and times where people may be able to see some of the flypast aircraft:
- Area A between 1.15pm and 3pm: The Lincolnshire coast including Skegness and the Norfolk coast including Cromer and Great Yarmouth.
- Area B between 1.45pm and 3pm: Thetford, Norfolk and Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
- Area C between 2pm and 3pm: Ipswich, Suffolk.
- Area D between 2pm and 2.45pm: Colchester and Chelmsford, Essex.
- Area E between 2.10pm and 2.45pm: London
- Area F between 2.20pm and 3pm: Croydon, south-east London, and Epsom, Surrey.
- Area G between 2.20pm and 3pm: Farnborough, Hampshire; Reading, Berkshire; Swindon, Wiltshire; and Oxford, Oxfordshire.
- Area H between 2.20pm and 3pm: East Gloucestershire and west Oxfordshire.
- Area I between 2.20pm and 3pm: Marlborough and Tidworth, Wiltshire.
However, Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston has said ‘it’s 50/50’ as to whether the flypast will go ahead due to the poor weather forecast, and the final decision will be made just one or two hours before it is due to start.
Forecasters expect conditions in London to be cloudy and wet today, which could hamper the ability of pilots to fly safely.
The King and Queen Consort are due to appear on the palace balcony with other members of the royal family to watch the six-minute flypast.
The decision on whether to go ahead with the flypast can be made by the RAF’s Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin, Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group, or the aircraft pilots.
The Met Office expects today to be a ‘cloudy, wet day’ across large parts of the UK, with rain falling on London ‘by around lunchtime’.
Big screens will be placed in royal parks including in Hyde Park, Green Park and St James’s Park so royal fans can watch the day’s events.
More than 57 locations across the UK will have big screens enabling more than 100,000 people to watch the events in their home towns, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Some will also be showing Sunday’s coronation concert.
In England:
- The north west will be able to host 24,000 people at public screenings.
- Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens will broadcast the ceremony and Sunday’s concert with capacity to host 5,000 people. It will also be hosting a Big Lunch before the concert.
- Oldham’s Parliament Square will broadcast the coronation ceremony, with a capacity of 3,000, followed by a musical event.
- Liverpool’s Eurovision Village on the Pier Head will broadcast the coronation ceremony with a capacity to host 16,000 people.
- The north east will be able to host 15,060 people at public screenings of the coronation.
- In Sunderland there will be screens at Keel Square, Park Lane, Hylton Castle, Town Moor, Rectory Park and Barnes Park.
- Newcastle’s Times Square will broadcast the coronation ceremony and concert with capacity to host 2,500 people.
- Alnwick Castle will broadcast the coronation ceremony with a capacity to host 1,500 people.
- Darlington’s Market Square will broadcast the coronation ceremony and concert with capacity to host 2,500 people.
- Yorkshire and Humber in total will be able to host at least 35,000 people at public screenings of the coronation.
- Bradford’s Centenary Square will broadcast the coronation ceremony and have capacity to host 5,000 people.
- Halifax’s Piece Hall will broadcast the coronation ceremony with a capacity of 13,500.
- Leeds’s Millennium Square will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 5,800 people.
- Pontefract Castle will have capacity to host 2,000 people for the coronation service and 7,000 people for the coronation concert.
- Sheffield’s Peace Gardens will broadcast the ceremony and concert with capacity to host 2,000 people.
- Barnsley’s Glass Works will broadcast the ceremony and concert with capacity to host 2,000 people.
- Other screenings will take place in Huddersfield’s St Peter’s Parish Church and Dewsbury Library.
- Some 16,150 people will be able to watch at events in south-west England.
- In Bristol, the cathedral will have capacity for 650 for the ceremony.
- Bristol and Bath Science Park in South Gloucestershire will hold 2,500 for the ceremony and concert.
- Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens will broadcast the ceremony and concert with capacity to host up to 1,000 people.
- Poole’s Baiter Park will show the ceremony and concert with a capacity of 1,000.
- Christchurch’s The Quomps will broadcast the ceremony and concert with capacity to host up to 3,000 people.
- Plymouth’s The Barbican will hold 3,000 for the ceremony and concert.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are served a pint at the Dog & Duck pub in Soho yesterday
Home Secretary Suella Braverman (left) with Inspector Alexandra McDonagh (right) and police horse Wilbur, who will lead the procession at the Coronation today, during her visit to the Metropolitan Police Central Communications Command in London yesterday
- Southampton’s Westquay on the Esplanade will broadcast the ceremony and concert with a capacity of 5,000.
- In the south east, Brighton’s Jubilee Square will broadcast the ceremony with capacity to host 500 people.
- In London, public screens will show the coronation in St James’s Park, Hyde Park and Green Park.
- Walpole Park, Ealing, will show the coronation with a capacity to host 6,000 people.
- Valence Park, Dagenham, will have capacity to host 7,000 people for the coronation ceremony.
- Holland Park will have capacity to host 4,000 people for the ceremony.
- Battersea Park will have capacity to host 2,500 and show the ceremony and concert.
- In the east of England, Huntingdon’s Commemoration Hall will broadcast the ceremony and concert with capacity to host 1,000 people.
- Peterborough’s Cathedral and Cathedral Gardens will broadcast the ceremony and concert to up to 1,250.
- Ely’s Cathedral will broadcast the ceremony and concert with a capacity of 1,000.
- In Cambridge, screenings will take place at The Meadows Community Centre and Clay Farm Centre.
- In the Midlands, around 18,000 people will be able to attend public screenings.
- Birmingham’s Centenary Square will broadcast the ceremony and concert to 1,500 people.
- Coventry’s Broadgate will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 10,000 people over the course of the day.
- Dudley’s Himley Hall will broadcast the ceremony with a capacity of 600.
- Sandwell’s Valley Showground will broadcast the concert and have capacity to host 2,000 people.
- Solihull’s The Core will broadcast the ceremony with capacity to host 475 people.
- Derby’s Cathedral will broadcast the coronation ceremony and have capacity to host 800 people.
- Stoke-on-Trent’s Smithfield site will broadcast the ceremony and concert and have capacity to host 500 people.
- Nottingham Castle will broadcast the ceremony and concert and have capacity to host 1,500 people.
- Leicester’s De Montfort University city centre campus will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 600 people.
People gather to watch the ceremony by pitching tents on The Mall today along the route
People sit on camping chairs on The Mall today ahead of the Coronation procession today
In Wales, around 4,000 people will be able to attend public screenings.
- Cardiff Castle will have capacity for 2,000 to watch the coronation ceremony.
- Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay will have capacity to host 2,000 people for the concert.
- Some 6,200 people will be able to attend screenings in Scotland.
London landmarks to join Big Ben in lighting up for the Coronation
Four London landmarks have been announced as additions to the list of buildings which will light up across the nation to mark the King’s coronation.
Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Guildhall and Mansion House will be illuminated in red, white and blue to mark the crowning of the King and the Queen Consort this weekend.
Images projected onto Big Ben this week
The colourful displays will take place tomorrow evening after the coronation ceremony, from 8pm until midnight, and during the same period on Sunday to coincide with the BBC’s Lighting Up The Nation event.
Big Ben was earlier announced as another London landmark which will be illuminated by a series of projections of national flowers of all four home nations – a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock, from Thursday evening.
The words of the national anthem, God Save The King, will also appear on the tower before the projection culminates with the coronation emblem, designed by Sir Jony Ive, a British product designer and chancellor of the Royal College of Art.
Guildhall, Mansion House, Tower Bridge and the Central Criminal Court will also fly the Union Flag over the coronation weekend.
- Edinburgh’s Ross Bandstand in Princes Street will broadcast the coronation ceremony and concert and have capacity to host 5,000 people.
- Glasgow Cathedral will broadcast the ceremony and concert to 1,200 people.
- In Northern Ireland, around 15,000 people will be able to view the coronation on public screens.
- Belfast’s City Hall will broadcast the ceremony to 2,000 people.
- Ballymena’s People’s Park will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 1,000 people.
- Larne’s Town Park will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 1,000 people.
- Carrickfergus’s Marine Gardens will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 1,000 people.
- Lisburn’s Market Square will broadcast the coronation ceremony to 600 people.
- Bessbrook Town Hall will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 400 people.
- Antrim Castle Gardens will hold up to 3,000 people for the coronation ceremony.
- Newtownabbey’s Jordanstown Loughshore Park will broadcast the ceremony and have capacity to host 3,000 people.
- Coleraine Town Hall will broadcast the coronation ceremony and have capacity to host 3,000 people.
For those who do not plan on venturing out for the celebrations, they can watch it all on television from the comfort of their sofa.
Kirsty Young and Huw Edwards are among the BBC’s presenting team and the coronation programme, which will cover the lead-up to the Westminster Abbey service, the ceremony, the return procession to Buckingham Palace and the King’s balcony appearance, will see former Desert Island Discs presenter Young in a studio at Buckingham Palace on the day.
Edwards will provide commentary as the Westminster Abbey doors open to greet those arriving for the ceremony, with Sophie Raworth, Clare Balding, Anita Rani and JJ Chalmers also contributing to the day’s coverage.
ITV News At Ten anchor Tom Bradby, a close friend of the Duke of Sussex, will front ITV’s coverage alongside Julie Etchingham.
Presenters Mary Nightingale, Nina Hossain, Charlene White and James Mates will also be stationed at key locations during the six hour-plus broadcast.
SUNDAY – CORONATION BIG LUNCH + CORONATION CONCERT
Thousands of street parties are expected to be held at the weekend, with people encouraged to come together across the country for the Coronation Big Lunch.
A palace spokeswoman said big lunches will take place from Saturday to Monday ‘in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship’.
On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a big lunch in Cranleigh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will attend a community street party in Swindon, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will attend a big lunch in Windsor.
Click here to use the Eden Project tool to find a Coronation Big Lunch near you
The Eden Project map shows there are 3,754 Coronation Big Lunches planned in the UK
Later, around 20,000 members of the public are expected to attend the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle where they will see performances by Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, veteran rock guitarist Steve Winwood, and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls.
The show, hosted by Paddington and Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, will see Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Dynasty actress Dame Joan Collins, adventurer Bear Grylls and singer Sir Tom Jones appear via video message.
The series of pre-recorded sketches will reveal little-known facts about the monarch and will also include moments from beloved literary figure Winnie the Pooh – seemingly echoing the famous moment Paddington Bear drank tea with the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Classical acts including Andrea Bocelli, Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel and Chinese pianist Lang Lang will also perform.
The Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art will come together for the first time to create a one-off performance featuring Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Olivier Award nominee Mei Mac.
As part of the Coronation Concert, choreographed lasers, projections and drone displays will radiate over historic bridges and buildings.
Seven of the 10 locations involved in the event, Lighting up the Nation, have been disclosed so far, including Blackpool seafront in Lancashire, where people can join a viewing party from Blackpool Tower.
Sheffield Town Hall will showcase a display in the Peace Gardens, while Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge and Gateshead’s Millennium Bridge lights will cast riverside reflections for an audience stretching between the quays.
A drone show will light up the sky above the Eden Project in Cornwall, and its biomes will become multicoloured for spectators invited from the local volunteer community.
Charles and Camilla attend the Big Jubilee Lunch at The Oval in London on June 5 last year
Charles and Camilla sit down at the Big Jubilee Lunch in London’s Piccadilly on June 6, 2012
Light shows will also brighten up Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff at various locations. The remaining three locations will be revealed during the concert.
The Coronation Concert will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 8pm.
Lighting up the Nation will be accompanied by a poetry reading by James Nesbitt.
The Bloodlands actor will read a piece written for the occasion by Daljit Nagra, chairman of the Royal Society of Literature.
MONDAY – THE BIG HELP OUT
The Big Help Out will take place on bank holiday Monday, with the aim of inspiring and recruiting a new generation of volunteers by showing how easy it is to get involved.
Buckingham Palace said the Big Help Out will ‘highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation’.
Edward and Sophie will take part in a puppy class at the Guide Dogs training centre in Reading, while Anne and Sir Tim will attend a civic service recognising local volunteers at Gloucester Cathedral.
Venerable Ajahn Amaro, Archbishop Justin Welby and Julie Siddiqi serve food as they join other faith leaders in taking part in the Big Help Out at the Passage in London on April 19
The service will be followed by a short reception for invited volunteers and representatives of voluntary organisations from across Gloucestershire.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will meet young volunteers from the Coptic Orthodox Church at a coronation party at St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Kensington.
The palace spokesperson said that according to the latest polling, an estimated 6.5 million people say they are planning to take part in the Big Help Out, ranging from community litter picks to signing up to longer-term volunteering opportunities with a wide range of charities.
The palace said that while ‘wholly supportive’ of the Big Help Out initiatives on Monday, Charles and Camilla will not be attending any of the events in person.
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