Crowds gathered on London’s Mall on Saturday morning ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, heralding a day of ancient ceremony and military spectacle that will draw on a millennium of British history.
World leaders and overseas royalty will attend the event at Westminster Abbey – the scene of royal coronations since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066 – before taking part in a day of celebrations.
The ceremony, the first since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, will begin at 11 a.m. King Charles and Queen Camilla will be crowned around noon.
Some 7,000 servicemen were gathering in London ahead of the armed forces’ biggest parade for 70 years, with many arriving in uniform at Waterloo station.
Other events will include a 60-plane military flyby and the Royal Family will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace around 2 p.m. to wave to the crowds.
London weather will be mixed with forecasts of rain during the day, similar to the weather conditions that hosted the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The country was given a bank holiday weekend to mark the event, and street parties are planned across the country.
Some anti-monarchy protesters were also gathering in London and the event is surrounded by a huge security presence; organizers are also considering the possibility of events aimed at visiting world leaders.
A suggestion by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, that the public should be invited to participate by taking an oath of allegiance to the king has sparked some controversy.
Jonathan Dimbleby, the broadcaster and friend of King Charles, said he thought the monarch would find the idea “abhorrent”. On Saturday, it was confirmed that the wording of the service would be changed.
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, told the BBC the “words of invitation” had changed and people would be asked to express their support for the king “in a slightly different way”.
The British generally remain in favor of the monarchy and the death of Queen Elizabeth last year was a moment of national unity after years of political division.
London has been steadily filling with overseas visitors over the past week. On Friday, the king hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for the foreign royal family and other guests, including US first lady Jill Biden and Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the coronation would be an “extraordinary moment of national pride”.
He added: “It is a proud expression of our history, our culture and our traditions. A shining demonstration of the modern character of our country. And a cherished ritual through which a new era is born.
The face of Britain has changed dramatically since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. The UK is now a much more diverse country and has a Hindu Prime Minister, a Muslim Mayor in London and a Muslim Prime Minister in Scotland.
On Saturday, the Archbishop of Canterbury told a BBC broadcast that King Charles would bear the brunt of the nation’s expectations.
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