On Saturday, King Charles III will be crowned alongside his wife Queen Camilla in a centuries-old ritual defined by pomp and pageantry. The following is the expected timeline for the day:
6:00 am (0500 GMT)
Celebrations kick off as viewing areas along the procession route in central London open to the public.
7:15-8:30 am
Guests for the ceremony, which will take place at Westminster Abbey, arrive through security checkpoints. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the world’s Anglicans, will preside over the ceremony.
9:30-10:45 am
At Westminster Abbey, foreign dignitaries, elected officials, foreign royals, and members of the British royal family arrive.
10:20 am
Charles and Camilla begin their journey from Buckingham Palace to the abbey in the horse-drawn Diamond Jubilee State Coach, accompanied by members of the Household Cavalry, the king’s protection. The “King’s Procession” will make its way down The Mall, the route that runs from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square, then down Whitehall to Westminster Abbey.
10:53 am
The royal couple arrive at Westminster Abbey.
11:00 am
The ritual begins as Charles and Camilla enter the abbey through the Great West Door. King George VI’s crimson velvet Robe of State will be worn by Charles.
12:00 pm
The Archbishop of Canterbury places St Edward’s Crown on Charles’ head, and he is crowned. Trumpets are blown to honour the occasion, and gun salutes are fired around the country.
1:00 pm
The service concludes in Westminster Abbey. The king will depart the abbey wearing his grandfather’s Robe of Estate, which is made of purple silk velvet embroidered in gold. The Imperial State Crown, adorned with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 269 pearls, will be worn by the king.
As part of a wider ceremonial “Coronation Procession,” Charles and Camilla walk back to Buckingham Palace in the horse-drawn Gold State Coach. They will be escorted by 4,000 soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire.
In another carriage, the heir to the throne, Prince William, his wife Kate, and their children Princes George and Louis, as well as Princess Charlotte, follow. The procession will be skipped by the king’s estranged son, Prince Harry, and his brother, Prince Andrew.
1:33 pm
Charles and Camilla make their way to Buckingham Palace.
1:45 pm
The newly crowned king and queen are greeted in the palace gardens by a royal salute from the troops.
2:15 pm
Charles and Camilla, as well as other members of the royal family, gather on the palace balcony to witness a flypast. Hugo Burnand then photographs the couple and the royal family before the king and queen have lunch with the royal family.
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