The military flypast over Buckingham Palace to mark the coronation of the King and Queen has been scaled down because of the weather and will now be formed of helicopters and The Red Arrows, the Ministry of Defence said.
More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force had been due to take part.
But the event will now only involve helicopters and the Red Arrows aerobatic display team, the Ministry of Defence said.
For the #Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen, the UK Armed Forces will conduct a flypast over Buckingham Palace, subject to weather, serviceability, & operational commitments.
— Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) May 6, 2023
Find out what it’s like to prepare for such a spectacle: https://t.co/rbQc3QMIpN
The King and Queen were expected to watch the flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The display over The Mall and Buckingham Palace was originally meant to last for six minutes, but the scaled-down version will last for less than half of that time.
The MoD said it would last for two minutes and 30 seconds.
The flypast over the palace means there will be restrictions on aircraft flying over London, East Anglia and the North Sea.
Who are the Red Arrows?
Formed in 1964, The Red Arrows are the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic display team, and they’re instantly recognisable by their distinctive red Hawk jets.
The team has been putting on displays since it was formed. As the “public face” of the RAF, they act as ambassadors for the UK at home and overseas. They’re known for their close formation and precision flying, with trademark moves including the ‘Diamond Nine’ shape.
The Red Arrows had flown almost 5,000 displays in 57 countries, and their team is made up of pilots, engineers, and support staff. They are based at the RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.
Where will the route be on the coronation day?
Expert pilots will make their way over parts of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex on the way to London. However, because of security reasons, the exact timings and routes will not be publicly revealed.
Provided it goes ahead, the flypast route will be split around all of the counties, each with a general time zone to when people will be able to look to the skies and see the show.
The areas are:
Area A: North Sea and Norfolk Coast, 1.15pm-3pm
Area B: Norfolk (Thetford) and Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds), 1.45pm-3pm
Area C: Suffolk (Ipswich), 2pm-3pm
Area D: Essex (Colchester, Chelmsford), 2pm-2.45pm
Area E: London, 2.10pm-2.45pm
Area F: London (Croydon) and Surrey, 2.20pm-3pm
Area G: Berkshire (Reading), Wiltshire (Swindon) and Oxfordshire (Oxford), 2.20pm-3pm
Area H: Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, 2.20pm-3pm
Area I: Wiltshire (Marlborough, Tidworth), 2.20pm-3pm.
If I can’t see them in the skies, how can I watch?
There will be live coverage on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 07:30am. The service begins at 11:00 in Westminster Abbey. News coverage will also be shown throughout the day on Freeview channel 233, Sky channel 501, Virgin 603 and BT 313.
