A summary of today's developments
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been crowned at Westminster Abbey. In a lavish and archaic ritual not seen in Britain since 1953, the king was anointed with holy oil and swore the oath of kings, before the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, placed Saint Edward’s Crown on his head, to a cry of “God Save the King!”
In front of 2,300 guests including more than 100 heads of state, the king also vowed to maintain the Protestant religion in the United Kingdom, and to preserve the rights of the Church of England, as set out in an act of parliament.
Thousands crammed into the Mall and along a procession route from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey, many camping overnight to secure a good view on the mile-long parade, which involved 7,000 troops and 19 military bands, the most at any state occasion since the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
But there were accusations of police heavy-handedness after a number of anti-royalist protesters, including the head of the UK’s leading anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, were arrested before the beginning of the procession. Graham Smith had been collecting drinks and placards for demonstrators at the main site of the protest when he was detained by police on the Strand at about 7.30am.
Up to 2,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square beneath a statue of Charles I, who was executed in 1649, chanting and holding yellow placards reading “Not My King”. One sign read: “Don’t you think this is a bit silly?” Anti-monarchy protesters along King Charles’s procession route booed the king as he passed.
Prince William kissed his father after paying homage to him during the service.
Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrived alone at the coronation ceremony after his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and young children opted not to attend and remain at home in California. The king’s younger son, who stepped back as a working royal in 2020 and later moved to the US, has not been seen in public with the royals since the publication of his memoir Spare earlier this year, in which he was highly critical of his father, his stepmother, Queen Camilla, and brother, the Prince of Wales.
The public were controversially invited to pledge allegiance to the monarch, but the wording was changed at the last moment after days of criticism.
A planned flypast had to be scaled down at the last moment due to adverse weather conditions.
The king and queen and other members of the royal family were cheered by a crowd outside Buckingham Palace when they made a balcony appearance.
The Metropolitan police said 52 arrests had been made around the coronation for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
Three people were arrested in the early hours of the morning in the Soho area of London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance. The local council, Westminster, said it is “deeply concerned” by reports that volunteers who work on women’s safety were arrested. Among items seized were a number of rape alarms, the force said. The Met said it “received intelligence that indicated groups and individuals seeking to disrupt today’s coronation proceedings were planning to use rape alarms to disrupt the procession”.
The Tory MP Lee Anderson has drawn ire for telling anti-monarchy activists to “emigrate”. The deputy chair of the Conservative party was commenting on the arrests of protesters from the Republic group before the coronation on Saturday morning.
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Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s coronation anthem will be heard in Sunday services across the country this weekend as the sheet music has been sent to thousands of churches.
The theatre impresario’s song, Make A Joyful Noise, was performed publicly for the first time on Saturday during the coronation.
Following the ceremony, the music was distributed to 6,000 churches to allow them the chance to perform it during their own services on Sunday and over the coming weeks.
During the coronation, the opening and closing fanfare of the piece was played by the fanfare trumpeters of the Royal Air Force – while the chorus was sung by The Choir of Westminster Abbey.
The Coronation Orchestra, which includes musicians from eight of the world’s leading orchestras, provided accompaniment during the world premiere of the song.
Westminster council 'deeply concerned' by reports women’s safety volunteers were arrested
On the three people arrested in the early hours of the morning in the Soho area of London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, a council said it is “deeply concerned” by reports that volunteers who work on women’s safety were arrested.
The Metropolitan police said that at around 2am on Saturday three people were stopped by officers and arrested in the Soho area of central London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance.
Among items seized were a number of rape alarms, the force said.
The Met said it “received intelligence that indicated groups and individuals seeking to disrupt today’s coronation proceedings were planning to use rape alarms to disrupt the procession”.
The three people – a 37-year-old woman, a 59-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man – were taken to a south London police station, where they were questioned.
The 47-year-old man was also further arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, police said.
All three have since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Councillor Aicha Less, cabinet member for communities and public protection at Westminster City Council, said: “We are deeply concerned by reports of our Night Stars volunteers being arrested overnight.
“This service has been a familiar and welcome sight in the West End for a long time and volunteers have extensive training so they can assist the most vulnerable on the streets late at night.
“We are working with the Metropolitan Police to establish exactly what happened, and in the meantime, we are in touch with our volunteers to ensure they are receiving the support they need.”
Night Stars is a part of the council’s night safety campaign.
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The Tory MP Lee Anderson has been condemned for his anti-democratic remarks after he told anti-monarchy activists to “emigrate” instead of exercise protest, while others expressed support for his opinion.
Jonathan Harris, a Lib Dem councillor in West Northamptonshire, called him an idiot for his remarks.
He tweeted:
30 p Lee - Idiot on display. You took the rights away for British people to live and work across the EU, and forget that great democracies are built on and absolutely allow the right to peaceful protest.
Home secretary Suella Braverman later praised the police.
She tweeted that she was “incredibly grateful to the police” for all their hard work.
I’m incredibly grateful to the police for all their hard work at today’s Coronation celebration to ensure it was safe & passed without incident.
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) May 6, 2023
It was a magnificent procession & ceremony enjoyed by tens of thousands of people. What a great tribute to our country & monarchy! https://t.co/5CHKLA5nam
But Labour’s Jess Phillips, who is a shadow home office minister, wrote: “Our nation and our King is not so fragile as to not be able to take harmless protest of a different view.”
Labour former minister Chris Bryant said: “Freedom of speech is the silver thread that runs through a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.”
It is not the first time Anderson, the MP for Ashfield, has proved controversial, having previously called for the return of the death penalty and claiming people on Universal Credit were not in poverty.
He has been dubbed “30p Lee” for claiming that meals could be prepared for that sum and suggesting people using food banks could not budget. He also recently clashed with Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley over the force’s handling of protests, telling him to “leave his ivory tower” to deal with demonstrators in Westminster.
Under the controversial new Public Order Act, protesters who have an object with the intention of using it to “lock on” are liable to a fine, with those who block roads facing 12 months in prison.
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Crowd control and security screen measures have been installed on the Long Walk in Windsor ready for the BBC coronation concert on Sunday evening.
Thousands of people will queue for security screening here before entering the private grounds of Windsor Castle to attend the coronation concert.
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Three people were arrested in the early hours of the morning in the Soho area of London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance, the Met police said.
These arrests were made after police received intelligence that indicated groups and individuals were planning to use and throw rape alarms in order to disrupt the coronation procession.
A statement from the Met said:
There was particular concern from military colleagues that this would scare their horses involved in the procession and, as a result, cause significant risk to the safety of the public and the riders.
The three people – a 37-year-old woman, a 59-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man – were taken to a south London police station, where they were questioned, the police said. Among items seized during the arrest were a number of rape alarms.
The 47-year-old man was also further arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
All three have since been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan said:
The intelligence we received led us to be extremely worried about the potential risk to public safety. We are aware of and understand there is public concern over these arrests. However, the matter is still under investigation.
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The organiser of a King Charles spaniel parade on the day of King’s coronation said the march was a “fitting way” to honour Charles.
Jenny Matthews, owner of Love My Human – a pet groomers boutique on King’s Road in West London, led a parade of more than 150 dogs to celebrate Charles becoming King and to mark the first coronation in over 70 years.
Matthews said onlookers were in “wonderment” and that hosting the spaniel march was “a no brainer”.
“It was fitting to honour King Charles today with a lot of King Charles spaniels,” the 53-year-old told the PA news agency.
“I heard comments saying ‘Oh my goodness, and there’s more’.
“I think everyone was charmed by it.”
Spaniels, young and old, were seen parading through King’s Road passing luxury boutiques and some donned royal attire to mark the historic event.
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As the soft drizzle in London gave way to a downpour, Charles was crowned king in Westminster Abbey, and the feeling came over many of us, if not all, that some things are the more marvellous for being a bit silly and unfathomable.
No, republicans did not celebrate; they took their placards and their yellow T-shirts to Trafalgar Square, where their voices could (almost) be heard against a backdrop of marching bands and pealing bells.
But the choral singers of Britain celebrated, and the trumpet players and the embroiderers, the gilders and the girdlers, the umbrella-makers and the manufacturer of Goddard’s silver polish.
Which sorcerer conjured this preposterous vision for the nation? This almost-fairytale? Practically speaking, we know his name: he is the Duke of Norfolk, a bespectacled aristocrat who looks, in mufti, like he might run an upmarket car showroom in Sheringham.
But facts take you only so far. The true necromancy seemed, somehow, to come from elsewhere; a place both unknown and utterly indescribable, though I will try my best.
British expat Michael Vincent was part of ceremony preparations for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, when he was 18 years old.
Vincent, 88, told PA that he had been one of the “test groups” and had marched in a practice procession almost exactly 70 years ago.
“My aunt came down to see me march past,” he said. “I was playing the tenor drum because I couldn’t carry a tune so I had the easy job, just twirling the sticks.
“You just did what you were told in those days. It was historic but we didn’t really think of it that way.”
Vincent, now US-based, added: “I was always going outside the norm with my life, I’ve been very lucky. Most of my family have lived to be 100.”
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If you have been out and about doing non-coronation things, here are the highlights of today’s ceremony.
Here are some images from today’s ceremony.
📸 A truly historic day. 👑
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) May 6, 2023
An honour to see our police and other frontline workers supporting the spectacular procession and crowds across the capital.#Coronation pic.twitter.com/YuGIvcNGz8
An iconic shot of an iconic event. #Coronation
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 6, 2023
📷 credit: Niall Carson / PA Media pic.twitter.com/ohn51dAMeP
The British national anthem has been met with resounding boos at Anfield, with Liverpool fans drowning out the music with heckles before their fixture against Brentford hours after King Charles’s coronation.
Liverpool supporters could also be heard chanting “Liverpool, Liverpool” in what has become somewhat of a tradition whenever the national anthem is played at the ground.
The club said it was asked to play God Save the King by the Premier League to mark the king’s coronation, despite strong opposition.
Liverpool said how spectators chose to react to the anthem was a personal choice, while the team’s manager, Jürgen Klopp, said he did not have an opinion on the subject.
Stella McCartney will deliver a spoken word performance with a conservation theme at the Coronation Concert to celebrate the crowning of the King and Queen.
The speech by the fashion designer, who has championed a vegan lifestyle and sustainable design throughout her career, will reflect her and the King’s “shared passion for environmental sustainability”, the BBC said.
Classical-soul composer Alexis Ffrench and London-based singer-songwriter Zak Abel will also be part of the segment as they perform a rendition of a 1980s hit alongside a house orchestra, band and choir.
A visual display will accompany the performance, with images spanning across the large screen at the top of the stage as well as being projected onto the facade of the castle.
The performance will also be interspersed with footage of drone displays taking place above the Eden Project in Cornwall, an eco visitor attraction, and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
The section is due to end with a ‘Did You Know?’ video, which will reveal “little-known information” about Charles’ relationship with the natural world, the BBC has said.
The broadcaster added the stage has also been designed and built almost entirely of rental stock to make it as sustainable as possible, with the majority of the lighting being LED to improve energy saving.
Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are also among the star-studded line-up as well as Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli and Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel.
The concert, produced by BBC Studios Productions, will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 8pm on Sunday.
When the official coronation invitation was unveiled last month, featuring a bee, bluebells and an image of the Green Man, an ancient mythological figure symbolising rebirth, it suggested the new monarch’s investiture was perhaps going to break away from tradition.
Further hints came via the meat-free coronation quiche recipe, news that the anointing oil was to be vegan, and Charles’s decision to ditch the customary silk stockings and breeches. The Princess of Wales was even rumoured to be swapping a tiara for a flower crown.
It wasn’t until Saturday morning, when Charles and Camilla set off down the Mall in their spectacular carriage, Camilla’s diamond necklace glinting through the gilded windows, that it became clear the jolly Green Man was purely symbolism, the idea of a “modern monarchy” still a bona fide oxymoron.
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A Royal Air Force (RAF) officer aboard one of the planes forced to withdraw from the coronation flypast has said the preparations were “good operational practice”.
The Voyager aircraft, recently used in British evacuation efforts in Sudan, announced at about 1.55pm that conditions were unsuitable for flying over Buckingham Palace and the Mall because of a low cloud base.
It had taken off earlier from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire before holding a position over the North Sea, off the coast of Norfolk.
More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British army and RAF had been due to take part in the flypast, but only helicopters and the Red Arrows ultimately took part in the display, which lasted for about two and a half minutes.
Sqn Ldr Mike Willers told the PA news agency: “We launched; we sat in the holding pattern and we did everything to leave the pattern on time for the flypast.
“We formed up with the [A400M] Atlas and we were always just waiting on a weather call with the warm front that was pushing through from the south-west.
“Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t suitable for us to safely conduct a flypast, and ultimately we need to keep our people and assets safe, and everybody on the ground safe.”
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The bronze statue of Charles I on horseback on the corner of Trafalgar Square had been boxed off for the day, with armed police stationed above it. The symbolism was not lost on the protesters from the Republic organisation, those latter-day parliamentarians, who had chosen that spot on the coronation procession route to voice their opposition to the monarchy.
They had come for the day dressed in spring yellow, in contrast to the uniform red, white and blue of the hats and waistcoats and umbrellas of the crowds around them. As the royal procession passed on its way to Westminster Abbey, they made sure that the three-word opinion of perhaps a quarter of the British public was heard above the clatter of the Household Cavalry, at a volume unfamiliar from previous state occasions: “Not my king!”
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The singer Katy Perry has reassured her fans after she appeared to lose her seat and was spotted pacing up and down the aisle at Westminster Abbey during the king’s coronation.
A video shared widely on social media shows the pop star, who was wearing a bespoke lilac skirt suit by Vivienne Westwood, walking in circles as she looks through the crowd to find her seat.
She then stops at one of the aisles, points at a chair and asks fellow guests for help.
The 38-year-old posted on Twitter after tens of thousands liked and shared the footage.
“Don’t worry guys I found my seat,” tweeted the singer, who will perform at Sunday’s coronation concert at Windsor Castle.
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The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has welcomed his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, to Downing Street as part of a series of bilateral meetings around the king’s coronation.
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The Metropolitan police said 14 people were arrested on the Mall: 13 to prevent a breach of the peace and one for possession of drugs and a knife.
Fourteen people were arrested in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Six people were arrested at St Martin’s Lane, Westminster, on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
Six people were arrested on Whitehall, five of whom were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, and the sixth was arrested for religiously aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm of distress.
Three people were arrested at Wellington Arch, Westminster, on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, while another three were detained in Soho for the same reason. Two people were arrested at St James’ Park, Westminster, to prevent a breach of the peace.
One person was arrested on Charing Cross Road on suspicion of affray; another was arrested near Green Park station on suspicion of racially aggravated behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. One person was arrested at Leicester Square on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
One person was arrested at Trafalgar Square on suspicion of sexual assault.
The Metropolitan police came under heavy criticism after what campaign groups described as “incredibly alarming” detentions during republican protests.
Protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic, including its chief executive Graham Smith, were apprehended during the day as well as demonstrators from Just Stop Oil and Animal Rising.
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Metropolitan police commander Karen Findlay acknowledged concerns about the arrest of protesters but defended Scotland Yard’s actions.
She said: “We absolutely understand public concern following the arrests we made this morning.
“Protest is lawful and it can be disruptive. We have policed numerous protests without intervention in the buildup to the coronation, and during it.
“Our duty is to do so in a proportionate manner in line with relevant legislation. We also have a duty to intervene when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption.
“This depends on the context. The coronation is a once in a generation event and that is a key consideration in our assessment.
“A protest involving large numbers has gone ahead today with police knowledge and no intervention.”
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Police say 52 arrests made around the coronation
The Metropolitan police said 52 arrests had been made around the coronation for affray, public order offences, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.
The home secretary, Suella Braverman, thanked the police for their “hard work” amid criticism of the arrest of protesters.
She said: “I’d like to thank the police for all their hard work at today’s celebration to ensure it was safe and passed without incident.
“It was a magnificent procession and ceremony enjoyed by tens of thousands of people in London. It was a great tribute to our country and monarchy.”
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Prince Louis, the youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, carried on his track record of being a centre of attention at major events, where he often delights royal fans by acting like a small human being rather than the people around him, who have been meticulously drilled in protocol and etiquette throughout their lives.
A long wait for a two-hour church service would test the patience of most of us, and at the coronation of King Charles III, five-year-old Louis was already spotted yawning before he had entered the abbey.
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Christina Green flew over from Florida to watch the coronation in person.
She said: “I didn’t want to see it on a TV. I can do that in my hotel or in America. I stayed at the Hilton and walked over here at about 5am.
“I went to Westminster Abbey, but it was crazy. I know I was here and that is all that matters.”
Paul Potes travelled down from Fife in Scotland to witness the coronation. He watched the coronation in Trafalgar Square with his family.
Potes told the PA news agency: “It was very full. We couldn’t really see much, but we did get to see a bit of it.
“Seeing (the king) crowned and coming back in the carriage was great. For me the military parade was the best part.”
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Here is some footage of the moment when the RAF carried out a flypast as King Charles and Queen Camilla made an appearance on the palace balcony.
That’s it from me, Martin Belam. I’m off now. Thank you for sticking with me on the live blog so far today. I’m handing over to Nadeem Badshah.
National treasure Stephen Fry has given his verdict on today’s events too, speaking to PA after attending the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. He told the news agency:
I thought the service was magnificent. I mean truly wonderful. The music to start with was just inspiring, both the real kind of hammer-blow classics, the principle one I suppose has to be Handel’s Zadok the Priest at the time of the anointing because it quotes a passage of the Bible, which is exactly consonant with this idea of anointing.
And it just has this power that only Handel could muster – it’s similar to his Hallelujah chorus; you know, [it] just has this phenomenal sort of depth and force to it.
It was very moving and the king looked vulnerable, which all monarchs do when they’re being crowned. They’re being encumbered with all these symbols and all this heavy cloak and this sceptre, the orb, the heavy crown, which means he can barely move.
And in a strange way, I’m sure not deliberately, originally, but it’s kind of symbolic of the encumbrances in life that you have if you’re a monarch, so it’s a very touching ceremony.
He’s quite lonely somehow – as the queen was if you watch the 1953 coronation – but I feel very lucky to have been there.
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Our sketchwriter John Crace has filed his take on the coronation, with the conclusion that strong bladders were required to cope with the interminable faffing:
As the cameras panned round the congregation, the BBC’s Huw Edwards desperately tried to pick out a few people he recognised. There was Ant and Dec. He didn’t know which was which but few do. Nick Cave. You can’t miss the jet-black hair. Stephen Fry behind a pillar somewhere. Jill Biden and her daughter near the back. The US president never attends these kinds of dos. President Macron wandering in, totally at home. He’s almost an honorary royal these days. In his own mind, at any rate.
Others started arriving. The lord speaker processing behind what looked like a large Toblerone. The seven former prime ministers. Boris Johnson and Liz Truss bringing up the rear. Johnson looking a right state as ever. There was no way he was going to make an effort even for this. Truss with the widest smile. She can’t believe her luck. Just 49 days in which she wrecked the country and she’s guaranteed a spot on every guest list for life. Living the dream.
Near the end, Prince Andrew and Harry. Andy was allowed a cape from the dressing-up box; Harry was in civvies. The message was clear: you can be accused of being a sexual predator. But don’t dare marry a black woman and spill the beans in your autobiography. Huw could barely bring himself to mention either of them.
Read more here: John Crace – Strong bladders required for interminable faffing of King Charles’s coronation
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My colleague Harry Taylor has more here on Penny Mordaunt’s sword-wielding, scene-stealing role at the coronation today.
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This was the moment when the king and queen appeared to the public on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson has said anti-monarchy protesters should leave the country
The Tory MP Lee Anderson has drawn ire for telling anti-monarchy activists to “emigrate”.
The deputy chairman of the Conservative party was commenting on the arrests of protesters from the Republic group before the coronation on Saturday morning.
Police have faced criticism after a number of people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance for making peaceful protests near the route of the king’s coronation procession.
Anderson appeared to side with the police, especially against protesters near Buckingham Palace who were holding up signs reading “Not My King”.
Sharing an article on the arrests on Twitter, Anderson wrote: “Not My King? If you do not wish to live in a country that has a monarchy, the solution is not to turn up with your silly boards. The solution is to emigrate.”
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When the barriers were lifted and people were able to get into position to see the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace there was a rush down the Mall. Here is what that looked like.
My colleague Jess Cartner-Morley from the fashion desk has run her expert eye over today’s outfits, and delivered the verdict that Penny Mordaunt stole the show:
Princess Anne in a crimson-plumed bicorn hat, swashbuckling through Westminster Abbey in a Napoleonic velvet cloak. Penny Mordaunt stealing the show in a teal two-piece that echoed the commanders’ wives in the Handmaid’s Tale, accessorised with a giant sword. Nine-year-old Prince George, a Nutcracker toy soldier come to life, resplendent in crimson and frogging.
As a catwalk for King Charles’s Britain, the coronation was undeniably spectacular. A feast of pageantry served up glorious visual entertainment during the long hours in Westminster Abbey.
Read more here: Coronation fashion: royals put on catwalk show to launch King Charles’s Britain
Here are some more of the images from today’s events.
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Historian David Olusoga has said the king’s coronation was a “huge effort to show the diversity of faith within Britain”.
PA Media reports he told BBC news: “Today we’ve been reminded of the deep religious history of the country,” adding the ceremony had “echoes of the medieval age”.
“That sense of continuity, that sense of tradition, as a historian is absolutely fascinating.
“It’s done now, a new reign formally begins,” he continued.
“I think what you saw today was a strong representation and a huge effort to show the diversity of faith within Britain, one of the things that’s very different between the Britain of today and the Britain of 1953.
“I think it’s more difficult with a 1,000-year-old ceremony to reflect the fact we are one of the more secular nations in the world.”
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PA media have published a video clip showing the moment that a horse reared up and crashed into a barrier holding back the public on the corner of Whitehall near Trafalgar Square earlier. Nobody was reported inured.
This is the moment a horse involved in the #Coronation procession from Westminster Abbey reared backwards into crowds after it appeared to be spooked.
— PA Media (@PA) May 6, 2023
The incident happened as the Gold State Coach rounded the corner from Whitehall into The Mall pic.twitter.com/GrMAnXu1DR
Summary of the day …
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been crowned at Westminster Abbey. In a lavish and archaic ritual not seen in Britain since 1953, the king was anointed with holy oil and swore the oath of kings, before the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, placed St Edward’s Crown on his head, to a cry of “God Save the King!”
In front of 2,300 guests including more than 100 heads of state, the king also vowed to maintain the Protestant religion in the United Kingdom, and to preserve the rights of the Church of England, as set out in an act of Parliament.
Tens of thousands crammed into the Mall and along a procession route from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey, many camping overnight to secure a good view on the mile-long parade, which involved 7,000 troops and 19 military bands, the most at any state occasion since the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
But there were accusations of police heavy-handedness after a number of anti-royalist protesters, including the head of the UK’s leading anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, were arrested before the beginning of the procession. Graham Smith had been collecting drinks and placards for demonstrators at the main site of the protest when he was detained by police on the Strand at about 7.30am.
Up to 2,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square beneath a statue of Charles I, who was executed in 1649, chanting and holding yellow placards reading “Not My King”. One sign read: “Don’t you think this is a bit silly?”. Anti-monarchy protesters along King Charles’s procession route booed the king as he passed.
Prince William kissed his father after paying homage to him during the service.
Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrived alone at the coronation ceremony after his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and young children opted not to attend and remain at home in California. The king’s younger son, who stepped back as a working royal in 2020 and later moved to the US, has not been seen in public with the royals since the publication of his memoir Spare earlier this year, in which he was highly critical of his father, his stepmother, Queen Camilla, and brother, the Prince of Wales.
The public were controversially invited to pledge allegiance to the monarch, but the wording was changed at the last moment after days of criticism.
A planned flypast had to be scaled down at the last moment due to adverse weather conditions.
The king and queen and other members of the royal family were cheered by a crowd outside Buckingham Palace when they made a balcony appearance.
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The royal family have returned inside Buckingham Palace. That brings to an end the formal scheduled public appearances for the day.
Here is a picture of the king and queen on the balcony.
The Red Arrows have just flown over the palace, trailing red white and blue smoke, and a band has struck up the national anthem again.
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The flypast is beginning with five formations of helicopters, which will be followed by the RAF’s Red Arrows display team.
King Charles and Queen Camilla appear on Buckingham Palace balcony after coronation
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been cheered by a crowd as they appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. They were joined by page boys including Prince George, and two of Camilla’s ladies-in-waiting.
Other members of the royal family joined them, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children.
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The Mall is now filling up with people in anticipation of an appearance of by the king and queen on the balcony.
Here is a video clip of a gun salute at Tower Bridge in London today to mark the coronation.
PA reports that a horse involved in the coronation procession from Westminster Abbey reared backwards into the crowds after it appeared to be spooked, but that nobody appears to have been hurt.
The incident happened as the gold state coach, carrying the king and queen back to Buckingham Palace, rounded the corner from Whitehall into the Mall.
One of the horses behind the carriage began walking backwards before crashing into the barriers which separated the public from the procession route.
Military personnel were seen rushing over to help and a stretcher was picked up but it was not needed and no one appeared to be injured. A female police officer appeared to be given assistance from her colleagues, limping away from the area.
People are now being allowed down the Mall in order to try and get a glimpse of the royal family when they are shortly expected onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The flypast was due to feature nearly 60 aircraft and last for six minutes, including iconic planes from the second world war including the Lancaster bomber, a Hurricane and a Spitfire.
My colleague Alexandra Topping has been among the crowds lining the route of today’s event, speaking to people about why they had come, including some very young attendees:
Harry Pitsch, 15 – perched on a pillar and face painted – said “I can understand why some people am have got a problem with all the grandeur when you look at how people are struggling in the country.”
“But there is a community of people here with one purpose, even if they wouldn’t normally come together, and I wanted to be part of that.”
He continued: “People have become disengaged from each other, and this has the capacity to rekindle that sense of community.”
Harry Pitsch, 15, from Basingstoke: “It feels like a community of people coming together for one purpose, even if they don’t know each other. I wanted to be part of that.” [I know this quote sounds made up but it wasn’t! V thoughtful young man!] pic.twitter.com/pLitS4Hg0g
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) May 6, 2023
Ben Firman, seven declared the experience of being there “great”.
“It was very strange when we arrived, there were a lot of police vans and it felt like we were at a murder scene,” he says.
Asked what he liked about the event, Ben, a born entertainer, says: “I liked talking to people and also the snacks were delicious. God save the King!”
Asked Ben, 7, what he liked about the #Coronation. His response: “The snacks were delicious. God save the King!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/jvoil4IeiS
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) May 6, 2023
His sister Gabbi, six, was sleepily draped over her mum. “I liked the horses,” she says.
Their mum, Beth Cullen, can tell they’ve had enough now, but she’s glad she brought them. “They were part of it and now they can tell those stories,” she says. “We’re pleased we came, but equally we will probably be glad to go.”
Military flypast to be scaled down due to adverse weather
PA has just snapped that 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, according to a Ministry of Defence statement.
My colleague Esther Addley has this on Prince Harry’s flying visit to the coronation:
The Duke of Sussex has arrived alone at the coronation ceremony after his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and young children opted not to attend and remain at home in California.
The king’s younger son, who stepped back as a working royal in 2020 and later moved to the US, has not been seen in public with the royals since the publication of his memoir Spare earlier this year, in which he was highly critical of his father, his stepmother, Queen Camilla, and brother, the Prince of Wales.
Relations between the family members are said to remain extremely frosty and there was some speculation over whether Prince Harry would attend the coronation at all. Sources indicated the fact the coronation fell on his son Prince Archie’s fourth birthday played a part in the duchess’s decision to remain away.
Read more here: Prince Harry arrives alone for King Charles’s coronation ceremony
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The troops in the Buckingham Palace gardens have given three cheers for the king, and the massed pipes and drums have begun playing. The king departs the scene with the music still playing.
The king has stepped out on the west terrace of Buckingham Palace to receive a salute from the troops. The troops give the salute and the national anthem is played.
Nick Wall, a member of the campaign group Republic and chair of the Labour for a Republic organisation, addressed crowds at a Not My King rally in Cardiff where he called the arrests of protesters in London “disgraceful”.
He said: “A number of our activist leaders have been arrested today and it’s actually an absolute disgrace.
“I felt compelled to say a few words because one of Republic’s coordinators, his name is Ben and he’s only 21 years of age, and he’s been arrested. It’s appalling.”
Speaking to the PA Media news agency, Wall said: “If this happened in, let’s say, Hong Kong, we would have politicians from all parties in outrage.
“The right to protest is a long tradition. It is a privilege. It is a deeply held tradition in this country.
“And it is absolutely disgraceful that organisation like Republic that have worked for the police for over six months to arrange the protest details get treated like this.
“The Tory legislation on protest has been rammed through parliament just so it can be used to do to stifle any opposition.”
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Troops are now massing in the garden at Buckingham Palace where they will give a salute to the king, who has already arrived at the palace.
PA reports the king was sitting on the right-hand side of the carriage, smiling and waving at the crowds as he was driven towards the Mall. A military band played God Save the King as he passed by, drowning out a group of protesters shouting “not my king”.
Charles and Camilla were followed by a carriage carrying the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children.
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Service personnel are still marching down the Mall and into Buckingham Palace at the moment.
The archbishop of Canterbury has issued a picture of him crowning King Charles III, writing:
May King Charles III be crowned with thy gracious favour and filled with abundant grace and all princely virtues; through Jesus Christ our Lord. God Save the King!
May King Charles III be crowned with thy gracious favour
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) May 6, 2023
and filled with abundant grace and all princely virtues;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God Save The King! pic.twitter.com/sFamxlfjHK
This is the moment earlier that Prince William swore allegiance and kissed his father King Charles III in Westminster Abbey.
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Here are some of the images coming from this second procession of the day.
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The Ministry of Defence has helpfully tweeted out exactly how many people are taking part in this today.
1.42 miles
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) May 6, 2023
19 military bands
33 Commonwealth countries represented
250 horses
4000 Armed Forces personnel
The largest military procession for 70 years is on its way to Buckingham Palace. #Coronation pic.twitter.com/jflDjWfwin
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Here is a picture of King Charles as he was making his way out of Westminster Abbey with the orb and sceptre.
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There is now a coronation procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. The king’s carriage has departed the abbey.
It includes one of the largest military parades ever put together in the UK, and the Ministry of Defence helpfully sent through a very detailed 106-page briefing about their involvement to the media in advance, which said that about 7,000 personnel would participate in ceremonial activities around the country.
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Here is the moment the public were invited to swear allegiance to King Charles III.
Here are some of the scenes as people mark the coronation around the UK.
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King Charles III has left the abbey, still carrying the orb and sceptre, and is heading to his carriage. The abbey bells are ringing out.
The procession of the king and queen includes a greeting with faith leaders, who say:
Your Majesty, as neighbours in faith, we acknowledge the value of public service. We unite with people of all faiths and beliefs in thanksgiving, and in service with you for the common good.
Because the group includes Ephraim Mirvis, the chief rabbi, who is observing Shabbat, a microphone is not being used for this section.
The other faith leaders are Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera, head monk of the London Buddhist Vihara, Indarjit Singh, a prominent member of the Sikh community, Radha Mohan das representing Hinduism, and Aliya Azam for Islam.
There is a very rare outing for the second verse of the national anthem, which has thrown me.
The king has reappeared, wearing the crown and carrying the orb and sceptre, and the national anthemn is being sung.
You haven’t missed anything, there has just been a very long musical interlude, and we are waiting for the king and queen to reappear.
Here is a video clip of anti-monarchy protesters from earlier today.
Dozens have gathered at a Not My King protest organised by Republic Cymru in Cardiff City Centre following the coronation.
Retired teachers John and Tracy, from Abergavenny, told PA they have joined the rally because they felt “sickened” by the amount of money spent on one family while many are living in poverty.
A large crowd has now gathered for the Not My King protest in Cardiff. pic.twitter.com/ntkj7ZfAWA
— voice.wales (@voice_wales) May 6, 2023
Tracy, who did not want to give her last name, said she spent hours decorating a yellow umbrella with the words: “Pay your taxes, stop taking ours” and “End the reign”.
She told the news agency: “We are ordinary people who spent 35 years in teaching, bringing up our three children on barely enough money to get by, and we are sickened by the amount of money that’s been thrown away on one person and his family.
“When there are, and we’ve watched, children who’ve had to go to food banks and go hungry in schools.
“We’ve watched children who enter social services and have the worst kind of lives you can imagine. It’s obscene what’s happening at the moment. Just obscene.”
A Royal Mail postbox along St John Street in the city, decorated in blue, white and red to mark the Coronation, has been redecorated with stickers calling for Welsh independence.
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Here is a video clip from earlier in the day when the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived with two of their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Their eldest son, Prince George, was acting as a page boy for King Charles III.
Here is Queen Camilla wearing her crown, which for the first time is not a newly created one for a consort. It is Queen Mary’s crown, which was first used in 1911.
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As the hymn Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven is sung, King Charles III and Queen Camilla are leaving the main part of the Abbey to prepare for the next part of the day which is the procession back to Buckingham Palace.
The archbishop has delivered a blessing, saying:
Christ our King, make you faithful and strong to do his will, that you may reign with him in glory; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rest upon you, and all whom you serve, this day, and all your days.
It hasn’t really been the weather in a lot of places to go and watch television outdoors.
There was a break with tradition with the queen being anointed in public. The dean of Westminster poured oil from the ampulla into the coronation spoon, and held the spoon for the archbishop of Canterbury.
As she was anointed the archbishop said:
Be your head anointed with holy oil. Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness; hear our prayer this day for thy servant Camilla, whom in thy name, and with all devotion, we consecrate our queen. Make her strong in faith and love, defend her on every side, and guide her in truth and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The oil used in the ceremony was “made sacred” in Jerusalem earlier in the year.
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The archbishop of Canterbury is now leading the congregation through the Eucharist.
Here is the video of King Charles III being crowned.
Here is our full report on the crowning of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey this morning:
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have been crowned at Westminster Abbey, marking the symbolic beginning of a new royal era in Britain, and a personal fulfilment for a man who has spent more than seven decades in waiting.
In a lavish and archaic ritual not seen in Britain since 1953, the king was anointed with holy oil and swore the oath of kings, before the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, placed St Edward’s Crown on his head, to a cry of “God Save the King!”
In front of 2,300 guests including more than 100 heads of state, the king also vowed to maintain the Protestant religion in the United Kingdom, and to preserve the rights of the Church of England, as set out in an act of Parliament.
Tens of thousands crammed into the Mall and along a procession route from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey, many camping overnight to secure a good view on the mile-long parade, which involved 7,000 troops and 19 military bands, the most at any state occasion since the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
But there were accusations of police heavy-handedness after a number of anti-royalist protesters, including the head of the UK’s leading anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, were arrested before the beginning of the procession. Graham Smith had been collecting drinks and placards for demonstrators at the main site of the protest when he was detained by police on the Strand at about 7.30am.
Up to 2,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square beneath a statue of Charles I, who was executed in 1649, chanting and holding yellow placards reading “Not My King”. One sign read: “Don’t you think this is a bit silly?”
Peter Tatchell, the human rights campaigner, tweeted a video showing a large barrier erected in front of the protesters to shield them from the royal couple during the procession. “This is not a free country when we do not have the right to freely protest,” he said.
The human rights group Liberty said: “Protest is a fundamental right, not a gift from the state,” saying the arrests are “extremely concerning and [set] a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation. Our right to protest must be protected, not clamped down on.”
Another sour note was struck when Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was booed by parts of the crowed as he was driven down the Mall. The king’s brother was forced to step back from active royal life in 2019 due to his relationship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The king’s youngest son, Prince Harry, attended the ceremony alone, without his wife Meghan and children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is the first time the prince has been seen with the royal family since the publication of his autobiography, Spare, earlier this year, in which he was highly critical of his father, stepmother and, brother William Prince of Wales.
Here are some of the images of King Charles III being crowned.
Queen Camilla is presented with the royal sceptre and the rod of equity and mercy, and is then enthroned.
The next music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Psalm 98, and composed specifically for today.
We have now moved on to the coronation of the Queen. Justin Welby again has a little trouble getting the crown in place. He says:
May thy servant Camilla, who wears this crown, be filled by thine abundant grace and with all princely virtues; reign in her heart, O King of love, that, being certain of thy protection, she may be crowned with thy gracious favour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The archbishop has now asked people to join him in a pledge of loyalty.
I now invite those who wish to offer their support to do so, with a moment of private reflection, by joining in saying “God save King Charles” at the end, or, for those with the words before them, to recite them in full.
The response in the Abbey is for everybody to say “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”
The Guardian office didn’t appear to have any takers for that bit of joining in with the service as the public had been controversially asked to do.
Prince William pays homage to his father during coronation ceremony
The heir to the throne, William, the Prince of Wales, now kneels before his father and pays homage, saying:
I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God.
The king is now enthroned. The archbishop says:
Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth this seat of royal dignity, which is yours by the authority of Almighty God. May that same God, whose throne endures for ever, establish your throne in righteousness, that it may stand fast for evermore.
The first person to pay homage to Charles is the archbishop of Canterbury. He kneels before the king and says:
I, Justin, archbishop of Canterbury, will be faithful and true, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, our sovereign Lord, defender of the faith; and unto your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.
A series of religious leaders, including Vincent Nichols, the Catholic cardinal archbishop of Westminster, have offered a series of prayers and wishes for the king. The inclusion of a catholic priest is significant since so much of the coronation oath is written around upholding the Protestant faith following Henry VIII’s schism with Rome, and the ensuing religious divide in England and beyond that followed.
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Justin Welby had a little struggle to get the crown on there. It would not be the first time. A couple of kings in the past have had the crown put on backwards by mistake.
King Charles III crowned in Westminster Abbey
King Charles III has been crowned in Westminster Abbey by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. Welby said:
King of kings and Lord of lords, bless, we beseech thee, this crown, and so sanctify thy servant Charles, upon whose head this day thou dost place it for a sign of royal majesty, that he may be crowned with thy gracious favour and filled with abundant grace and all princely virtues; through him who liveth and reigneth supreme over all things, one God, world without end. Amen.
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The king has been presented with the Armills – known as the “bracelets of sincerity and wisdom”. They were presented to King Charles by Lord Kamall, representing the Muslim faith.
The Bishop of Durham put the Stole Royal over the King’s shoulders before William, Lady Merron, who served as the Board of Deputies of British Jews’ chief executive, and assisting bishops clothed the king in the Robe Royal.
The Anglican archbishop of Armagh had the job of handing the orb to Justin Welby. The ring was brought from the altar by Lord Patel. Representing the Sikh community, Lord Singh of Wimbledon had in his trust the glove.
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We are now in a series of exchanges where regalia is presented to the king. My colleague Esther Addley did a run-down of what they are and what they mean earlier today.
The king is being dressed in what is termed the “colobium sindonis, supertunica, and girdle”, and sits in the coronation chair. He is then presented with the coronation spurs, with the words: “Receive these spurs, symbols of military honour and chivalry, that you may be a brave advocate for those in need.”
The jewelled sword of state, carried by Penny Mourdant, is next.
The sound went a bit quiet then and it was difficult to pick up what Justin Welby was saying, but as Charles was presented with a series of swords he is meant to have said:
Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee, and so direct and support thy servant King Charles, that he may not bear the sword in vain; but may use it as the minister of God to resist evil and defend the good, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Receive this kingly sword: may it be to you and to all who witness these things, a sign and symbol not of judgment, but of justice; not of might, but of mercy.
With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the holy Church of God and all people of goodwill, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order: that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue; and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with him in the life which is to come. Amen.
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Charles and Camilla visited the people who were embroidering the anointing screen before the ceremony.
King Charles III is anointed in private during coronation ceremony
We are about to get to what is described as the “most sacred” bit of the ceremony, the anointing with oil. A screen is used to hide the monarch from public view while it takes place.
Here is a picture of what the anointing screen looked like when it was resting in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace prior to the ceremony.
The king takes off the robes of state before the process, which is being accompanied by George Frideric Handel’s Zadok the Priest, composed for the 1727 coronation of George II.
During his sermon, the archbishop of Canterbury told Charles “we crown a king to serve”.
Justin Welby spoke of how “Jesus Christ was anointed not to be served, but to serve” – adding: “The weight of the task given you today, your majesties, is only bearable by the spirit of God.”
The archbishop also spoke of the king’s priorities as monarch, including “the way we nurture and encourage the young, in the conservation of the natural world”.
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Here is the video clip of King Charles arriving for his coronation earlier.
The archbishop of Canterbury is currently delivering his coronation sermon, praising those in the congregation and the wider commonwealth and realms who act as volunteers or give their service and “live your lives for the sake of others”.
I should imagine this picture will end up doing the social media rounds, and appear in a lot of souviner supplements tomorrow, as Prince Louis gives his verdict on waiting to get into the abbey earlier.
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An alleluia is now being sung by the Ascension Choir, a hand-picked gospel choir bought together especially for the occasion.
After choir music, the next reading is from the Gospel of Luke. It is being read by Dame Sarah Mullally who is Dean of his majesty’s Chapels Royal.
Some of the photographers in and around Westminster Abbey today have been doing absolutely sterling work.
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After the archbishop of Canterbury offers a prayer, the UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is making a bible reading from the Epistle to the Colossians.
The oath was different to that taken by Charles’s mother in 1953. For the first time the preface was added which specially obliged the king that he “will seek to foster an environment where people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely”.
Several arrests have been made in London this morning of people wishing to peacefully protest against the monarchy.
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The UK’s ambassador to Ukraine, Dame Melinda Simmons, has noted the similarity of the carpet layout in the abbey to the Ukrainian flag, and said she “lost her composure for a minute”. The ambassador is currently in Kyiv.
I saw Ukraine there and lost my composure for a minute 🥲🇺🇦🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/UfAy9GZMtc
— Dame Melinda Simmons (@MelSimmonsFCDO) May 6, 2023
King Charles has knelt before the altar and offered a prayer, saying:
God of compassion and mercy, whose son was sent not to be served but to serve, give grace that I may find in thy service perfect freedom, and in that freedom knowledge of thy truth. Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Here are some of the latest images from Westminster Abbey to come across on the news wires:
King Charles takes the oath
Charles says:
I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.
A choir is now singing.
Charles specifically promises to uphold “the Protestant reformed religion established by law” and “preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England”.
The king has now indicated he is willing to take the oath, and places his hand upon the bible, and the archbishop of Canterbury is reading him the oath.
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The former lord advocate of Scotland Lady Elish Angiolini, former soldier Christopher Finney and Lady Amos, a Labour politician, have taken part in the recognition.
A bible is now being presented to King Charles by Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland. He tells the King:
To keep you ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes, receive this book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is wisdom; this is the royal law; these are the lively oracles of God.
Despite speculation that Charles’ slimmed down coronation would be more secular in nature, it remains an essentially Christian church service.
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In this part of the ceremony, known as the recognition, Charles will face all four points of the compass and be presented with the words: “I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King.”
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The archbishop says:
Dearly beloved, we are gathered to offer worship and praise to Almighty God; to celebrate the life of our nations; to pray for Charles, our King; to recognise and to give thanks for his life of service to this Nation, the Realms, and the Commonwealth; and to witness with joy his anointing and crowning, his being set apart and consecrated for the service of his people. Let us dedicate ourselves alike, in body, mind, and spirit, to a renewed faith, a joyful hope, and a commitment to serve one another in love.
A choir is now singing Kyrie, eleison. Bryn Terfel is singing in Welsh, the first time the language has been used in a coronation ceremony of a monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Other languages from around the country will also be used in other parts of the service.
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At the start of the service a child has approached Charles III and said: “Your Majesty, as children of the kingdom of God we welcome you in the name of the king of kings.”
Charles replied: “In his name and after his example I come not to be served but to serve.”
Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury, has then given a welcome. He will now give an address.
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Here are the Prince and Princess of Wales, who will one day presumably have their own coronation day in the same Abbey.
If you have been watching the video live stream, apologies but you might need to refresh the page and press play again now that the service has started.
Here is a view of Princess Charlotte arriving. Her brother has a formal role in the ceremony, but she will only be taking part in the procession back to Buckingham Palace at the end of the service.
The music as Charles enters the abbey is based on Psalm 122 and was composed for the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902, and it includes a Latin cry of long live Charles and long live Camilla. The lyrics are:
Was glad when they said unto me
We will go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand in thy gates,
O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is builded as a city,
that is at unity in itself.
Vivat Regina Camilla! Vivat!
Vivat Rex Carolus! Vivat!
O pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
They shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls,
and plenteousness within thy palaces.
King Charles III has entered Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony
King Charles III has entered Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony.
Here is the king outside the Abbey with his page boys, including grandson Prince George.
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The royal regalia is now being carried into the abbey by a series of dignitaries, including MP Penny Mourdant, the first woman to be a sword-bearer at a coronation.
Here is a video clip of the arrest of peaceful anti-monarchy protesters in London earlier today.
In the abbey, a processional cross is being carried through by religious leaders including the archbishop of York. A fanfare has sounded.
The Liberty Human Rights group has issued a statement about the earlier arrests of peaceful protesters at the coronation. It said:
Protest is a fundamental right, not a gift from the state – but our right to stand up for what we believe in is under threat, and that has been particularly clear in the lead up to the coronation this morning.
Already in recent days we have seen protest groups sent intimidatory letters, anti-protest laws rushed through, and facial recognition being deployed against millions of people. And this morning we saw people arrested before they started protesting – despite having been given the go-ahead by police.
This is extremely concerning and sets a dangerous precedent for us as a democratic nation. Our right to protest must be protected, not clamped down on.
The king's procession has arrived at Westminster Abbey
The king’s procession has arrived at Westminster Abbey. The Prince and Princess of Wales are expectedly shortly. The service is due to start in roughly 10 minutes time, and is expected to last two hours. That is considerably shorter than a lot of coronations have been in the past.
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Here are some of the scenes at the Abbey as they await the arrival of the procession.
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This was the scene as the procession passed through Admiralty Arch a few minutes ago.
The procession is currently passing the Cenotaph on Whitehall.
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Prince Harry is among the members of the British royal family who have been arriving at Westminster Abbey while the procession has been taking place. It is the birthday today of Harry’s son Archie.
A witness has described to PA the moment the chief executive of campaign group Republic was arrested before a planned protest in Trafalgar Square.
Harry Stratton, 30, who is the group’s director, said he was with Graham Smith and nine other people when Smith and five in the group were arrested at around 7am as they brought placards to the demonstration from nearby St Martin-in-the-Fields.
Stratton told PA news agency: “They were carrying placards that were saying ‘not my king’ when around 20 police said: ‘We are stopping you and we are searching you.’
“Graham and our volunteers asked why and they said: ‘We will find that out.’
“After that they arrested them saying: ‘We are seizing all these placards’ and Graham said: ‘Why are you arresting us?’”
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The national anthem is being played again during the procession as it passes through Admiralty Arch and past Trafalgar Square and down towards the abbey.
Here is a view of the procession down the Mall.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the Australian parliament building in Canberra is lit up in purple to mark the coronation.
King Charles is being crowned in what is a significant constitutional moment for countries and territories spread around the globe.
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There are around 3,800 members of the public in the grandstand in front of Buckingham Palace. Servicemen and women lining the route around Trafalgar Square, the scene of earlier arrests, are now standing to attention ahead of the imminent arrival of the procession route.
The king and queen are escorted by the sovereign’s escort of the Household Cavalry.
Some people are already watching the event on the big screen in Windsor.
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As the procession went slowly along the Mall crowds waved and cheered.
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King's coronation procession begins at Buckingham Palace
King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, have departed from Buckingham Palace to head to Westminster Abbey. The national anthem was played by a military band as they headed for the Mall.
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The empty carriage has arrived at Buckingham Palace, awaiting the king.
The “procession of the commonwealth realms” is now taking place, where governors-general and prime ministers, or their representatives, of the Commonwealth Realms are led in procession to their seats. National standards are also placed in the abbey’s sacrarium.
There are representatives here from Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the UK.
Barbados would have been there too, but it became a republic in 2021. Belize and Jamaica are also looking to go the same way.
A group of former prime ministers have just entered Westminster Abbey. Sir John Major talked with Cherie Blair as they walked in, alongside her husband, Tony, and with Gordon Brown and Sarah Brown. Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and the nation’s shortest-ever serving prime minster, Liz Truss, followed.
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Coronation procession due to start at 10.20am BST
The procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey is scheduled to start at 10.20am BST.
The service within Westminster Abbey is due to start at 11am BST, and is expected to last for two hours.
PA media is carrying this report of another protester being stopped and searched by the police.
Ben Larsen, 25, wearing a Just Stop Oil T-shirt, said he was there to see the coronation and peacefully protest. Grinning at police officers, he told them: “You’ve searched me and haven’t found shit.”
A police officer told him: “You need to educate yourself on what peaceful protest is.”
Larsen told PA: “I wanted to see the coronation and peacefully protest on the sidelines, in a respectful manner.
“All we had was a Just Stop Oil t-shirt and an orange flag and that’s enough to be detained by the police and searched.”
He claimed that police found him using AI facial recognition cameras that they were trialling at the coronation.
Larsen said: “We saw a line of police in front, turned around, saw a line of police behind, they dragged me away, even though I said I didn’t want to go with them. They searched me, they found nothing on me.”
He added: “I’ve been told repeatedly that I’m being detained as long as it takes.”
Alexandra Topping is among the crowds attending the coronation for the Guardian:
Some 29,000 police officers deployed to London and Windsor for the coronation. Men and women in uniform, many wearing badges of honour and pristine white gloves, were everywhere along the procession route. The 1.42-mile route was also flanked by 1,000 members of the military from the army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
By 9am there had been no royal footmen, no refrains from marching bands and only the promise of a glimpse of the horse-drawn diamond jubilee state coach, but onlookers seemed happily resigned to the wait.
“I hope it’s worth it,” said 31-year-old Wenyao Lin. “We’ll, we’re here now so it has to be,” said her companion Songtao Hu, 38.
As well as wanting to be part of history – the reason given almost uniformly for being along the Mall – the couple also wanted to show their support to the new monarch.
Even among these Carolean era enthusiasts, it is clear that the love of the royals, and a penchant for pomp, is more of a motivation than a particular adoration of the new king.
“You know, when he was a prince people kind of gave him a tough time,” says Hu, a management consultant. “But I think he’s doing his best. He’s had a bit of time to prepare for it, but the queen was a difficult act to follow.”
Lin also feels some empathy towards Charles’s situation. “If you come from an Asian culture, your parents keep saying you’re supposed to be better than them,” she said. “Sometimes it’s really hard to do.”
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Yasmine Ahmed, the UK director of Human Rights Watch, has spoken about the arrests at the coronation this morning:
The reports of people being arrested for peacefully protesting the coronation are incredibly alarming. This is something you would expect to see in Moscow not London. Peaceful protests allow individuals to hold those in power to account, something the UK government seems increasingly averse to.
Here are some more pictures from Westminster Abbey, where the US first lady, Dr Jill Biden, has just arrived.
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Prince Andrew booed as he is driven down the Mall
PA reports that Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was driven down the Mall in a state car. Parts of the crowd in a grandstand in front of Buckingham Palace booed as Andrew went past.
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Here is a view of the royal regalia already laid out in Westminster Abbey.
The former TV presenter Floella Benjamin has arrived. Benjamin will carry King Charles’s sceptre with dove. She recently told the Guardian:
To be selected to carry the sovereign’s sceptre with dove, which represents spirituality, equity and mercy, is for me very symbolic as it’s everything I stand for and sends out a clear message that diversity and inclusion is being embraced.
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Police say they have made a 'number of arrests' close to coronation
In a statement posted to Twitter, Scotland Yard has said:
A significant police operation is under way in central London. We have made a number of arrests in the area of Carlton House Terrace.
The individuals have been held on suspicion of breaching the peace.
Earlier today we arrested four people in the area of St Martin’s Lane. They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance. We seized lock-on devices.
A further three people were arrested in the area of Wellington Arch. They were held on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage. There will be further updates later today.
There has been no indication so far that protests have been anything other than peaceful.
Peter Tatchell has posted a short video from the scene of anti-monarchy protests in Trafalgar Square in which he states: “Police … have erected giant barriers to osbcure pro-republic banners.”
Police arrest peaceful anti-monarchy protesters & have erected giant barriers to osbcure pro-republic banners. Right to freely protest suppressed. Shame! pic.twitter.com/oqTU1op0eX
— Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) May 6, 2023
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Daniel Boffey is in Trafalgar Square for the Guardian:
There an array of placards on show at the protest on Trafalgar Square. There is the standard “Not My King”.
Then we have one that reads, “God save Virginia Giuffre”, in reference to the woman who has made sexual assault claims against Prince Andrew, which the prince has denied.
Another placard reads, “Don’t you think this is a bit silly?”
One protestor put it succinctly: “I’ve come along because I think he is a prick”.
The main development so far this morning has been the arrest of six people for making a peaceful anti-monarchy protest near the route of the planned coronation procession. Earlier this week the Guardian had this video looking at the people behind the protests.
You can read Daniel Boffey’s report from the scene of the arrests here: Head of UK’s leading anti-monarchy group arrested at coronation protest
King Charles III arrives at Buckingham Palace ahead of coronation procession
The king has arrived at Buckingham Palace, ahead of the coronation procession, which is scheduled to begin in about an hour’s time at 10.20am BST.
Charles and Camilla spent the night before their coronation dining together privately at Clarence House. The residence, built between 1825 and 1827 to the designs of John Nash, has been their home in the capital for 20 years.
A short walk from Buckingham Palace, it stands beside St James’s Palace. It is one of 18 key castles, estates and “cottages” used by King Charles and other royal family members. The Guardian’s Cost of the crown series recently profiled them.
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Daniel Boffey is in Trafalgar Square for the Guardian:
The anti-monarchy protests are in full swing. Up to 2,000 people are massed below a statue of Charles I on Trafalgar Square where they are chanting: “Not my King.”
One man, wearing a hat covered with union jacks, was arrested around 8.30am at the periphery of the protest.
There have been reports of some threatening behaviour towards protesters although events have gone off relatively peacefully so far.
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Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar has said he looked forward to welcoming the king and queen to Ireland.
PA media report he said: “We have deep political, economic, cultural, and personal links with Britain, which provided a welcome home to so many of our citizens for generations.
“A vibrant British community actively contributes to life in Ireland in so many ways.
“And, of course, there are many people, in the north especially, who are both British and Irish.
“As we mark the coronation of King Charles III, I look forward to further strengthening British-Irish relations and the friendship between our peoples and look forward to welcoming the royal couple to Ireland in due course.”
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It may be that the live blog of the coronation is not the right place for this advice, as clearly I don’t want you to leave, but my colleague Mabel Banfield-Nwachi has put together this delightful list of other things you could be doing today instead:
Throw a BBQ
The Met Office might have forecast sun and showers over the weekend, but it’s not really a British BBQ if there isn’t a chance of rain. Invite your friends over and have a potluck in celebration of not being at work. If you are buying supplies, make sure to plan ahead because many supermarkets will be closed.
Avoid the TV
If you still want to curl upon the sofa in front of the TV but can’t bear the thought of watching any royalist fanfare, stick to streaming. Dive into that series all of your friends have been raving about, or have a movie marathon with a bowl (or two) of popcorn. If you want to avoid screens, listen to a podcast. Delve into the headlines with Today in Focus, the Guardian’s daily news podcast, or read about the Guardian’s links to slavery in the new Cotton Capital series.
Get outside
Being stuck indoors during the Covid lockdowns reminded us just how important it is to be in nature, and this time, it isn’t limited to an hour. Take advantage of the UK’s extensive rail networks and visit the expanses of moorland in the Peak District nestled between Manchester and Sheffield, or trek along one of the many public footpaths across the UK. Here are 20 brilliant walks you can choose from, with guidance about where you’ll start and end up and even places you can stop off for some light refreshments along the way.
Go to your local gym
It may not be your ideal day-off activity, but a workout might be the perfect way to swerve the coronation coverage. Even though most supermarkets, galleries and high street shops will be closed, some gyms will stay open over the bank holiday weekend. Make sure to check your gyms opening times and hours just in case. King Charles III will probably be the last thing on your mind during a squat.
Go to an exhibition
If you are feeling a bit more cultural, head off to one of the country’s many museums and galleries to see some art. There’s the JMW Turner exhibition at Tate Liverpool, or maybe street art is more your thing - in which case check out the Saatchi gallery’s Beyond the streets exhibition. In Manchester there is The People’s History Museum which tells the story of working people’s struggle for the vote (collection includes Michael Foot’s donkey jacket and Andy Burnham’s “king of the north” coat, as well as memorabilia from the Chartists, Suffragettes and trade union movements). For a kilty pleasure, how about the tartan exhibition at the V&A Dundee? The Ulster Museum in Belfast has an exhibition on the untold stories of the women who were influential to peace building in Northern Ireland.
Or for something outdoors how about Beamish in County Durham or the Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield. In Wales you could head to Caernarfon castle - newly refurbished and tackling the issue of English imperialism.
The late Diana, princess of Wales appears on one of the flags that someone has bought along the route of today’s coronation procession.
Caroline Davies is in Westminster Abbey for the Guardian:
Westminster Abbey is already starting to fill up with guests obviously very excited to be here. There are hats everywhere. Most people are dressed in their Sunday best. Others are wearing their medals.
Unlike the queen’s coronation, there are far fewer peers. But there are a handful in their crimson and white ermine ceremonial robes, including Tanni Grey-Thompson.
The royal blue carpet in the theatre of coronation has been chosen to best highlight the crimson , gold and purple robes that will be worn by the king and queen.
The high altar is decorated with gleaming gold plate.
The theatre of coronation, where the action takes place later on, is decorated with flowers in reds, burgundies and yellow.
Those spotted arriving so far include singer Nick Cave and actor Emma Thompson, Tory MP Andrea Leadsom and the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey.
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Lambeth Palace and Buckingham Palace confirm wording of people's oath to king has been changed
Commenting on the changes to the “homage of the people”, a Lambeth Palace spokesperson said: “The homage of the people was always an invitation rather than expectation.
“To provide further clarity as the order of service was finalised, it has been mutually agreed by Lambeth Palace and Buckingham Palace that the introductory words will be changed.
“This reflects the collaborative approach that has been taken throughout the coronation planning.
“We are looking forward to the service with much joy and expectation.”
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Here are some pictures of the protestors in Trafalgar Square. Placards being held up include “Citizens not subjects”, “God save Virginia Giuffre” – the woman that Prince Andrew settled a sexual assault case with by paying an undisclosed sum in 2022 – and “Monarchy ≠ democracy”.
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The organisation Republic have also tweeted out photographs of the arrest, writing:
Organisers of the #NotMyKing protest have been arrested - police won’t say what for. So much for the right to peaceful protest.
Organisers of the #NotMyKing protest have been arrested - police won't say what for https://t.co/D3Io5Nha4x
— Republic (@RepublicStaff) May 6, 2023
So much for the right to peaceful protest #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonarchy pic.twitter.com/mA81kmnNtD
— Republic (@RepublicStaff) May 6, 2023
Six people reportedly arrested at anti-monarchy demo in Trafalgar Square
Republic activist Luke Whiting, 26, told the PA news agency: “Six Republic members have been arrested including the CEO as the demonstration was starting at the edge of Trafalgar Square.
“It is unclear why, potentially it is because one of them was carrying a megaphone.
“It is unclear exactly whether the police are using these new powers and whether they are misusing them to stop protest happening.”
The arrested protesters have found an unlikely ally on social media in the shape of Talk TV’s Julia Hartley-Brewer.
Whether you love the monarchy or you want an elected head of state, we should all support fundamental democratic rights, including the right to peaceful protest. Holding up #NotMyKing signs isn't a threat to anyone. @RepublicStaff @metpoliceuk @RishiSunak @SuellaBraverman https://t.co/wYZMXKiFY3
— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@JuliaHB1) May 6, 2023
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Here are some more pictures via Daniel Boffey at the scene of the arrest, which appear to show police confiscating signs that were to be used for a peaceful protest in Trafalgar Square.
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Head of UK’s leading republican movement arrested at peaceful coronation protest
Graham Smith had been collecting drinks and placards for demonstrators at Trafalgar Square when he was detained by police on the Strand in central London.
It is understood Smith was detained after bringing a megaphone to the demonstration. The Met police had tweeted earlier this week that they would have a “low tolerance” of those seeking to “undermine” the day.
The arrest, at around 7.30am, came as hundreds of anti-monarchist protesters had gathered at Trafalgar square with large flags and wearing yellow T-shirts as they looked to catch both the eye of the world’s media and a king on his coronation day.
Positioned by London’s oldest statue of Charles I, who lost his head to republicans nearly 400 years ago, those preparing to dissent as Charles III’s coronation procession passed them conceded they were “heavily outnumbered”.
As many as 2,000 protesters are expected to assemble below Nelson’s column by midday including representatives of the Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian republican movements
But the small huddle present early on Saturday morning, under an ominous grey sky, were surrounded by both those out to celebrate and the columns of police officers marching into their positions.
The organisers of the #notmyking protest have been arrested - police won’t say what for pic.twitter.com/qu5JgNhCgF
— Alliance of European Republican Movements (@AERMorg) May 6, 2023
Maria Gomez, 39, from Boreham Wood, in Hertfordshire, said the protest, organised by the long-standing anti monarchy group, Republic, would be peaceful and she hoped to avoid clashes with those who had come to celebrate.
“Some were shouting ‘burn the yellow flags’ earlier but we have had intimidation before – there were eggs thrown in 2012,” she said. “People can get very angry with republicans.”
Outrageous scenes of cops arresting anti-monarchy protestors and stealing their placards
— Shelly Asquith (@ShellyAsquith) May 6, 2023
So we are not allowed to show public opposition to a bloke being crowned head of state for having been born into unimaginable wealth while ppl line up at food banks and schools fall apart pic.twitter.com/klkSjLMAmL
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Alexandra Topping is in the crowds for the Guardian this morning, and she reports:
It is difficult to convey just how utterly rammed the Mall is, and has been, since around 6am this morning.
People are wearing union flag bowler hats, kids are dressed as little kings and queens and the atmosphere is one of good tempered resignation to the long wait ahead. There is a lot of chat about how they got to their spot, and how they will get out and snacks. The British love a bit of logistics chat, and of course waiting patiently is the nation’s favourite pastime.
The forecast rain is yet to arrive and people are generally in a good mood, despite the early starts and the promise of biblical downpours in a few hours time.
That doesn’t worry Alison Marshall, who has travelled from Bolton with her two kids, her sister and her sister’s children.
“We’re used to rain,” she says. “We’ve got ponchos.”
The family travelled down from the north straight after school yesterday, and have been at their spot since before it got light.
“I think being in the north, we don’t see this type of thing every day, we don’t have it around,” she says. “I just think it’s good to keep these traditions alive and just pass it on to your children and hopefully they’ll remember it for the rest of their lives.”
Her son Ben, a good four hours before the first procession is about to start already looks a little fed up. “I’m tired,” he says. “And I’ve had a biscuit for my breakfast.” Is this a good experience? “Yes,” he says. “It’s better than the last one.”
The “last one” was The Queue - the family decided on a whim to travel down to pay their respects to the late Queen, and queue up to pass by her coffin. They arrived in the queue at midday, and got in at two in the morning – 14 hours later.
“That was a hard one,” says Alison, before, inexplicably, adding: “And at the end of that we all made the promise that we’d come back today.”
Her 15 year old daughter FFion says it’s worth it to feel part of history, which she loves.
“I quite enjoyed it last time even though it was 14 hours,” she says. “So when my mum asked, do I want to do this with my cousins? I was like ‘Yeah, go on then’. “We’ve been pretty excited over the past week.”
What do her pals back home think? “They think I’m crazy,” she admits.
FFion, Alison and Ben Marshall have travelled down from Bolton for the #Coronation. “We wanted to be part of history,” says Alison. Who, knowing a thing or two about rain, has packed raincoats AND ponchos pic.twitter.com/iRP646eUHy
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) May 6, 2023
More than 5,000 armed forces personnel travelled by train to London Waterloo before marching off to take part in the coronation. PA report Network Rail said it was the biggest movement of military personnel on Britain’s railways since Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965.
Anti-monarchy protesters have gathered at Trafalgar Square, near where the coronation procession will pass as it heads from the Mall to Westminster Abbey.
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Quickly, before events unfold or I start giving away the answer with my endless coronation trivia, there is still time to do the coronation quiz that I set yesterday. Judging from the results my friends were posting on Facebook yesterday, I reckon that 12/20 is a decent score.
Divisive people's oath reportedly 'toned down' after criticism
In a break with tradition, for the first time at a coronation, people are being asked to swear their allegiance to the king in public as part of the ceremony, although the format has been tweaked slightly from what was first announced.
PA’s court correspondent Tony Jones reports that Charles reportedly approved the change which came after a string of commentators criticised the new addition as divisive.
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will now “invite” a show of support from the congregation rather than a “call” to those in the Abbey and elsewhere to swear allegiance to the King.
On Friday it had seemed like Charles might be trying to distance himself from this innovation, with his friend Jonathan Dimbleby telling BBC radio that the new king finds the idea of people paying homage to him “abhorrent”.
Dimbleby said “I don’t know for certain but it would seem to me that this was an initiative by the archbishop who, as we know, is strongly evangelical, who thought it would be a good thing to give everyone a chance to pay that homage. I think it was well-intentioned and rather ill-advised.”
Following Dimbleby’s comments, Lambeth Palace, archbishop’s Justin Welby’s office, repeated its insistence that all elements in the coronation service were drawn up in close consultation with Buckingham Palace. It would not be the first time that a monarch in England has complained about a turbulent priest.
The declaration was intended to replace the homage of peers, which is quite a strange part of the ceremony in itself. Formerly hereditary peers knelt to pay homage to the monarch, before touching the crown and kissing his or her right cheek.
We asked Guardian readers earlier this week what they thought about the new people’s oath though, and … well …
Read more here: ‘You must be joking’: readers on swearing oath of allegiance on King Charles’s coronation
The first guests have begun to arrive and start taking their places at Westminster Abbey. Given that it isn’t even 8am yet in London, and the service doesn’t start until 11am, that is quite a lot of small talk to make.
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Archbishop of Canterbury: coronation will be celebration of 'all our wonderful diversity'
The archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said that today’s coronation serves as “a powerful reflection and celebration of who we are today, in all our wonderful diversity”.
“The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla promises to be a beautiful, joyful and historic occasion,” the archbishop said.
“People can certainly expect to be struck by the majesty and sacred wonder of the service, but also to be invited to pause and reflect.
“To reflect on our past, our future and, as we pray for our new sovereign, on our own lives and how we too are called to serve others.
“This service reaches deep into our nation’s Christian history. From the ancient and sacred act of anointing monarchs, to the use of the sixth-century St Augustine Gospels, the service will link us in a profound way with our national story”.
The archbishop added: “But this is not simply history: I hope the service offers people an opportunity to hear the living words of God, which bring good news to every person in every generation.
“I also hope and pray that the coronation will serve as a powerful reflection and celebration of who we are today, in all our wonderful diversity.
“So I will be praying that everyone who shares in this service – in the Abbey, across the country and beyond – will find ancient wisdom and new hope.
“I pray that it inspires us all, like the King and Queen, to live our lives in service to others.”
Since Henry VIII’s schism with Rome, the coronation has either been seen as a forceful assertion of the Protestant faith of the monarch, or a reassertion of Catholicism in the realm.
PA notes that representatives from other faith communities will play an active role in the coronation of a British sovereign for what is said to be the first time.
When the regalia is presented to Charles – Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish peers will take part, handing over items which do not have Christian meaning or symbolism.
Updated
Here are some pictures of the last-minute preparatory work that has been carried out this morning to get the coronation show on the road.
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I know, I know. There is a significant chunk of Guardian readers who tell us that we should do less coverage of the monarchy. In defence of this live blog, our stats tell us that the royal coverage we do produce is always deeply read both at scale and at length.
But as a reminder, in our apps and on our website you can always hide any of the containers on the front, so if you do want to have a coronation-free Guardian experience today, just hit the “Hide” button on the front page.
In the app, you are looking for the big ‘X’.
I presume, given that you must have clicked or tapped on the live blog to get here, that I am preaching to the converted, but I thought I should make it clear that the option is there.
As an alternative, you could try this: Māori artist’s web plugin replaces king’s coronation with Indigenous news
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My colleague Alexandra Topping is out and about with the crowds in central London early this morning:
Crazy scenes around the streets of the coronation route London this morning, which have been heaving since the very early hours as people hope to secure a good spot.
People have been jostling for position, and begging with very stressed looking security personnel to let them in certain areas in the hope that they will get a decent view of King Charles and Camilla.
“We didn’t get coffee,” says Anne Nieto, who with her husband John has travelled from Calgary in Canada to be at today’s festivities. “We didn’t even have time for a cup of tea before we left the hotel.”
Is it worth it? “Of course,” she says with an air of surprise. “It doesn’t happen very often does it and we just want to be part of it.”
Husband John roots around in their bag and pulls out one of their emergency supplies: a small flask of rum. “We’re waiting until 10,” he says. Anne adds: “Maybe. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere isn’t it.”
On the Mall for the #Coronation. John and Anne Nieto have travelled from Calgary in Canada. They are currently deeply regretting not getting some coffee before getting their spot at 5am, but have a hip flask of rum for emergencies pic.twitter.com/vwvrNOPpUb
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) May 6, 2023
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The official account of the Prince and Princess of Wales has tweeted out a promotional video clip for today’s coronation, saying “Today’s the day”.
Today's the day!@royalfamily #Coronation pic.twitter.com/kFmvfRDvnp
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 6, 2023
My colleague Daniel Boffey is out at Trafalgar Square in central London where a small group of anti-monarchy protesters is already present.
Radical Hasland, 29, real name apparently, one of 20 or so anti monarchist protestors down at Trafalgar Square. Says they will stick together as ‘we are heavily outnumbered’. pic.twitter.com/rOleyksQLc
— Daniel Boffey (@danielboffey) May 6, 2023
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No formal role in ceremony for Prince Harry or Prince Andrew
The Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York will not have any formal role at the coronation, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
PA reports Harry and Andrew, who are no longer working royals, will attend the service on Saturday, but will not perform any duties.
The two men will also be absent from the procession behind the gold state coach carrying the newly crowned king and queen from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony.
Andrew stepped down from public life after his disastrous Newsnight interview in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The late queen’s disgraced second son went on to pay millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to a woman he claimed never to have met.
Ahead of his legal settlement, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of all of his honorary military roles, including colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and he gave up his HRH style.
There was vocal criticism of Andrew’s very public role during his mother’s funeral last year. Mariann Wang, who represented more than a dozen Epstein survivors, said it was “beyond shameful to see Andrew being granted any form of state-sponsored honor or privilege, given his past affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein”.
A 22-year-old was arrested in Scotland and charged with breach of the peace after the Duke of York was allegedly heckled as he walked behind the queen’s coffin.
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You may have noticed recently that we have been testing a new way for readers to message live bloggers directly. You should – on mobile web or desktop at least, it hasn’t been rolled out in our app – find an option to message me near to my byline. These aren’t public comments, they go directly to me. I will try and read everything, but I can’t guarantee I will reply, although hopefully it will improve the blog for everybody.
What sort of messages are useful? I am going to be typing a lot today, and at speed. So for a start if you spot my inevitable typos, or notice that I’ve mistaken the Earl of Devesham for Sir Cheldon Bonniface in a picture caption, or you think I’ve got some aspect of the ceremony wrong, that is very useful to know. I’m also keen to hear from you if you think there is something I’ve missed in our coverage, or something you don’t understand and would like more context for.
What is less useful? The comments are just going to me. If you want to let the Guardian know how you feel about the very existence of the monarchy, and our coverage of the coronation in general, can I gently direct you to guardian.letters@guardian.co.uk instead?
What will happen in Westminster Abbey today – order of service
Overnight Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace have made available the order of service. It contains a long preamble about the history of the occasion, and then details of the music to be used in the ceremony, as well as a list of who is who in the procession.
Guests attending will include members of the royal family, as well as international representatives from 203 countries, including approximately 100 heads of state, alongside community and charity champions.
You can view it in full here, but here is an edited part of the preamble.
Bible passages will be read; the archbishop will preach a short sermon; hymns will be sung; and bread and wine will be offered, consecrated, and received by the king and queen.
Early in the service His Majesty the king turns to each of the four points of the compass and is recognised by his peoples as their “undoubted king”.
A Bible is presented to the king, upon which he swears oaths to govern the peoples with justice and mercy and uphold the churches. Then, for the first time at a coronation, the king prays publicly for grace to be ‘a blessing to all … of every faith and belief’ and to serve after the pattern of christ.
After the sermon, the ancient hymn Veni, Creator Spiritus is sung in languages from across the UK, calling on the Holy Spirit just before the most sacred part of the coronation rite – the anointing with holy oil. A screen shields the king from view as he sits in the coronation chair for this most solemn and personal of moments.
Once anointed, the king is vested in priestly garments that symbolise both humility (the Colobium Sindonis) and splendour (the Supertunica, Stole, and Robe). Various items of regalia are presented to the king, each a visible reminder of his great responsibility under God.
There are spurs and armills, which would have been worn by a medieval knight, and a sword which the king first wears and then offers in the service of God. Then come the symbols of secular and spiritual power: an orb, representing the world under Christ; a sceptre with cross, representing earthly power, held in a restrained, gloved hand; and the sceptre with dove, representing spiritual authority exercised chiefly in mercy. There is also a ring symbolising the faithful ‘marriage’ of a Monarch to his peoples. A moment of great symbolism follows when the Archbishop places St Edward’s Crown on The King’s anointed head, all cry ‘God Save The King’, a fanfare is sounded, the Abbey bells are rung, and gun salutes are fired.
The king then moves from the coronation chair to his throne and receives homage, first from the archbishop of Canterbury, then from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and finally the opportunity for the congregation and people elsewhere to participate in various ways. Before joining the king, enthroned alongside him in the centre of the Abbey, the queen is herself anointed and crowned, and presented with her own items of regalia.
Updated
Activists to protest at coronation despite stiffer police powers
As my colleague Kevin Rawlinson reported for us on Friday, anti-monarchist campaigners have vowed to press ahead with plans to protest peacefully against the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, despite what they have characterised as intimidatory tactics by the police and the government.
The activist group Republic plans to hold a demonstration a short walk from where the king is due to be crowned. They have said they received letters from the Home Office warning them about new powers handed to police to deal with public demonstrations, while Scotland Yard has said its tolerance of protest will be low on the day.
“Republic will not be deterred and we will be protesting on Trafalgar Square and along the route of the coronation procession on Saturday,” said the group’s chief executive, Graham Smith.
“It is telling that Charles, who has had no problem speaking up on various issues, has chosen not to defend democratic rights when they are being threatened in his name. Perhaps he might make it clear that he believes in the right to protest.”
Dan Sabbagh reports that the authorities have banned drone flights in central London as part of the sweeping range of security measures being taken to protect the king’s coronation from possible disruption.
Air traffic controllers issued a special notice to air missions (Notam) on Thursday banning drone flights below 2,500ft (760 metres) in a 2.5-mile radius from central London “as part of overall security arrangements” for the royal event.
The action comes a couple of days after two drones, most likely operated by pro-Ukrainian groups, managed to fly over presidential offices at the Kremlin in Moscow, the historic centre of Russian government.
Worries about drones closed Gatwick airport for a time in December 2018 after a series of reported sightings. Although it was unclear in that case if the drone threat was real, the incident acted as a spur for the anti-drone security industry.
Vikram Dodd, our police and crime correspondent, has also reported that police in London have been accused over use of facial recognition at King Charles’s coronation.
The Metropolitan police force, mired in scandal after a report found it to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic, said on Wednesday it intended to use the controversial technology, which scans faces and matches them against a list of people police want for alleged crimes and could identify convicted terrorists mingling in the crowds in the biggest live facial recognition (LFR) operation in British history.
The Met insisted the technology would not be used to quell lawful protest or target activists. But campaign groups do not believe them. The largest previous LFR deployment was the 2017 Notting Hill carnival, when 100,000 faces were scanned.
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Sunak: 'No other country could put on such a dazzling display' as the coronation
The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has said in comments released overnight that today’s coronation is a “proud expression of our history, culture, and traditions” and that “no other country could put on such a dazzling display”.
“The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be a moment of extraordinary national pride,” Sunak said.
“Together with friends from across the Commonwealth and beyond, we will celebrate the enduring nature of our great monarchy, its constancy, devotion to duty and service to others.
“No other country could put on such a dazzling display – the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies and street parties.
“But this is not just a spectacle. It is a proud expression of our history, culture, and traditions. A vivid demonstration of the modern character of our country and a cherished ritual through which a new era is born.
“In the Abbey, where monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years, representatives of every faith will play a central role for the first time.”
Sunak said that the fact “people across our country will help their communities with thousands of acts of kindness” was a “fitting tribute to the spirit of service that will define the Carolean age”.
“Let’s celebrate this weekend with pride in who we are and what we stand for.
“Let’s look to the future with hope and optimism and let’s make new memories, so we can tell our grandchildren of the day we came together to sing God Save The King,” he said.
In a break with tradition, for the first time today’s ceremony will ask people around the UK and abroad to swear an oath of allegiance to the monarch.
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What to expect: key events and timings
Saturday 6 May
6am BST: Viewing areas open along the 1.3-mile procession route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
7.15-8.30am: Guests for Westminster Abbey begin to arrive.
9am: Congregation to be seated inside the abbey.
9.30-10.45am: Heads of state, overseas government representatives, government ministers, first ministers, former prime ministers, foreign royals and members of the royal family arrive.
9.45am: The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry begin to gather for the procession from Buckingham Palace.
10.20am: The king and queen consort’s procession sets off from the palace.
10.53am: The king and queen consort arrive at Westminster Abbey.
11am: They enter the Abbey through the great west door and the service begins.
12pm: The king is crowned. The archbishop of Canterbury places the St Edward’s crown on his head. Trumpets will sound and gun salutes will be fired across the UK.
1pm: The service ends and the newly crowned king and queen begin their coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace in the gold state coach.
1.33pm: The king and queen consort enter Buckingham Palace through the Centre Arch.
1.45pm: The king and queen receive a royal salute from the military in the palace gardens
Approximately 2.15pm: The king, queen and members of the royal family appear on the palace balcony to watch the flypast – weather permitting.
Sunday 7 May
The monarchy wants Sunday to be a day of street parties and coronation “Big Lunches”, with about 3,000 road closures for parties, and members of the royal family attending some events.
At 7pm BST there will be a concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The event will be watched by a crowd of 20,000 members of the public and invited guests and broadcast on television and radio.
Updated
Welcome and opening summary …
Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the coronation of King Charles III.
Depending on your point of view, the ceremony today can either be viewed as a sacred moment when God confers authority on a new monarch to reign over the people, or as a very expensive way to put a big hat on someone who got the position entirely because of who their parents were.
For some it is a recognition of an unbroken divine line of rule that has lasted over a thousand years. William the Conquerer was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day in 1066, and he set out to rule over an England that historians sometimes say Alfred the Great, Offa of Mercia or Egbert of Wessex were the first king to effectively unite. For others, Charles III is there today merely by the happenstance of murder, executions, divorces and abdications.
Either way, thanks to the long reign of Elizabeth II, the last time there was a coronation at Westminster Abbey there were only about four computers in the UK in total, while this coronation is happening live on the internet, very possibly on your phone. So please join me for what is a historic day, and one of constitutional significance, regardless of where you stand on the monarchy. Here is what we can expect:
The king and queen consort are expected to start their procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey at 10.20am BST.
The service will start at 11am and last two hours.
As part of the ceremony, for the first time ever the public are being asked to make an oath to the monarch.
The newly crowned king will return to the palace after the ceremony, and at 2.15pm BST there will be a public balcony appearance and flypast – weather permitting.
The public are expected to line the route of the procession, but security is tight amid planned anti-monarchy protests.
Official celebrations will continue on Sunday with a concert at Windsor Castle in the evening.
You can find a fuller guide to today’s events here: What to expect at the king’s coronation – key events and timings
