The King’s coronation is an event momentous enough to bring the country to a metaphorical standstill - but road closures mean in London this is literally the case.
Charles III will be crowned on Saturday morning but preparations will begin Friday night and the City of Westminster has a plan to ensure the safe running of the event.
A huge weekend of events is being planned to mark the coronation with a concert to be held on Sunday night with further events on Monday. The Standard has put together a guide as to how to watch the historic events unfold and also the best places to watch the ceremony from the roadside in London.
An a-list ensemble of guests will attend the ceremony and there is even room for the self-exiled Prince Harry to attend although Meghan Markle, his wife, is set to stay in the US.
The City of Westminster council wrote to residents and businesses on April 21 to share news of the closures - and their guidance was the basis of this report.
Where will the King’s procession take place?
The King’s procession will take the King and Queen Consort from Buckingham Palace, along The Mall, through Admiralty Arch, south of King Charles I Island and Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall, Parliament Street, to the east and south side of Parliament Square and into Broad Sanctuary before arriving at the Westminster Abbey.
The crowning will happen there at 11pm.
After the ceremony, the procession will lead back to Buckingham Palace on the reverse of this route.
Which roads have been closed?
From 7pm on Friday night, the first wave of vehicle restrictions will come into place - as illustrated by this map released by the City of Westminster.
This will affect most of the roads from the east of Victoria railway station, all the way along the Thames to Trafalgar Square.
Major roads affected are: The Mall, Birdcage Walk, Horse Guards Road, Constitution Hill, Victoria Street, Regency Street and Curzon Street.
A second wave of road closures then comes into force from 5am on Saturday which encompasses much of central London and is set out on another map.
“Roads will begin to reopen on Saturday evening, after the Coronation event has finished,” the City of Westminster has said.
Will London Underground stations be closed on coronation day?
The London Underground will run as normal apart from St James Park station being closed for the duration, Hyde Park Corner being exit only, while Victoria will have limited access.
Most central London stations will be very busy, however.
For a guide as to how to get into central London on coronation day, click here.
Which roads are subject to parking restrictions?
Parking restrictions will be in place on the following roads, the City of Westminster has said, and you should have received a notice in the post if this impacts your vehicle. The council has said that any vehicles parked on the below roads after 7pm on Friday will be removed.
- Abbey Orchard Street
- Adam Street
- Ambrosden Avenue
- Arneway Street
- Artillery Row
- Ashley Place
- Belgrave Square
- Berkeley Square
- Broadway
- Buckingham Gate
- Bury Street
- Carlisle Place
- Carlton Gardens
- Carlton House Terrace
- Causton Street
- Caxton Street
- Chadwick Street
- Chapel Street
- Charles II Street
- Cleveland Row
- Curzon Street
- Dean Bradley Street
- Dean Stanley Street
- Dean Trench Street
- Duke of York Street
- Duke Street St James’s
- Duncannon Street
- Eaton Square
- Emery Hill Street
- Francis Street
- Gayfere Street
- Great College Street
- Great Peter Street
- Great Scotland Yard
- Great Smith Street
- Greencoat Place
- Greencoat Row
- Greycoat Place
- Grosvenor Crescent
- Half Moon Street
- Halkin Street
- Horseferry Road
- Howick Place
- John Adam Street
- Little College Street
- Little Smith Street
- Lord North Street
- Marsham Street
- Matthew Parker Street
- Medway Street
- Monck Street
- Morpeth Terrace
- Northumberland Avenue
- Old Pye Street
- Palace Street
- Pall Mall
- Perkin’s Rents
- Queen Anne’s Gate
- Rochester Row
- Romney Street
- Ryder Street
- Smith Square
- South Audley Street
- Spencer Place
- Spring Gardens
- St Ann’s Street
- St James’s Square
- St James’s Street
- Stafford Place
- Stanhope Gate
- Stillington Street
- Thirleby Road
- Tothill Street
- Trafalgar Square
- Tufton Street
- Upper Belgrave Street
- Victoria Embankment
- Victoria Square
- Waterloo Place
- Whitcomb Street
- Whitehall Court
- Whitehall Place
- Willow Place
- York Street
