The Coronation of King Charles III will be marked with events across the country and a concert at Windsor Castle, with people being encouraged to spend the Coronation Weekend celebrating with friends, families and their communities.
Thousands are also expected to travel to London to catch a glimpse of the actual Coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6.
The service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and it has been described as reflecting the Monarch’s role today as well as looking towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
The procession to Westminster Abbey
The King and Queen Consort Camilla will arrive at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as The King’s Procession.
They will travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach created for Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Her late Majesty’s reign in 2012.
The King’s Procession, accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, will:
- depart Buckingham Palace through the Centre Gate
- proceed down The Mall
- pass through Admiralty Arch and south of King Charles I Island
- down Whitehall and along Parliament Street.
The King’s Procession will travel around the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary to arrive at the Sanctuary of Westminster Abbey, where the Coronation Service will begin at 11am.
Best places to watch if you travel to London
The service and processions will be broadcast on national television, radio and online, and shown on large screens at screening sites in London and around the country.
Thousands are expected to travel to London to catch a glimpse of the processions, but the streets are expected to be very busy. There will be screening sites at Hyde Park, The Green Park and St James’s Park.
There will be viewing areas on both sides of The Mall and Whitehall that will be open from 6am with people being urged not to arrive before that time.
If the viewing area you intend to visit is full when you arrive, you will be directed to one of the other viewing areas or a screening site.
The Government advice says: "Please be aware that large crowds are expected, and there will be road closures in place to ensure the event is delivered safely. Public transport services are likely to be very busy with some station closures and bus diversions, especially around the Westminster and Hyde Park areas."
They are expecting that the areas in and around Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, St James’s Park, The Green Park and Trafalgar Square will be very crowded. The National Rail and London Underground stations in these areas will be very busy.
After the events, police and stewards will help direct people to the exits and to nearby transport hubs.
The website says: "Remember to check the latest travel information before your onward journey, as service updates may have changed."
Recommended stations to get to viewing areas
The Mall
Waterloo (London Underground, National Rail)
This station has step-free access
Charing Cross (London Underground, National Rail)
Piccadilly Circus (London Underground)
Green Park (London Underground)
This station has step-free access
Whitehall
Embankment (London Underground, National Rail)
Westminster (London Underground)
This station has step-free access
Charing Cross (London Underground, National Rail)
Screening sites in London
You can watch the Coronation at the Hyde Park screening site, which will show the processions and the Coronation service on large screens. There are also smaller screening sites at Green Park and St James’s Park, but these are likely to reach capacity very quickly.
There are 4 screens at the Hyde Park screening site:
- Screen 1: Old Football Pitches (south of the Serpentine, close to South Carriage Drive) - facing west.
- Screen 2: Old Football Pitches (south of the Serpentine, close to South Carriage Drive) - facing east.
- Screen 3: The Cockpit (north side of the Serpentine, near the Norwegian War Memorial)
- Screen 4: Boathouse Lawn (north side of the Serpentine, next to the boathouse).
Access to all screening sites is free. There will be first aid points, water refill stations, toilets and accessible toilets, welfare points, and concession kiosks where you can buy food and drinks.
Who will be at the ceremony
More than 2,000 guests will form the congregation in Westminster Abbey on the day and have received this invitation.
Throughout the service, the couple will each be attended by four Pages of Honour. The Pages will form part of the procession through the nave of Westminster Abbey.
The King’s Pages of Honour will be Prince George, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, whose father is permanent Lord-in-Waiting to the King, Nicholas Barclay, whose mother is a second cousin of the King, and Ralph Tollemache, 12, who is a godson of the King .
Camilla’s three grandsons, Gus and Louis Lopes and Freddy Parker Bowles have all been given the honour and her great-nephew, Arthur Elliot.
A key part of the ceremonial role involves carrying the heavy robes of the King and Queen.
The procession after the service
After the service, there will be a larger ceremonial procession, known as The Coronation Procession with the couple joined by other members of the Royal Family.
The procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, The Coronation Procession, will be much larger in scale, taking the same route in reverse.
The Coronation Procession will include Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all Services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.
The King and Queen will travel in the Gold State Coach.
The coach, last seen during the Pageant of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, was commissioned in 1760 and was first used by King George III to travel to the state opening of Parliament in 1762. The coach has been used at every Coronation since that of William IV in 1831. The coach will be drawn by eight Windsor Greys and, due to its weight of four tonnes, will travel at walking pace.
What will happen when they arrive at Buckingham Palace
The procession will arrive at Buckingham Palace in the afternoon where Their Majesties will receive a salute from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Armed Forces in the Buckingham Palace Gardens, and appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
After the Coronation Procession has passed down The Mall, the police will open the route to allow people to move onto the road. People will be able to walk down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, to watch the balcony appearance.
The police will monitor crowd numbers and gradually open the viewing areas, to ensure that everyone stays safe and secure.
Map of the procession
The image below shows a map of the procession route: the King’s Procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, and the Coronation Procession back to Buckingham Palace. The procession route is marked in gold.
There are viewing areas along the procession route, on both sides of The Mall and Whitehall. The public viewing areas are marked on the map in purple.
The image also shows the facilities at the viewing areas and along the route. There are first aid points, water refill stations, toilets and accessible toilets and welfare points.
What you should and shouldn’t bring
Remember to bring:
- Suitable clothing for the weather conditions. You may want to bring warm, protective clothing or an umbrella in cold or wet weather, or sunscreen and a hat if it is likely to be sunny.
- A water bottle. There will be water refill stations at the viewing areas and screening sites where you can refill bottles. There will also be concession kiosks available where you can buy food and drinks, but you may want to bring your own refreshments (particularly if you have specific dietary requirements).
- Appropriate footwear. You will be required to stand outdoors for long periods, so you are advised to wear comfortable shoes.
- If you are visiting the screening sites at Hyde Park, St James’s Park or The Green Park, you may want to bring a blanket, stool or folding chair to sit on as the viewing screens are located in grassy areas (but please note there may not be space to use or store them). Do not bring stools or folding chairs to the procession route viewing areas.
You should not bring:
- Barbecues and equipment for fires.
- Drones. The use of drones is not permitted across any of the ceremonial sites, including the viewing areas and screening sites. You should not attempt to operate a drone in these areas, for photography or any other reasons. You may be fined, and your drone may be confiscated.
- Glass items. Broken glass is a hazard to other visitors and wildlife and can be difficult to remove. If you bring your own refreshments, please use paper or plastic cups for your drinks.
- If you are visiting the procession route viewing areas, do not bring stools or folding chairs.
Where you can watch in Wales
Cardiff Castle is an official Coronation Screening Site. Big screens are being made available in public places across the UK to show the ceremony. The Castle will be open to the public on the day, with no booking required.
On Coronation Eve, (Friday May 5), there will be a concert at St David's Cathedral Pembrokeshire featuring the British Sinfonietta who will perform music that has been played at Coronations over the years. Find out more here.
What happens on Sunday, May 7
On Sunday, a special Coronation Concert will be staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC and BBC Studios, with several thousand pairs of tickets to be made available via public ballot. Details of how to apply for the ticket ballot will be posted here as soon as they are available.
The Coronation Big Lunch, at which neighbours and communities are invited to share food and fun together, will take place across the country on the Sunday. Head to The Big Lunch website for information about getting involved.
Monday, May 8
On Monday, members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.
How to attend or organise a Big Help Out event: information will be available on The Big Help Out website from 20 March.
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