Preparations are well underway as the country is set to celebrate King Charles III's coronation this May.
He will officially be crowned monarch during a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, while Camilla Parker-Bowles will become Queen. Charles will become Britain's oldest monarch at the time of his coronation - at 74 years old. His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was just 25 when she took to the throne in June 1953.
Charles ascended the throne in September last year following the Queen's death at the age of 96. The coronation will be Britain's first in 70 years and is expected to be steeped in history and tradition.
READ MORE: King's Coronation bank holiday weekend could get workers 10 days off with just 4 days leave
Tens of thousands of street parties are expected to be staged across the country during the long weekend, for which an extra bank holiday has been declared. People have been urged to come together across the nation for the Coronation Big Lunch on Sunday, May 7.
On the same day, musicians and stars will descend on Windsor Castle for the coronation concert which will be broadcast live on the BBC. Here is all you need to know about the coronation so far, including the key dates, timings, coronation procession route and gig line-up.
When is the King's Coronation?
King Charles III's coronation takes place on Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony, conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, will take place at 11am.
Charles and Camilla will arrive following a procession from Buckingham Palace. Afterwards, more members of the royal family will join them for the procession back to the palace.
To conclude the day, members of the royal family will appear on the balcony.
What is the procession route?
Two processions will be held on the day - one from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey, and another from the Abbey back to the Palace. The second one will be the larger procession, with members of the Royal Family joining the King and Queen.
From Buckingham Palace, their majesties will travel down The Mall via Admiralty Arch. They will then take the south side of Trafalgar Square, go along Whitehall and Parliament Street, before taking the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary and arriving at the Abbey.
Charles and Camilla will take the same 1.3-mile route to and from the ceremony. This marks a change from the Queen's coronation in 1953, which saw the monarch embark on a five-mile return expedition around central London, waving to crowds along Piccadilly, Oxford Street and Regent Street.
Charles and Camilla will travel to the Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which is complete with mod-cons including air conditioning and shock absorbers. They will then travel back in the Gold State Coach, famously criticised by many monarchs for being uncomfortable, including Elizabeth II.
When is the bank holiday?
As the coronation itself takes place on a Saturday, a weekday has been declared as a bank holiday instead. It will fall on Monday, May 8, meaning a three-day weekend to celebrate.
Find out how to make the most of the May bank holidays - and get 10 days off with just 4 days of annual leave over the Coronation weekend - here.
What is planned for the coronation weekend?
Saturday May 6
- The Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey - the crowning ceremony will take place at 11am, followed by the royals appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony to conclude the day’s events.
Sunday May 7
- Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle - thousands will descend on the castle for a night of music, broadcast across the BBC from 8pm.
- Lighting up the Nation - locations across the UK will be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
- Coronation Big Lunches - people are invited to get together with their neighbourhood or community for a shared lunch, cup of tea or street party.
Monday May 8
- The Big Help Out - people are encouraged to try volunteering in their local areas.
Who is playing at the Windsor Castle concert?
Take That Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will be headlining the coronation gig. Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel, Freya Ridings and Alexis Ffrench are also on the bill.
The Coronation Choir, a collective of community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, and the Virtual Choir, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth, will collaborate on a special performance.
More acts are still to be announced.
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