King Charles III is making his first visit to Wales today, Friday, September 16, with his wife Camilla Queen Consort. They will be visiting for a thanksgiving service at Llandaff Cathedral followed by receptions at the Senedd and Cardiff Castle. They are expected to spend most of the afternoon in various engagements in the city.
The famous Royal Rolls Royce vehicles have been spotted in Cardiff this morning awaiting the arrival of the new king who is expected to arrive by helicopter imminently. The procession of cars will then take the new King and the Queen Consort on their whistle-stop tour of the capital.
Rolls Royce's have been used as official state vehicles for several decades and were often used by the King's mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The day after his accession, King Charles and the Queen Consort arrived at Buckingham Palace in the 1978 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI state limousine, in the days that followed they used the 1950 Rolls-Royce Phantom IV state limousine in London and the 1978 Phantom VI in Edinburgh (each sporting the mascots previously used by his mother, along with the sovereign's shield and standard).
Read more: The full schedule for King Charles III's visit to Wales and how you can see him
Preparations have been underway in the capital throughout the week to prepare for the day. Crowds have started to gather at the specific points that the pair have been confirmed to visit, as well as along the mammoth route. Roads through the capital have been closure to accommodate their trip. Y ou can read more about that here. There are also airspace restrictions in Cardiff from 6am to 8pm on Friday, although Cardiff Airport has confirmed it will not be affected.
Thousands of people gathered in Llandaff ahead of the King's arrival later this morning. The queue to enter Cardiff Castle is also growing with fans now stretching back to Queen Street. Our reporter John Jones spent the night outside the castle and was the first in the queue. You can follow his updates here.
The King and Queen Consort will be greeted at Llandaff Cathedral by the Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan. A service of prayer and reflection for the life of the queen will be led by the Dean. The Archbishop will give the address and the First Minister will be called upon to give a reading.
The Bishop of Llandaff and interfaith leaders will lead the prayers. After the Service has taken place, the King and Queen Consort will undertake a short walkabout on Llandaff Green to meet with school children and members of the local community
The couple will then travel to the Senedd to receive a Motion of Condolence, where they will be greeted by the Llywydd and First Minister. They will then process into the Siambr, (the Senedd's debating chamber), accompanied by the First Minister and party leaders.
The First Minister will stand to propose the Motion of Condolence, the King will stand to reply and the Llywdd will close the session. After the session has taken place, the King and Queen consort will view condolence messages in the Cwrt Area and meet members of the Youth Parliament. They will greet Senedd Members in the Neuadd and, upon departure, will meet members of the public.
For their third engagement of the day, the King and Queen Consort will head to Cardiff Castle, where the King is expected to receive the First Minister of Wales and the Presiding Officer. The King and the Queen Consort will be met by the First Minister and Llywydd and will then proceed to the banqueting hall where they will join guests including representatives of Royal patronages and members of faith communities at a reception.
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