Royal superfans are already lining the Coronation procession route a full week before festivities begin.
John Loughery, known as Princess Diana’s #1 fan, was draped in a Union Jack as he set up his seat to be first in line to see King Charles III crowned on May 6 at the age of 73.
Asked why he had set up camp a full week ahead of the coronation, Sky London said: “There’s a saying, the early bird catches the early worm.”
He said he had camped outside the Queen’s funeral, the Jubilee, and the births of all three of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ children.
Asked what she was most looking forward to about the coronation, his friend Carol Foster said: “Seeing everybody dressed up, the pomp and ceremony.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what Catherine and Camilla are wearing.
“It’s a once in a lifetime thing.”
He added: “We intend to hold this place, we don’t want anybody else to take it.”
They set up a group of tents together, and were well supplied with deck chairs and snacks.
More than 2,000 people have been invited to witness the dramatically slimmed-down ceremony compared to the roughly 8,000 who attended the Coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort will be crowned that day in Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It is expected that it will last around an hour, unlike the Queen’s coronation, which lasted nearly three hours.
The King will become the first monarch to pray aloud in front of a coronation congregation in a “powerful” new addition to the service.
A special personal prayer has been written for Charles to say during the May 6 ceremony – one of many new firsts for historic occasion.
The words will reflect the “loving service” theme of the liturgy and were inspired in part by the popular hymn I Vow To Thee My Country.
The Queen Consort will be anointed in full public view at the coronation in a break with tradition, and will be presented with a ring which “marries” her as consort to the King.
Camilla will be consecrated with holy oil without being hidden under a canopy, in contrast to the late Queen Mother’s coronation.
Although Charles became king the moment his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died, monarchs traditionally wait months following the death of their predecessor to be crowned. Charles will end his stint as the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history.
On Friday, the plans began to become reality as a procession rehearsal involving more than 700 guardsmen, officers and band members took place on Queen’s Avenue between Lille Barracks and Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire.
The King’s coronation parade, which is set to be “double the size” of the late Queen’s funeral. begins with the recognition — at which time the congregation will chant “God save the King” — the oath, the anointing, the investiture and finally the enthronement. There will be a smaller, similar ceremony for the new Queen consort, followed by music, choral recitals and bell-ringing.
According to the coronation.gov website, there are currently street parties or private parties planned during the coronation weekend in Richmond, Westminster, Camden and Hackney. As these are listed as potentially private parties, details are currently scant, however there is a Friends of Regents Park Coronation Lunch on May 7 which is available to book.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers says people should look past the sensational headlines and focus on what Charles accomplishes now that he is king.
“In a sense, he sort of becomes a new man when he becomes king,” said Vickers, author of “Coronation: The Crowning of Elizabeth II.”
“Look at him as he is now, look at him the way he is approaching everything, look at his positivity and look at how right he’s been on so many issues,” he added. “Unfortunately, he had those difficult times with his marriages and some of the other issues, but we live in a very tricky era.”
It came as three new photographs of the King and Queen Consort at Buckingham Palace have been released ahead of the coronation.
The images were made in the Palace’s blue drawing room last month.
One shows the couple standing side by side in front of a portrait of King George V painted shortly after his coronation in June 1911.
Charles is dressed in a blue Anderson and Sheppard suit, with a blue tie and white Turnbull and Asser shirt.
Camilla is wearing a blue wool crepe coat dress from British designer Fiona Clare, the late Queen’s pearl drop earrings set, which is adorned with sapphire and ruby gemstones, and a pearl necklace from her private collection.
The other two photographs show Charles and Camilla seated individually.
The King is sitting in a giltwood and silk upholstered armchair which dates to 1829 and was supplied to King George IV to furnish Windsor Castle.
