Coronation of Charles III: the course of the day

LONDON: King Charles III and Queen Camilla are crowned Saturday at Westminster Abbey over a day to the millimeter program. Here is its unfolding.

– 05:00 GMT (06:00 local): opening to the public of the observation sites located along the route of the procession. First come, first served: early risers can enjoy the best view. Hundreds of tents have appeared in recent days along the Mall, a long avenue starting from Buckingham Palace.

– From 06:15 to 07:30 GMT: Guests begin to arrive at security checkpoints.

– 08:30-09:45 GMT: Arrival of heads of state, heads of foreign governments, ministers, former prime ministers, members of foreign royal families and the British royal family.

– 09:20 GMT: departure of the procession of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla from Buckingham Palace in the « Diamond Jubilee State Coach », a carriage which will be drawn by six horses. The procession takes the artery of the Mall to Trafalgar Square then crosses Whitehall, the district of the ministries, before arriving at the abbey. At the head, the Household Cavalry Mounted Band, brass band of the cavalry.

The arrival of the royal couple is scheduled exactly 33 minutes after their departure, at 09:53 GMT.

– 10:00 GMT: Charles and Camilla enter the abbey through the Great West Door. Charles wears a state robe, a long cape embroidered in crimson velvet.

The celebration begins

– 11:00 GMT: Charles III is crowned. The Archbishop of Canterbury places on his head the Crown of St Edward, a solid gold crown set with rubies, amethysts and sapphires, and fitted with a purple velvet cap hemmed with an ermine band. To mark the moment, trumpets are sounded and cannon shots are heard across the UK, from the Tower of London in the capital to Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast and from Royal Navy ships at sea. .

– 12:00 GMT: end of the ceremony. The king leaves the abbey wearing the ceremonial robe of his grandfather George VI, in purple silk velvet embroidered with gold. On her head, the Imperial State Crown, set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls and four rubies.

The procession sets off, taking the King and Queen to Buckingham Palace in the « Gold State Coach », a golden carriage used at every coronation since that of William IV in 1831. It is drawn by eight horses because of its weight: four tons.

The couple is escorted by 4,000 soldiers in ceremonial dress.

Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte follow their grandfather in another carriage with their parents William and Kate. Other members of the royal family accompany the procession with the notable exception of Prince Harry and Andrew, Duke of York, always kept at a distance, the first because of his repeated criticisms against the family, the second for having was the subject of a sexual assault complaint in the United States.

– 12:33 GMT: Charles and Camilla arrive at Buckingham Palace.

– 12:45 GMT: they receive the royal salute from the military in the palace gardens.

– Around 13:15 GMT: The King, Queen and members of the Royal Family appear on the balcony of the Palace to watch the flypast.

The photographer Hugo Burnand then takes portraits of the couple as well as group photos of the family, then the king and queen have lunch with the family.