- Huge crowds are gathering in central London ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort
- Lavish displays of royal pageantry are expected, with processions planned either side of the service at Westminster Abbey
- The ceremony itself will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury at 11:00 BST (10:00 GMT) and attended by the Royal Family as well as world leaders and dignitaries
- On Friday, the King along with Prince William and Catherine greeted crowds on the Mall and hosted world leaders at Buckingham Palace
- A weekend of planned special events also includes street parties and a concert at Windsor Castle tomorrow, as well as a nationwide volunteering drive on Monday
- Anti-monarchy protests are also expected, spearheaded by the group Republic – which is coordinating rallies in Trafalgar Square and around the UK
- You can watch the BBC’s coverage by clicking the play button at the top of this page
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Members of the Royal Family
As with many events, family often comes first, and many members of King Charles and Camilla’s family are due to attend.
Prince William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, will be attending, as will two of the King’s siblings, Anne, Princess Royal and the Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.
After much speculation, Prince Harry confirmed he would attend, but his wife Meghan would not. The coronation coincides with the fourth birthday of the couple’s son, Prince Archie.
When is the Coronation bank holiday?
There will be an extra bank holiday across the UK on Monday 8 May.
Buckingham Palace has announced various events for the weekend, including a concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May featuring Katy Perry, Take That and Lionel Richie.
Pubs, clubs and bars across England and Wales will be able to stay open for an extra two hours on Friday and Saturday of the Coronation weekend.
People are also being invited to hold street parties, and to take part in volunteering projects in their local community, as part of the Big Help Out initiative.
Who will go to the Coronation?
The Coronation is a state occasion, which means the government controls the guest list.
In addition to the Royal Family, those invited will include the prime minister, representatives from the Houses of Parliament, heads of state, and other royals from around the world.
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed that he will travel from the US for the coronation, but his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, will not attend.
The event will be the first time Prince Harry will be seen in public with the Royal Family since his controversial memoir Spare was published in January.
The date of the Coronation is also the fourth birthday of the couple’s son, Prince Archie, who will remain in the US with his mother.
The Duchess of York will also not be there, after sources confirmed she was not invited to the ceremony.
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, who was married to the duchess until their divorce in 1996, is expected to go.
Camilla’s grandchildren will be among the pages at Westminster Abbey, alongside the King’s grandson, Prince George.
US President Joe Biden will not attend the event, but First Lady Jill Biden will go on his behalf.
In addition, 850 community representatives have been invited to the ceremony in recognition of their charitable contributions.
What happens at a coronation?
Coronations have remained much the same for more than 1,000 years. The British ceremony is the only remaining event of its type in Europe.
However, it is likely to be shorter and smaller in scale than Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation, with a wider range of religions represented.
The Coronation Procession is also expected to be more modest. Queen Elizabeth’s procession had 16,000 participants, and took 45 minutes to pass any stationary point on the 7km (4.3 miles) route.
This time, the King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will travel to Westminster Abbey in a relatively modern horse-drawn carriage which has electric windows and air conditioning.
They will ride in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, first used in 2014, before returning in the Gold State Coach used in every coronation since the 1830s.
SNIPPETS AND PICS SOURCED FROM BBC.
