Last-minute change ahead of King Charles’ big balcony moment
There was a last-minute change in plans just before Charles and Camilla’s big balcony moment as King and Queen.
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Welcome to our coverage of the coronation of King Charles III.
The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort started with a procession from 10.20am (7.20pm AEST) on Saturday before the ceremony kicked off at 11am local time (8pm AEST) at Westminster Abbey in London.
Royals and dignitaries from around the world arrived Buckingham Palace for the historic event, while Prince Harry attended without wife Meghan Markle.
The last coronation took place on June 2, 1953 for Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for just over 70 years before hear death on September 8, 2022.
Lexie Cartwright and Bronte Coy are in London for news.com.au.
Our live coverage has now ended, you can find the biggest updates from the coronation below.
King and Queen appear on balcony
King Charles and Queen Camilla have appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony to a roaring crowd of hundreds of thousands of royal fans.
Prince William, Princess Kate and the royal children also appeared on the balcony.
The King and Queen were flanked by a number of page boys, which included Prince George.
Poor weather forces change of plans
The fly-past to mark King Charles’ coronation has been stripped back due to poor weather conditions in London.
More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force were due to take part in the display.
However, the rain has forced a change of plans, with a slimmed down event now only involving helicopters and the Red Arrows aerobatic display team.
Three cheers for Charles and Camilla
Cheers have rung out across the garden at Buckingham Palace as Charles and Camilla walked onto the west terrace.
Troops amassed in the gardens to salute the King and Queen, giving the pair three cheers as they emerged from the palace.
William, Kate, Harry leave coronation
Prince William and Princess Kate have left Westminster Abbey together in a carriage at the conclusion of the coronation.
Prince Harry was also spotted leaving, instead being whisked away in a BMW limousine.
William’s tender moment with Charles as he breaks tradition
King Charles has shared a tender moment with Prince William, as he paid homage to his father in a break from tradition.
After the crowning, William knelt before Charles and gave an oath of allegiance.
“I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God,” he said.
William then kissed his father on the cheek, with the King murmuring a few words to his son as he did so.
What happens now?
The King and Queen have left Westminster Abbey and the coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace has begun.
Charles and Camilla are riding in the Gold State Coach for the length of the procession, with 7000 servicemen and women marching with them.
The next time we see them will be when they appear on the west terrace at Buckingham Palace
Harry blocked by Princess Anne’s hat
Prince Harry appeared to have an obstructed view during the coronation, with a bright red feather on Princess Anne’s hat directly in front of his face.
It comes as Harry was relegated to the third row for the coronation of his father King Charles III.
Historic moment as Charles crowned King
Charles has officially been crowned King.
Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, crowned Charles Westminster Abbey, placing the crown on his head and saying “God Save the King”, which was echoed by the congregation.
“King of kings and Lord of lords, bless, we beseech thee, this Crown, and so sanctify thy servant Charles, upon whose head this day thou dost place it for a sign of royal majesty, that he may be crowned with thy gracious favour and filled with abundant grace and all princely virtues; through him who liveth and reigneth supreme over all things, one God, world without end. Amen,” the Archbishop said.
Queen Camilla crowned
Camilla has also been crowned, with the Archbishop placing the crown upon her head after she was presented with the royal sceptre and the rod of equity.
“May thy servant Camilla, who wears this crown, be filled by thine abundant grace and with all princely virtues; reign in her heart, O King of love, that, being certain of thy protection, she may be crowned with thy gracious favour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen,” he said.
Charles disrobed as he is anointed
King Charles has been disrobed ahead of being anointed with oil behind a private screen.
This anointing process is hidden from the public view by the Anointing Screen, with Charles stripped down to a shirt and pants before going behind the screen.
Behind the screen the Archbishop of Canterbury will anoint him with holy oil in the shape of a cross.
Charles’ oath as he prepares to be crowned
King Charles has knelt before the altar and held his hand on the Bible as he took his oath.
“I, Charles, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law,” he said.
Charles: ‘I come not to be served’
After King Charles made his way through Westminster Abbey he was approached by a child who said, “Your Majesty, as children of the kingdom of God we welcome you in the name of the King of kings.”
The King then responded: “In his name and after his example I come not to be served but to serve.”
It was then over to Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury, to give his address.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered to offer worship and praise to Almighty God; to celebrate the life of our nations; to pray for Charles, our King; to recognise and to give thanks for his life of service to this Nation, the Realms, and the Commonwealth; and to witness with joy his anointing and crowning, his being set apart and consecrated for the service of his people,” he said.
“Let us dedicate ourselves alike, in body, mind, and spirit, to a renewed faith, a joyful hope, and a commitment to serve one another in love.”
Kate and William arrive
William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, have arrived at Westminster Abbey in London for the coronation of King Charles III.
Royals and dignitaries from around the world have travelled for the historic event.
Prince William, who is first in line to the British throne, will play an important role in the coronation ceremony, where he will kneel before the King to pay homage.
He will kneel, place his hands in his father’s hands and say the words, “I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liegeman of life and limb. So help me God.”
This act of swearing his loyalty to the King is officially called ‘The Homage of Royal Blood’.
Procession begins at Buckingham Palace
The coronation procession has begun, with King Charles and Queen Camilla departing Buckingham Palace and heading to Westminster Abbey.
The pair are travelling in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
Prince Harry arrives at coronation, walks in alone
Prince Harry cut a lonely figure as he arrived at the coronation of his father, King Charles III, this evening.
The Duke of Sussex arrived solo at Westminster Abbey in London, looking sombre as he took his seat among the 2300 guests invited to the historic occasion.
Harry’s arrival was highly anticipated by royal onlookers, given just one day before the coronation it was revealed he would not be seated next to his father and brother, Prince William, during the ceremony.
Instead, in a humiliating move, Harry was relegated to the third row, where he was seated between his cousin Princess Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Princess Alexandra – the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth whose last royal working engagement was 10 years ago.
Oh I feel so sorry for prince harry he looks so lost
— 🦄🌈🌸amy (@amytalker) May 6, 2023
I wonder how #PrinceHarry feels walking alone like that. #KingsCoronation#Coronation
— @DeclanKincaid (@TheRealDeclanK1) May 6, 2023
Damn. I feel bad for Prince Harry. #Coronation
— baby j (@j_a_zzzzzy) May 6, 2023
A-list stars invited to coronation as arrivals begin
Dame Judi Dench will reportedly be among celebrities attending today’s coronation.
Guests have already begun arriving at Westminster Abbey, hours before the service officially begins at 11am BST (8pm AEST).
Dench, 88, has long been an advocate for the British royal family, and won an Oscar for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare In Love.
Daily Mail reports the veteran British actress will be at the Abbey in London for the historic occasion.
Elsewhere among Hollywood elite who snagged an invite: David and Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney, Rowan Atkinson and Bear Grylls.
Katy Perry, Dame Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie are among the A-list stars who have already arrived.
– Lexie Cartwright
First look at Charles ahead of coronation
We have gotten our first glimpse of King Charles and Queen Camilla they arrive ahead of the coronation.
The pair waved to the thousands of waiting royal fans as they were driven from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace.
They will now begin preparations for the procession to the Abbey.
Prince Andrew has also been spotted ahead of the festivities, with PA Media reporting the Duke of York was booed as he was driven past crowds in a state car.
Snipers appear above coronation crowd
Shortly after 7am BST (4pm AEST), snipers holding long distance rifles appeared along the rooftops above the crowd on Parliament Street at Westminster Abbey.
It’s part of a mammoth security operation, which has seen more than 29,000 police officers deployed to the area for the coronation weekend.
There are also firearms officers, dog handlers, mounted police and helicopters regularly buzzing overhead.
The operation, known as Golden Orb, is one of the biggest security systems Britain has ever had to establish.
-Bronte Coy
Julie Bishop snaps selfie with Lionel Richie
Former Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop has taken the opportunity to snap a picture with music icon Lionel Richie as she takes her seat ahead of the coronation.
“And I take my seat at the coronation next to Lionel Richie, Prince’s Trust Global Ambassador,” she wrote on her Instagram post.
Weather looking grim as countdown begins
The umbrellas have gone up …
It’s started raining in the heart of London with less than an hour to go until King Charles leaves Buckingham Palace.
The forecast isn’t looking good for the big day – which marks the first coronation in 70 years – with heavy rain predicted to hit the city throughout the morning and afternoon.
Thankfully for fans on the ground and watching around the world, the two processions will go ahead rain, hail or shine, but the biggest concern is for the Royal Air Force and aerobatics fly-by when the royal family wraps the day by waving to the public in the palace balcony.
The six-minute air show kicks off at 2.30pm (11.30pm AEST), and will include more than 60 aircraft from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
They will be followed by the Red Arrows display team – the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force.
RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston yesterday said it was “50/50” whether or not it would go ahead, adding the decision was would be made just one or two hours before it is due to start.
– Lexie Cartwright
Organisers of anti-royal protest arrested
Organisers of the ‘Not My King’ protest have reportedly been arrested ahead of the coronation.
The leader of the Republic movement Graham Smith is among those that have been taken into custody, according to the BBC.
“Organisers of the #NotMyKing protest have been arrested – police won’t say what for, the group said in a tweet.
‘Diana’ trending on Twitter
It may be Charles’ big day, but Princess Diana’s many fans are making sure she isn’t forgotten ahead of the coronation.
Over the past 24 hours alone, thousands of tweets have appeared honouring Diana, with many blasting the way she was treated by the royal family and encouraging others to remember her on this day.
Princess Diana will forever be the #QueenofHearts they can put a crown on Camilla’s head but she’ll never be a Queen to Millions world wide as she will never capture their Hearts 💕 pic.twitter.com/KWCTfPEPnS
— Lauraine Knight (@rainey_knight) May 6, 2023
🚨 tomorrow, on may 6th, let's come together to celebrate the life of the late princess diana by sharing memories & thoughts about her using pics, videos or simply a few words about how she touched your life. don’t forget to use #dianaday in your post 🫶🻠pic.twitter.com/21kzprGcSL
— best of meghan markle (@princessmeghn) May 5, 2023
King’s surprise London train cameo
Commuters moving around the city are being treated to a special one-off cameo by the King, who has recorded the London Underground’s iconic “mind the gap” message.
The recording was made at Highgrove earlier this year, and will be heard across the network until Monday.
“My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful Coronation weekend,” King Charles told commuters in the message.
“Wherever you’re travelling we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey,” Camilla added.
The first of the 2200 guests who will be filling the Abbey today are already making their way to Westminster, with doors set to open at 7.15am (4.15pm AEST) amid extensive ticket and security checks.
All regular guests will be screened and seated by 9am (6pm AEST), two hours before the ceremony starts, and ahead of the VIP arrivals.
Aussie mum and daughter ‘excited’
A mother-and-daughter duo from Victoria are making today’s coronation a family affair.
UK-based Meredith, 34, decided to surprise her beloved mum Marylou, 70, by flying her from her home in Gippsland over to London to see King Charles be crowned.
The trip was a present for Marylou’s 70th birthday.
“I was really excited because I wanted to come to the coronation, we may never see this again … Well, I may not, so here I am!” Marylou said.
In true Australian form, the pair have come prepared, arriving on the street of Whitehall just outside Westminster Abbey at 4am with camper chairs and snacks.
As “horse people”, both are most excited to witness the horses during the parade. And of course, their favourite royals.
“I’m very excited to see Charles and Camilla on their carriages, because we’re horse people, so we’re excited to see the carriages. Especially the gold one,” Meredith said.
“And I’m looking forward to seeing Catherine.”
Marylou added, “I like William, he’s great. And I think dear old Camilla has put her best foot forward. And I think she’s a great support for Charles.”
Longtime royalist Marie McAllister, 48, didn’t let foot surgery just a fortnight ago get in the way of her coronation celebrations.
She and twin Michelle Harm, from Durham, were dressed to the nines as they counted down the hours until the royals arrive.
“I’m a proper royalist. Foot surgery was definitely not going to stop me, I live and breathe the royal family,” Marie told news.com.au.
Royal fans brave chilly conditions
Keen royal watchers were lining the streets along the procession routes by 4am (1pm AEST), with many having camped out overnight in chilly conditions.
Helicopters had been occasionally buzzing overhead from the early hours, while thousands of security personnel and police officers were out in force.
Ex-serviceman Mark, 46, from Suffolk, brought his teenage son down to Westminster to be part of the historic moment.
The duo arrived at the patch of concrete that would be their bed for the night just after 12am, settling in for a long wait ahead.
“We went to The Mall [at the Palace] to see if we could get a spot, but it was so packed so we came here to Westminster,” Mark told news.com.au.
“It’s patriotic, it was important for us to be here.”
Police ‘will deal robustly’ with protests
More than 1000 anti-monarchist protesters are expected to hold a demonstration in London on Saturday despite warnings that police “will deal robustly” with any disruption to the coronation.
Campaign group Republic said earlier this week it had received an “anonymous” letter from the Home Office setting out new policing powers, describing it as “passive/aggressive intimidation of a legitimate protest group”.
“We have had two meetings with the Met police, and numerous phone conversations,” Republic spokesman Graham Smith said in a statement on Wednesday.
“They have repeatedly said they have no concerns about Republic’s plans. It is a mystery why the Home Office thought it was necessary to send us an anonymous letter that could be interpreted as intimidation. Republic will not be deterred and we will be protesting on Trafalgar Square and along the route of the coronation procession on Saturday.”
Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 3, 2023
We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration.
🧵🔽
London’s Metropolitan Police said it has more than 11,500 officers on duty for Operation Golden Orb, making it “one of the most significant and largest security operations the Met has led”.
“Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low,” police said in a statement. “We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration.”
The new powers referenced by the Home Office are part of the Public Order Bill which came into effect on Wednesday. Under the new laws, protesters who interfere with “key national infrastructure” such as by blocking roads or railways could face up to a year behind bars.
Prince Harry arrives on commercial flight
Prince Harry arrived in London on Friday on a commercial flight ahead of his father’s coronation, the NY Post reports.
Although Harry, 38, will be in attendance, Buckingham Palace confirmed last month that his wife, Meghan Markle, will not be joining him.
Instead, the Duchess of Sussex, 41, will remain in California with the couple’s two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, as the former is turning four on the same day as the coronation.
Harry will return to Los Angeles two hours after his father’s event in order to make it on time for his son’s festivities.
According to The Daily Mail, passengers were left gobsmacked as Harry flew commercial, not private, from Los Angeles on American Airlines flight AA136, which landed at 11.23am at London Heathrow on Friday.
The decision to fly commercial comes after Harry and Meghan received major backlash for taking a private jet in September 2021 after speaking at Global Citizen Live — an event in New York City that advocated for climate change action.
What you can expect to happen today
Here’s an hour-by-hour rundown of what you can expect.
The King’s procession begins at 10.20am (7.20pm AEST), setting off from Buckingham Palace.
The route is about 2km, starting from the palace through the Centre Gate, down The Mall, through the Admiralty Arch and south of King Charles I Island, down Whitehall and along parliament Street, around parliament Square, to Broad Sanctuary and then arriving at Westminster Abbey at 11am.
Charles and Camilla will ride in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th year as monarch in 2012.
The coronation service begins at 11am (8pm AEST), where Charles will become the 40th sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The coronation service falls into six parts: the recognition (where Charles will be presented to everyone), the oath (where Charles will swear to uphold the law and the Church of England), the anointing (a concealed moment where the Archbishop of Canterbury dots the King’s forehead, hands and chest with blessed holy oil), the investiture (which includes the crowning of both Charles and Queen Camilla), the enthronement and finally, the homage.
The ceremony will run for about two hours. During the official crowning, when St Edward’s crown is put on the King’s head, gun salutes with 400 personnel will be fired at 11 locations across the UK, including Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, and on Royal Navy ships at sea.
In London, a 62-round salute will fire at the Tower of London, along with a six-gun salvo on Horse Guards Parade.
At 1pm (10pm AEST) the much larger return procession will take the same route back to the palace.
For this leg, Charles and Camilla will ride in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every coronation since King William IV in 1831.
It weighs 4000kg and is pulled at walking pace by eight horses with riders.
Reports suggest the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will ride in a carriage behind the Gold State Coach.
The coronation procession will include Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all Services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.
Upon returning to the palace, Charles and Camilla will be honoured with a royal salute from the Armed Forces involved in the parade. The salute will be followed by three cheers from personnel.
Finally at 2.30pm (11.30pm AEST), King Charles and Queen Camilla, along with several other members of the royal family, will do the famous Buckingham Palace balcony wave.
Originally published as Last-minute change ahead of King Charles’ big balcony moment
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