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"Day of destiny" is the main headline in the Times, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express.
While the Mail features on its front page a photograph of the King, aged 20, at his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, the Times shows Charles meeting well wishers on The Mall on Friday.
According to the Times, while the Coronation will be a "less lavish affair" than his mother's, it will still be the biggest military ceremonial operation since the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1969.
The Daily Mirror's front page says Charles will "bear the weight of history... and the hopes of a nation".
There's plenty of speculation about the Duke of Sussex's appearance at the ceremony. The Sun reports he has been "relegated" to the third row at Westminster Abbey - sat between Jack Brooksbank, Princess Eugenie's husband, and Princess Alexandra, Queen Elizabeth's cousin.
Under the headline, "spare part", the Daily Mirror reports that the the Duke will fly back to the US within hours of seeing the King being crowned.
"Charles III in battle to secure future of monarchy", is i's lead. Polling for the paper suggests that while a majority of the UK public, 52%, still back the Royal Family - one in four has become less supportive under King Charles.
The Daily Express's Leo McKinstry makes the case for the monarchy. "No politician or party could be as powerful a force for national unity", he writes.
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11m ago Queen's coffin taken out of abbey for procession to Hyde Park The pallbearers raised Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from the catafalque in the center of Westminster Abbey and began processing with it through the center aisle of the great nave, to bring it outside and place it back on the State Gun Carriage. Members of the Royal family follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her State Funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Frank Augstein/AP The coffin will be followed in procession on the carriage by King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, along with other members of the family. The entire procession was to take about 45 minutes to reach Wellington Arch, at Hyde Park Corner.From there, the queen's coffin was to be placed in a hearse for the drive west from central London to Windsor, where the queen will be laid to rest in her family chapel next to her late husband Prince Philip. Britain's King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princess Anne, and her husband Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince William, and Kate, Princess of Wales with their children Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Frank Augstein/AP 31m ago A commendation, a blessing, trumpets and a silence for the queen. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave the commendation over the queen's coffin as the funeral service neared its end on Monday. The commendation, essentially a prayer for the late queen to be welcomed into heaven, included the traditional line: "Go forth, O Christian soul, from this world," which is often included in funeral services.The commendation was followed by a new song composed specifically for the service, the words for which were taken from Romans 8 in the Bible, which includes the line, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, is placed in Westminster Abbey in central London, for the funeral service, September 19, 2022. Ben Stansall/AP The dean of the abbey then delivered a blessing, and asked those in the ancient church to remain standing for the "Last Post," a trumpet peel by the royal Household Cavalry.Finally, all fell silent. A two-minute national silence was held at 11:55 a.m. local time, or 6:55 a.m. Eastern, to honor the queen. 48m ago Unseen portrait of Queen Elizabeth II released on the eve of her funeral A never-before-seen portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was released by the royal family on the eve of the late monarch's state funeral, for which thousands flocked to the British capital, London, on Monday.The photo was taken to mark the queen's Platinum Jubilee, the celebration of her 70 years on the throne, the royal family said. Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to ever reach that milestone, which she celebrated three months before her death. Ahead of Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral, a new photograph has been released.The photo was taken to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee - the first British Monarch to reach this milestone.Tomorrow, millions will come together to commemorate her remarkable life. pic.twitter.com/UyVfjVvJgw— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 18, 2022 The photo was taken by photographer Ranald Mackechnie, who also took the commemoration photo for her Platinum Jubilee. 6:25 AM British Commonwealth official gives first reading as funeral begins As the queen's coffin entered the abbey, the Choir of Westminster Abbey sang The Sentences, a song which has been used since the mid-1500s, according to Buckingham Palace, including at every state funeral since the early 18th century.The "First Lesson" was then read by Baroness Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, in tribute to the late monarch's life "of dedication and service to the family of nations," the palace said. The queen's death and passage of the throne to her son King Charles III comes at a time when several members of that "family of nations" are fiercely debating their future within it, with referendums planned in a couple Caribbean countries in particular on becoming fully independent republics. Queen Elizabeth II's death revives criticism of the monarchy's colonial past and role in the slave trade 05:10 6:08 AM Prince George and Princess Charlotte processing behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II The queen's great grandchildren, nine-year-old Prince Goerge and seven-year-old Princess Charlotte, will participate in the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, according to the order of service provided by Buckingham Palace. The children of William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, joined the funeral procession along with other members of the royal family as their grandmother's coffin entered Westminster Abbey. Britain's King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Kate, Princess of Wales, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, in London, September 19, 2022. Phil Noble/Pool/AP Their younger brother, four-year-old Prince Louis, did not join in the procession, nor did the children of William's brother Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 5:47 AM Royal family members processing with queen's coffin to Westminster Abbey Members of Britain's royal family, led by King Charles III, have begun the solemn procession with the late Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from Westminster Hall, where she lied in state for four days, to Westminster Abbey, where her funeral will take place. Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is seen atop the State Gun Carriage outside Westminster Hall, flanked by members of the U.K. Royal Navy, with senior members of the royal family behind the coffin, ahead of the late monarch's state funeral on September 19, 2022, in London, England. CBS News The king and his sons, William the Prince of Wales, and Harry the Duke of Sussex, and other family members followed the queen's coffin out of Westminster Hall and watched as it was placed on the ceremonial State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. The same carriage was used for the funerals of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, and Winston Churchill. Prince William and Prince Harry follow a gun carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during her funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London, September 19, 2022. Emilio Morenatti/AP The short route between the hall and the abbey was lined by members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.The queen's coffin was to be taken off the gun carriage and carried into the abbey for the funeral service just before 11 a.m. local time, or 6 a.m. eastern. 5:43 AM U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived at London's Westminster Hall on Monday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. Biden is one of a number of heads of state who is attending the funeral, along with members of other royal families and dignitaries from around the world. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among dozens of other world leaders attending the funeral. U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill arrive at Westminster Abbey before the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried inside for her funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Bernat Armangue/AP 5:26 AM U.K. Air Force member was last member of public to file past queen's coffin A British Royal Air Force service member was the last member of the public to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at the U.K. Parliament's Westminster Hall on Monday. Chrissy Heerey was at the very end of the behemoth, five-mile-long line that quickly became known simply as "The Queue."She got the last spot after joining the line for a second time early Monday, having already filed past the queen's sealed coffin on Sunday evening.The public viewing period ended just before 6:30 a.m. in London, or about 1:30 a.m. Eastern on Monday. Heerey was the last of the hundreds of thousands of people who waited for hours, sometimes a full day or and night, to pay their respects. Christina (Chrissy) Heerey, the last member of the public to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state, walks through Westminster Hall in London, England on September 19, 2022. Lorena Sopena/Anadolu Agency/Getty "I was the last person to pay my respects to the queen and it felt like a real privilege to do that," Heerey told Britain's PA news agency. "I'd already been round once, I went in at 1:15 this morning… It's one of the highlights of my life, and I feel very privileged to be here.""The Queue" officially opened at 5 p.m. (noon Eastern) on Wednesday. The well-planned and orchestrated process was expected to allow some 750,000 people snake their way along the Thames River for four days, around the clock, to file past the queen's coffin. 1:59 AM Queen's lying-in-state ends ahead of her funeral A day packed with funeral events in London and Windsor began early on Monday when the doors of 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had filed in front of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin since Sept 14. Many had spent cold nights on line outdoors to pay their respects at the foot of the flag-draped coffin in a moving outpouring of national grief. The closing of the hall marked the end of four full days of the coffin lying in state. Monday has been declared a public holiday in honor of Elizabeth. Her funeral will be broadcast live to over 200 countries and territories worldwide and screened to crowds in parks and public spaces across the country. Police officers from around the country will be on duty as part of the biggest one-day policing operation in London's history. Updated 9:30 AM / September 18, 2022 The extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth II Born in 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was not originally destined to be queen. But that changed in 1936, when she was 10 years old, because her uncle Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, and Elizabeth's father, George VI, took his place.Princess Elizabeth rapidly became a public favorite. During World War II, she not only worked to raise the country's morale, appealing to her fellow Britons on public radio to "make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place," she also served as a volunteer in the war effort, training as a mechanic in the women's auxiliary service. Queen Elizabeth II through the years 76 photos Her marriage to Philip Mountbatten in 1947 give a war-weary country something to celebrate. Their children — Charles, then Anne, Andrew and Edward — re-established the royal line. Her marriage to Philip lasted 73 years, until his death on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99.Elizabeth was just 25 years old when she inherited the throne in February 1952, following the death of her father, George VI. Her coronation in June of the following year was the first ever to be televised. Duty was the royal family's ethos under Elizabeth's reign."I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service," she once told the nation. It was a promise she kept longer than any other British monarch in history, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — just months before her passing. Queen Elizabeth honored with grand procession through London 03:58 Her reign, however, was not without controversy. Some protesters question the value of monarchical traditions in modern times and the concentration of inherited wealth in the family's hands. In lands once ruled by the British Empire, a painful history of subjugation and the brutality of the slave trade still resonate in current events. Queen Elizabeth II's unlikely path to the throne and the legacy she leaves behind 05:35 Updated 9:20 AM / September 18, 2022 Royal family's new roles A series of changes rippled through Britain's royal family following the death of its longtime matriarch. Elizabeth's eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, was immediately elevated to sovereign and became King Charles III. His wife, Camilla, took on the title queen consort.Among Charles' first official acts was to announce that his older son, Prince William, who is now next in line to the throne, has been granted the title Prince of Wales, the role Charles himself held for over 50 years. William's wife Catherine is now Princess of Wales — a title last held by William and Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — who gave up working as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California — did not receive new titles. But their children, 3-year-old Archie and 1-year-old Lilibet, gained the right to be known as prince and princess, as grandchildren of the monarch. Britain's royal line of succession 32 photos Updated 9:15 AM / September 18, 2022 Significance of Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, where the funeral is being held, has a long and storied history. In addition to being the site of Britain's monarchical coronations since 1066, the abbey was also a special place to the late queen herself during her 96-plus years. In 1947, at the age of 21, then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey's altar. Five years later, her coronation was held here. The flag flies at half mast at Westminster Abbey in London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images Family joy would follow with the marriage of her grandson Prince William to Kate Middleton here in 2011. Family sorrow would come, too, with the funeral of the queen's mother in 2002, and then the funeral of her husband in 2021.The last time a monarch's funeral was held in Westminster Abbey itself was 262 years ago, for King George II."This is Westminster Abbey. This is her majesty the queen. I think you can assume that you're going to see tradition in action — great, living tradition in action," said the Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle, who was appointed by the queen as the 39th Dean of Westminster Abbey, and who is tasked with leading the service. "I think the job of the abbey and the job of people like me, to some extent, is to keep stitching the story together — to say it's possible in pretty divided and volatile times to say, all this can be gathered in, reconciled, redeemed, celebrated. So, her majesty's reign, which started in the abbey, comes to an end in the abbey. It's a bit more of stitching the story together."Read more here.
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23m ago Queen's coffin taken out of abbey for procession to Hyde Park The pallbearers raised Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from the catafalque in the center of Westminster Abbey and began processing with it through the center aisle of the great nave, to bring it outside and place it back on the State Gun Carriage. Members of the Royal family follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her State Funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Frank Augstein/AP The coffin will be followed in procession on the carriage by King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, along with other members of the family. The entire procession was to take about 45 minutes to reach Wellington Arch, at Hyde Park Corner.From there, the queen's coffin was to be placed in a hearse for the drive west from central London to Windsor, where the queen will be laid to rest in her family chapel next to her late husband Prince Philip. Britain's King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princess Anne, and her husband Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince William, and Kate, Princess of Wales with their children Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Frank Augstein/AP 44m ago A commendation, a blessing, trumpets and a silence for the queen. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave the commendation over the queen's coffin as the funeral service neared its end on Monday. The commendation, essentially a prayer for the late queen to be welcomed into heaven, included the traditional line: "Go forth, O Christian soul, from this world," which is often included in funeral services.The commendation was followed by a new song composed specifically for the service, the words for which were taken from Romans 8 in the Bible, which includes the line, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, is placed in Westminster Abbey in central London, for the funeral service, September 19, 2022. Ben Stansall/AP The dean of the abbey then delivered a blessing, and asked those in the ancient church to remain standing for the "Last Post," a trumpet peel by the royal Household Cavalry.Finally, all fell silent. A two-minute national silence was held at 11:55 a.m. local time, or 6:55 a.m. Eastern, to honor the queen. 6:43 AM Unseen portrait of Queen Elizabeth II released on the eve of her funeral A never-before-seen portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was released by the royal family on the eve of the late monarch's state funeral, for which thousands flocked to the British capital, London, on Monday.The photo was taken to mark the queen's Platinum Jubilee, the celebration of her 70 years on the throne, the royal family said. Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to ever reach that milestone, which she celebrated three months before her death. Ahead of Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral, a new photograph has been released.The photo was taken to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee - the first British Monarch to reach this milestone.Tomorrow, millions will come together to commemorate her remarkable life. pic.twitter.com/UyVfjVvJgw— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 18, 2022 The photo was taken by photographer Ranald Mackechnie, who also took the commemoration photo for her Platinum Jubilee. 6:25 AM British Commonwealth official gives first reading as funeral begins As the queen's coffin entered the abbey, the Choir of Westminster Abbey sang The Sentences, a song which has been used since the mid-1500s, according to Buckingham Palace, including at every state funeral since the early 18th century.The "First Lesson" was then read by Baroness Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, in tribute to the late monarch's life "of dedication and service to the family of nations," the palace said. The queen's death and passage of the throne to her son King Charles III comes at a time when several members of that "family of nations" are fiercely debating their future within it, with referendums planned in a couple Caribbean countries in particular on becoming fully independent republics. Queen Elizabeth II's death revives criticism of the monarchy's colonial past and role in the slave trade 05:10 6:08 AM Prince George and Princess Charlotte processing behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II The queen's great grandchildren, nine-year-old Prince Goerge and seven-year-old Princess Charlotte, will participate in the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, according to the order of service provided by Buckingham Palace. The children of William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, joined the funeral procession along with other members of the royal family as their grandmother's coffin entered Westminster Abbey. Britain's King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Kate, Princess of Wales, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, in London, September 19, 2022. Phil Noble/Pool/AP Their younger brother, four-year-old Prince Louis, did not join in the procession, nor did the children of William's brother Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 5:47 AM Royal family members processing with queen's coffin to Westminster Abbey Members of Britain's royal family, led by King Charles III, have begun the solemn procession with the late Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from Westminster Hall, where she lied in state for four days, to Westminster Abbey, where her funeral will take place. Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is seen atop the State Gun Carriage outside Westminster Hall, flanked by members of the U.K. Royal Navy, with senior members of the royal family behind the coffin, ahead of the late monarch's state funeral on September 19, 2022, in London, England. CBS News The king and his sons, William the Prince of Wales, and Harry the Duke of Sussex, and other family members followed the queen's coffin out of Westminster Hall and watched as it was placed on the ceremonial State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. The same carriage was used for the funerals of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, and Winston Churchill. Prince William and Prince Harry follow a gun carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during her funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London, September 19, 2022. Emilio Morenatti/AP The short route between the hall and the abbey was lined by members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.The queen's coffin was to be taken off the gun carriage and carried into the abbey for the funeral service just before 11 a.m. local time, or 6 a.m. Eastern. 5:43 AM U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived at London's Westminster Hall on Monday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. Biden is one of a number of heads of state who is attending the funeral, along with members of other royal families and dignitaries from around the world. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among dozens of other world leaders attending the funeral. U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill arrive at Westminster Abbey before the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried inside for her funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Bernat Armangue/AP 5:26 AM U.K. Air Force member was last member of public to file past queen's coffin A British Royal Air Force service member was the last member of the public to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at the U.K. Parliament's Westminster Hall on Monday. Chrissy Heerey was at the very end of the behemoth, five-mile-long line that quickly became known simply as "The Queue."She got the last spot after joining the line for a second time early Monday, having already filed past the queen's sealed coffin on Sunday evening.The public viewing period ended just before 6:30 a.m. in London, or about 1:30 a.m. Eastern on Monday. Heerey was the last of the hundreds of thousands of people who waited for hours, sometimes a full day or and night, to pay their respects. Christina (Chrissy) Heerey, the last member of the public to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state, walks through Westminster Hall in London, England on September 19, 2022. Lorena Sopena/Anadolu Agency/Getty "I was the last person to pay my respects to the queen and it felt like a real privilege to do that," Heerey told Britain's PA news agency. "I'd already been round once, I went in at 1:15 this morning… It's one of the highlights of my life, and I feel very privileged to be here.""The Queue" officially opened at 5 p.m. (noon Eastern) on Wednesday. The well-planned and orchestrated process was expected to allow some 750,000 people snake their way along the Thames River for four days, around the clock, to file past the queen's coffin. 1:59 AM Queen's lying-in-state ends ahead of her funeral A day packed with funeral events in London and Windsor began early on Monday when the doors of 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had filed in front of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin since Sept. 14. Many had spent cold nights on line outdoors to pay their respects at the foot of the flag-draped coffin in a moving outpouring of national grief. The closing of the hall marked the end of four full days of the coffin lying in state. Monday has been declared a public holiday in honor of Elizabeth. Her funeral will be broadcast live to over 200 countries and territories worldwide and screened to crowds in parks and public spaces across the country. Police officers from around the country will be on duty as part of the biggest one-day policing operation in London's history. Updated 9:30 AM / September 18, 2022 The extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth II Born in 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was not originally destined to be queen. But that changed in 1936, when she was 10 years old, because her uncle Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, and Elizabeth's father, George VI, took his place.Princess Elizabeth rapidly became a public favorite. During World War II, she not only worked to raise the country's morale, appealing to her fellow Britons on public radio to "make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place," she also served as a volunteer in the war effort, training as a mechanic in the women's auxiliary service. Queen Elizabeth II through the years 76 photos Her marriage to Philip Mountbatten in 1947 give a war-weary country something to celebrate. Their children — Charles, then Anne, Andrew and Edward — re-established the royal line. Her marriage to Philip lasted 73 years, until his death on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99.Elizabeth was just 25 years old when she inherited the throne in February 1952, following the death of her father, George VI. Her coronation in June of the following year was the first ever to be televised. Duty was the royal family's ethos under Elizabeth's reign."I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service," she once told the nation. It was a promise she kept longer than any other British monarch in history, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — just months before her passing. Queen Elizabeth honored with grand procession through London 03:58 Her reign, however, was not without controversy. Some protesters question the value of monarchical traditions in modern times and the concentration of inherited wealth in the family's hands. In lands once ruled by the British Empire, a painful history of subjugation and the brutality of the slave trade still resonate in current events. Queen Elizabeth II's unlikely path to the throne and the legacy she leaves behind 05:35 Updated 9:20 AM / September 18, 2022 Royal family's new roles A series of changes rippled through Britain's royal family following the death of its longtime matriarch. Elizabeth's eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, was immediately elevated to sovereign and became King Charles III. His wife, Camilla, took on the title queen consort.Among Charles' first official acts was to announce that his older son, Prince William, who is now next in line to the throne, has been granted the title Prince of Wales, the role Charles himself held for over 50 years. William's wife Catherine is now Princess of Wales — a title last held by William and Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — who gave up working as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California — did not receive new titles. But their children, 3-year-old Archie and 1-year-old Lilibet, gained the right to be known as prince and princess, as grandchildren of the monarch. Britain's royal line of succession 32 photos Updated 9:15 AM / September 18, 2022 Significance of Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, where the funeral is being held, has a long and storied history. In addition to being the site of Britain's monarchical coronations since 1066, the abbey was also a special place to the late queen herself during her 96-plus years. In 1947, at the age of 21, then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey's altar. Five years later, her coronation was held here. The flag flies at half mast at Westminster Abbey in London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images Family joy would follow with the marriage of her grandson Prince William to Kate Middleton here in 2011. Family sorrow would come, too, with the funeral of the queen's mother in 2002, and then the funeral of her husband in 2021.The last time a monarch's funeral was held in Westminster Abbey itself was 262 years ago, for King George II."This is Westminster Abbey. This is her majesty the queen. I think you can assume that you're going to see tradition in action — great, living tradition in action," said the Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle, who was appointed by the queen as the 39th Dean of Westminster Abbey, and who is tasked with leading the service. "I think the job of the abbey and the job of people like me, to some extent, is to keep stitching the story together — to say it's possible in pretty divided and volatile times to say, all this can be gathered in, reconciled, redeemed, celebrated. So, her majesty's reign, which started in the abbey, comes to an end in the abbey. It's a bit more of stitching the story together."Read more here.
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King Charles delivered the King's Speech as part of the State Opening of Parliament on 7 November 2023.
It was his first King's Speech since becoming monarch, although he gave the Queen's Speech on behalf of his mother in May 2022.
What is the King's Speech?
The King's Speech provides the government with an opportunity to outline its priorities for the months ahead.
Formally called the Speech from the Throne, it is a key part of the State Opening of Parliament ceremony, which marks the start of the parliamentary year.
The next session of Parliament is likely to be the last before the general election, which must take place by January 2025.
Who writes the King's Speech?
The speech is written by the government.
Its length depends on the number of proposed laws and other announcements - such as foreign-policy objectives - but it normally lasts about 10 minutes.
The monarch delivers the speech in a neutral tone, to avoid any appearance of political support.
What happens during the speech?
Traditionally, the State Opening begins with a procession in which the King travels from Buckingham Palace to Westminster by carriage.
On arrival, he uses the Sovereign's Entrance, reserved for the monarch.
The King then processes to the throne in the House of Lords.
MPs are summoned to the Lords by Black Rod, an official position currently held by Sarah Clarke.
Before entering the House of Commons, Black Rod has the door shut in their face, symbolising the chamber's independence from the monarchy.
The speech sets out the laws the government wants to get through Parliament in the coming year.
MPs, peers and other dignitaries in the House of Lords generally listen in silence.
Traditionally, the government MP holding the position of vice-chamberlain of the household - currently Jo Churchill - is "held hostage" in Buckingham Palace while the King is in Parliament, to ensure the monarch's safe return.
What was in the 2023 King's Speech?
The speech outlined 21 laws that ministers intend to pass in the next session of Parliament.
Around a third have been carried over from the previous session, or previously published in some form.
They include plans to boost investment in transport, laws to stop people smoking, and tougher sentences for serious offenders.
Is there a vote on the King's Speech?
Yes.
About two hours after the speech is delivered, MPs reassemble in the House of Commons to begin debating its contents.
After introductory speeches by two MPs, the prime minister will "sell" the speech to the Commons, setting out a vision for the country.
The leader of the opposition then gets the chance to respond, before other MPs are allowed to contribute.
The debate on what is known as "the Humble Address" normally lasts about five days.
At the end of the debate there is a vote. It's normally seen as symbolic, as it is extremely rare for a government to lose it.
In fact, the last time a government lost the vote was in January 1924, under Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.
Mr Baldwin proceeded with a King's Speech - George V was the monarch at the time - despite having lost his majority in the previous month's general election.
He was forced to resign, and Labour formed a short-lived government in his place.
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This is the poignant moment that Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as staff members stood by its gates with their hands clasped and heads bowed.Preceded by members of the armed forces, the late monarch's coffin was taken clockwise around the Victoria Memorial on a gun carriage drawn by naval ratings as it travelled towards Wellington Arch.Staff members from Buckingham Palace said their final goodbyes as the coffin moved by along with senior royals including King Charles III, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew.Moments earlier the crowd along The Mall had broken into applause and cheers after the Queen's coffin passed them and circled round the memorial outside the palace in Central London.Members of the royal family who were marching behind remained expressionless, while other royals including Kate Middleton looked on at the crowds as they passed them in vehicles.The Queen's coffin had been taken to Buckingham Palace last Tuesday after being flown to RAF Northolt from Edinburgh, and it was then transported to Westminster Hall the following day where it had remained until today. The Queen's coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II borne on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy proceeds past Buckingham Palace today The Queen's coffin travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as her state funeral is held in the capital Buckingham Palace staff stand outside its gates ahead of the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II today The Queen's coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today The Queen's coffin travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as her state funeral is held in the capital Prince William, left, and Prince Harry, right, walk behind the Queen's coffin as it is pulled past Buckingham Palace today The Queen's coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time todayToday, once the procession had reached Buckingham Palace again, members of staff at the palace bowed and curtsied both at the coffin and royal family members as they made their way past.Tens of thousands of mourners lined the ceremonial procession route from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, where the Queen's coffin left for her Berkshire home of Windsor Castle and a committal service.Her coffin was borne on a gun carriage in a spectacle not seen for many generations, as hundreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen marched to solemn funeral pieces or lined the route.The Queen's coffin was flanked by people she had known well, her equerries, drawn from the military to organisers of her diary, and soldiers from the Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards - soldiers she personally commanded.Behind her coffin were Charles and his siblings - the Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex - who were followed by the monarch's three grandsons, Peter Phillips, Duke of Sussex and Prince of Wales.The royal women travelled behind in state limousines with the Princess of Wales and her children George and Charlotte with the Queen Consort and the Duchess of Sussex travelling with the Countess of Wessex. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey today The Queen's coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington Arch The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled towards Buckingham Palace on The Mall today following her funeral service Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II this morning The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled towards Buckingham Palace on The Mall today following her funeral serviceIn the shadow of Apsley House, the former home of the Duke of Wellington, the sailors who had drawn the carriage carrying the Queen's coffin came to a halt, and then the bearer party from the Queen's Company carried it to the waiting state hearse which bean the journey to Windsor.Around 2,000 people attended the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey, including members of royal families from across Europe, politicians from all sides of the political spectrum and world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.George and Charlotte joined the procession behind the coffin when it was carried through the Abbey and the Kate was seen putting a comforting hand on her son's knee towards the end of service.The state funeral clearly had an effect on royal family with the Countess of Wessex dabbing her eyes and the Queen's granddaughter Princess Beatrice seen crying.Among the hymns sung at the service was The Lord's My Shepherd, I'll Not Want, also sung at the Queen's wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in the Abbey in 1947. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled towards Buckingham Palace on The Mall today following her funeral service The Queen's coffin with the Imperial State Crown resting on top travels past Buckingham Palace for the final time today The Queen's coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington Arch The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey today Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects outside the royal residence during the coffin procession today The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is pulled past Buckingham Palace following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey today The Queen's coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington Arch Buckingham Palace household staff return through the gates of Buckingham Palace after paying their respects today The Queen's coffin is taken past Buckingham Palace for the final time today as it travels towards Wellington ArchThe other hymns were The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended; and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.As the Abbey fell silent, the Queen's Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, played the traditional lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep. Also played were The Last Post, Reveille and the national anthem.The Queen's coffin was draped in the Royal Standard, with the wreath of flowers requested by the King.Cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House, the flowers and foliage were chosen for their symbolism.They include rosemary, for remembrance, and myrtle cut from a plant which was grown from a sprig of myrtle in the Queen's wedding bouquet. Myrtle is an ancient symbol of a happy marriage.The funeral was broadcast live at around 125 cinemas and several cathedrals in the UK, and on a big screen in Holyrood Park in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
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The Queen's final journey is under way as the late monarch's coffin is carried by gun carriage to her funeral service at Westminster Abbey.The coffin is being pulled along by the Royal Navy to the service.The King is leading the Royal Family in procession behind the carriage.Tens of thousands of people have travelled to London and Windsor for the funeral and burial service, which is being watched on television by millions around the world.Follow live updates from Queen Elizabeth II's funeral The Queen, Britain's longest reigning monarch, is being laid to rest today next to her beloved husband, Prince Philip.Some 2,000 people - including heads of state, prime ministers, presidents, and members of European royal families - have gathered for the funeral at the abbey, where the first guests began to take their seats from 8am.Shortly after 10.35am, the coffin left Westminster Hall where the final members of the public queued overnight to see the Queen lying in state.The coffin was lifted and carried in procession to the state gun carriage of the Royal Navy positioned outside the north door. Image: Mourners gather in Westminster Abbey. Pic: AP A grand military procession to Westminster Abbey involves a total of about 6,000 representatives from all three armed forces, with 98 Royal Navy sailors towing the 123-year-old gun carriage.Senior members of the Royal Family are walking in procession behind the Queen's coffin, which will be carried through the Gothic church by the military bearer party.At the Abbey, the King and the Queen Consort will walk immediately behind the coffin, followed by the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.George and Charlotte will walk with their parents in a side-by-side in formation, followed by their uncle and aunt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other members of the Royal Family.Read more:Order of service for Queen's state funeralThe history and significance of Queen's final resting placeBefore the service, conducted by Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev David Hoyle, the tenor bell is being tolled every minute for 96 minutes, reflecting the years of the Queen's life.All public viewing areas for the funeral procession were full nearly two hours before the start of the service, London's City Hall said. Image: Thousands of people have gathered to witness the coffin's procession in central London However, thousands of mourners were set to miss the Queen's funeral due to rail disruption on Monday morning.All lines between Paddington in west London and Reading in Berkshire were blocked because of damage to overhead electric wires, Network Rail said.The day marks the climax of what is being regarded as the biggest security operation the UK has ever seen, surpassing the operation for the Platinum Jubilee weekend and the London 2012 Olympics, which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty per day.The Queen died on Thursday 8 September at the age of 96, bringing an end to the monarch's 70-year reign and triggering a period of national mourning.The Royal Family will remain in mourning until 26 September, seven days after the funeral.
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The first state visits of the reign of King Charles are going to be to France and Germany, Buckingham Palace has announced.
King Charles and Camilla the Queen Consort will travel to the countries on a visit from 26 to 31 March.
President Macron of France will host a state banquet for the royal couple at the Palace of Versailles.
In Germany, the King will be the first British sovereign to address the Bundestag, the German parliament.
The royal couple will also visit memorials to Allied bombing in Hamburg and to young Jewish refugees who fled the Nazis.
Buckingham Palace says the trips will "celebrate Britain's relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values".
As head of state, the King's official visits are decided on government advice - and these symbolic first overseas destinations will be seen as helping to build stronger relations with European neighbours.
In France, the King and Queen Consort will process along the Champs Elysee in Paris, before meeting President Macron at the Elysee Palace.
King Charles will address senators and members of the French National Assembly, the first such speech by a member of the British royal family in the French parliamentary chamber.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, with Mrs Macron, will open a Manet and Degas art exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay art gallery.
The state visit will also include Bordeaux, where the royal couple will tour an organic vineyard, which uses solar energy and a sustainable approach to wine making. Make-up is produced as a by-product of making the wine.
In Germany, the King and Queen Consort will visit Berlin and Hamburg. In Hamburg, they will go to the St. Nikolai Memorial, the remains of a church destroyed by Allied bombing during the Second World War.
Wreaths will be laid at an event of remembrance and reconciliation, marking the 80th anniversary of bombing raids on the German port city.
They will also lay flowers at a memorial to the Kindertransport children who were Jewish refugees from the Nazis.
In Germany, there will be a ceremonial welcome from President Steinmeier at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, which is believed to be the first time that symbolic venue has been used for the start of a state visit.
The King will meet refugees from the conflict in Ukraine and will hear about the support provided for them when they arrive in Germany.
The last UK state visit to Germany was carried out in 2015 by Queen Elizabeth II, and she visited France in 2014.
As Prince of Wales, Charles paid 34 official visits to France and 28 to Germany.
The visits will take place in the run up to the King's coronation, to be held in Westminster Abbey on 6 May.
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In biggest deployment in 7 decades, 6000 British military staff to take part in King Charles III’s coronation
The British Ministry of Defence said thousands of soldiers, sailors and aviators will escort the King and Camilla, the queen consort, between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey on their way to and from the May 6 ceremony
A mammoth total of 6,000 British military personnel will take part in the coronation of King Charles III, the United Kingdom forces’ biggest ceremonial deployment in seven decades, the British government said.
The British Ministry of Defence said thousands of soldiers, sailors and aviators will escort the King and Camilla, the queen consort, between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey on their way to and from the May 6 ceremony.
Gun salutes will ring out from British warships and army bases across the country, and later military aircraft — from World War II Spitfires to modern fighter jets — will perform a flypast over the palace.
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Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it would be “a spectacular and fitting tribute” to the monarch, who is also commander-in-chief of the UK armed forces.
Admiral Tony Radakin, chief of the defence staff, said the military side of the coronation “reflects centuries of tradition, but is indicative of the integral role the armed forces play in modern Britain and the extraordinary ways we support the nation, whether deterring aggression and maintaining stability worldwide or strengthening our domestic resilience and prosperity.”
Hundreds of troops from 35 Commonwealth countries will also play roles in the ceremonies for Britain’s first coronation since that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
Charles, who became king when his mother died in September, will be formally crowned alongside Camilla in the 1,000-year-old abbey after traveling in a gilded horse-drawn coach from Buckingham Palace.
Royalty and dignitaries from around the world have been invited to the coronation, alongside senior British royals including heir to the throne Prince William and his family. Charles’ younger son, Prince Harry, who quit royal duties in 2020, will travel from California to attend — but his wife, Meghan, and their two young children will not participate in the coronation.
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The secrets of the British Royal family just don’t stop pouring out. Did you know that Prince William was paid a “very large sum of money” by Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper business to settle a phone-hacking claim, the High Court has heard?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are "breaking apart and leading separate lives" according to a royal commentator.
According to Page Six, a source close to Meghan has revealed she "wants her children to know their grandfather," King Charles. The insider revealed this is especially the case as they won't know their grandfather from their mother's side, her long-estranged dad Thomas Markle.
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Princess Anne finally revealed her official role at the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The royal couple is set to take center stage on Saturday’s historic event which will see His Majesty formally crowned following his ascension to the throne in September.
Speaking to CBC News, The Princess Royal shared that she will be the Gold-Stick-in-Waiting at her brother’s coronation — a role entrusted with the monarch’s personal safety on the big day.
“I have a role as the Colonel of the Blues and Royals in the Household Cavalry regiment as Gold Stick [in Waiting]. And Gold Stick was the original close protection officer,” she told the outlet.
“So that is a role I was asked if I’d like to do for this coronation, so I said yes. Not least of all, it solves my dress problem.”
The princess will ride on horseback behind Charles and Camilla’s carriage following the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
She will then lead 6,000 armed services personnel through the streets of London in what is called the Coronation Procession.
When asked if she can share any specific details, the King’s sister remained somewhat tight-lipped.
“No, I’m waiting to be told. I haven’t asked too many questions,” she quipped.
The Gold-Stick-in-Waiting role dates back to the 15th century and would see the monarch protected by two rods made of gold and silver.
Elsewhere, Anne spoke about her how brother is adjusting to being King following the death of their mother, Queen Elizabeth II — Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
“Well, you know what you’re getting because he’s been practicing for a bit, and I don’t think he’ll change,” she shared.
“You know, he is committed to his own level of service, and that will remain true.”
And when it comes to other senior members of the royal family, the princess said they are still yet to see how their respective roles will change during Charles’s reign.
“For the rest of us, it’s more a question of, we have to shift the way we support, and that’s what we need to do,” she explained.
“There was an order to the years, because my mother didn’t change very much. We knew what the rhythm of the year was, so things like that will change.”
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The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II Queen Elizabeth II’s hearse has arrived at Windsor Castle, where a committal service will take place at St. George’s Chapel shortly. Her state funeral took place earlier this morning in London, where her son and heir King Charles III was joined by the rest of the royal family and leaders from across the world for the service. Read the Order of Service. The Queen — Britain’s longest-reigning monarch whose rule spanned seven decades — died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96, prompting an outpouring of grief across the UK and around the world. The committal service for Queen Elizabeth II will take place at St. George’s Chapel, within the walls of Windsor Castle. Construction of the chapel begun under King Edward IV in 1475 and was completed just over 50 years later by King Henry VIII. The chapel is a Royal Peculiar – meaning a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch. The chapel is governed by the Dean and Canons of Windsor who – along with their officers and staff – are independent of the royal household. It has been the location of many royal weddings, including the Earl and Countess of Wessex in June 1999, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018 and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in October 2018. Back in 2005, it was also where a service of dedication and prayer took place following the marriage of King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort. Funerals have also taken place there including those of Princess Margaret and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. The funeral service for the Duke of Edinburgh was held at the chapel last April. The Queen’s coffin is being carried into St. George’s Chapel after completing its final journey up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle. An intimate committal service, which was due to begin at 4 p.m. (11 a.m.) but has run slightly late, will get underway shortly. As the funeral procession arrived at Windsor Castle, it approached the bottom of the West Steps of St. George’s Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister, where it was joined by members of the Queen’s family. The bearer party will lift the coffin from the state hearse soon, from where it will be carried in procession up the West Steps. The Queen’s favorite horse Emma and two of her corgis were seen as the procession passed through the castle. (Glyn Kirk/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Two of the Queen’s beloved corgis are waiting for the arrival of Elizabeth II’s coffin. Throughout her life, the monarch was regularly photographed with one of her many Welsh corgis at her feet. The Queen’s passion for corgis dated back to her childhood, when she fell in love with her father King George VI’s dog, Dookie. In 1944, on her 18th birthday, she was given a Pembroke Welsh corgi puppy named Susan. Such was her attachment to Susan, she reportedly took her on her honeymoon in 1947. Susan died in January 1959. Her surviving corgis will now live with the Duke and Duchess of York, Andrew and Sarah, a source close to the Duke of York told CNN last week. Around 1,000 volunteers and staff from first-aid charity St John Ambulance are working in London and Windsor on Monday to keep crowds safe, according to the charity. “On Sunday, our teams looked after 386 members of the public,” the charity added in a tweet. “Thank you to all the amazing St John people.” Following the funeral service at London’s Westminster Abbey earlier, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin has now arrived in Windsor. Mourners there spoke to CNN about why they decided to come and pay their final tributes. “To come and see the Queen have her last resting place here is something that is really fundamentally important to me, and the family, and all of us,” one woman said. “I just think I owed it to her as a member of the American forces and living here for so long to pay our respects. I mean, she was Britain’s greatest ambassador,” explained one male well-wisher. Another mourner told CNN that for him, the Queen has been “a constant” in his life since birth. (Alberto Pezzali/AP) Catherine, the Princess of Wales, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Princess Charlotte, all paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II through their symbolic jewelry choices on Monday. The brooch that Princess Charlotte wore to the state funeral service was a gift from her great-grandmother, Kensington Palace told CNN. The diamond brooch was small and horseshoe-shaped. Her mother, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, also honored the late Queen through her pearl necklace and earrings, which is the same set she wore to the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. (Phil Harris/WPA Pool/Getty Images) The jewelry set once belonged to the Queen, who is believed to have loaned the necklace and earrings to Kate for the first time in 2017. The Princess of Wales was pictured wearing the necklace to the Queen’s 70th wedding anniversary dinner. The Japanese choker necklace has four rows of pearls and a curved central diamond clasp. Meanwhile, the drop pearl earrings are from Bahrain. Pearls are traditionally worn as mourning jewelry — partly due to their colorless, unflashy appearance — in a tradition that was cemented during the reign of Queen Victoria. Princess Diana also previously wore the set during a state visit from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1982, and the Queen herself was pictured wearing the necklace and earrings in Bangladesh in 1983, according to the Palace. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wore understated pearl stud earrings that were also a gift from the Queen, according to a spokesperson for the Sussexes. (Alberto Pezzali/AP) Meanwhile, Camilla, the Queen Consort, wore a gold necklace and sapphire stone and diamond stud earrings to the service. She also wore Queen Victoria’s Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch, which is in the shape of an open heart and features two blue sapphire pendants. (Molly Darlington/Pool/Reuters) The Queen’s hearse, draped in flowers and surrounded by marching guards, has turned onto the Long Walk leading to Windsor Castle. The procession is slowly moving along that stretch now, met with huge crowds that have waited hours to bid farewell. The picturesque avenue running from Windsor Castle to Windsor Great Park was earlier declared to be at capacity with spectators, according to a public announcement system. A detachment of the Grenadier Guards are seen at Windsor Castle on Monday. (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) The second service of the day will be a more intimate occasion than the one in London earlier and will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, who will deliver the Bidding. Prayers will be said by the Rector of Sandringham, the Minister of Crathie Kirk, where the family worship when they are in residence at Balmoral, and the Chaplain of the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park. The royal family will gather along with a congregation made up of members of the Royal Household, past and present, as well as personal staff who have worked on the private estates. Some of the musical selections for the committal service were composed by William Henry Harris, a former organist of St. George’s between 1933 and 1961. It is thought that the Queen was taught to play piano by Harris when she was a young princess, according to the palace. The service will also feature several nods to the Queen’s family, with the choir singing “The Russian Contakion of the Departed,” which was also sung during Prince Philip’s funeral at St. George’s last April. Meanwhile, the Dean will read Revelation 21, verses 1-7, which were read at the funerals of the Queen’s grandparents King George V and Queen Mary in 1936 and 1953. They were also read at the Queen’s father’s funeral in 1952. As the committal service draws to a close, the Queen’s coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault, set beneath St. George’s, as the Dean reads Psalm 103, which concludes with the words, “Go forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul.” The Garter King of Arms will then proclaim the Queen’s styles and titles before her piper plays for her one last time. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin has arrived in Windsor, having made the journey on the state hearse from London. The hearse will join a procession up the Long Walk to Windsor Castle. It will be joined by King Charles III and other members of the royal family before moving to St. George’s Chapel for the committal service. Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady who attended the Queen’s funeral on Monday, thanked the late monarch for her “important signal of support” to the country. “She wished us better times and shared our desire for freedom,” Zelenska wrote on Twitter. “We will always remember it with deep gratitude.” Zelenska attended the service while her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, continues to oversee Ukraine’s response to Russia’s invasion. Russian representatives were not invited to Monday’s funeral. The first lady met with Catherine, Princess of Wales at Buckingham Palace over the weekend. The Long Walk, a picturesque avenue running from Windsor Castle to Windsor Great Park, is now filled to capacity with spectators, a public announcement system has told visitors. “Unfortunately, the Long Walk is now full. You will be directed to Home Park, where there is a large screen to watch the Windsor procession and communal service,” the public announcement system told prospective visitors. Crowds have gathered along the procession route to see the Queen’s hearse passing by as as it travels to Windsor for her burial. The Queen’s funeral inspired a mix of emotions in crowds waiting to see the procession. Mourners were seen crying, singing the British national anthem, observing silence and throwing flowers at the Queen’s hearse. Take a look at some pictures from Monday. A woman is embraced as the State Gun Carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth passes by during the Ceremonial Procession following her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday. (Mike Egerton/Pool Photo via AP) People watch as the Queen's coffin is transported from London to Windsor. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) Mourners pay their respects as the procession passes by. (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) People take pictures of the coffin of the Queen being pulled past Buckingham Palace. (Christophe Ena/Pool/AP) Royal household staff pay their respects outside Buckingham Palace. (Carl Court/Pool via AP) A person throws a flower towards the Queen's hearse in west London. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) The Paris Metro is paying tribute to the Queen by renaming the George V station “Elizabeth II” for today, according to a tweet from the RATP Group, which is the public transit authority. Signs in the station, which was named after the queen’s grandfather, were replaced on Monday out of respect for the late British monarch. (James Manning/Pool via Reuters) Princess Anne, one of Elizabeth II’s four children, is now following the Queen’s hearse to Windsor in a car. Anne is the only child to accompany every leg of the Queen’s final journey from Balmoral Castle in Scotland since the monarch’s death on September 8. The journey of the Queen’s hearse to Windsor is now underway along the crowd-lined streets of central London. Some onlookers have thrown flowers towards the vehicle as it passes. Many are standing in silence, while others can be heard cheering for Elizabeth II one last time. The hearse will travel along main roads rather than motorways, presumably to give more people a chance to glimpse the coffin. The route has been closed for the procession. The Queen’s coffin has been carried into the state hearse, and it will now be driven in procession through west London and to Windsor for her burial. Watch the moment here: (David Ramos/Getty Images) The royal cortege has now arrived at Wellington Arch. Here, the parade will perform a royal salute and the British national anthem will be played before the hearse departs for Windsor and the Queen’s burial. Once it has left, the King and Queen Consort, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family will leave by car. After the procession leaves, the bells at Westminster will ring fully muffled for the afternoon – a convention that only happens following the funeral of a sovereign. The muffled bongs are achieved by attaching leather patches that dull the sound of each bell, called muffles – a centuries-old tradition. Watch the moment here: (Jason Cairnduff/Reuters) As the Queen’s lengthy funeral procession snakes towards Wellington Arch, minute guns have been fired from London’s Hyde Park. (Andrew Boyers/Reuters) Onlookers lining the Mall are watching as the Queen’s lengthy and impressive funeral procession makes its way towards Wellington Arch. The procession features a vast display of British and Commonwealth forces. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin, followed by her family, have already turned around the Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace and are approaching Wellington Arch. There, the coffin will be moved to the state hearse and driven to Windsor for the burial. Hundreds of people gathered outside Belfast City Hall in Northern Ireland on Monday to watch the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on big screens. Some mourners sat on blankets or folding chairs while others stood on the grass outside the civic building in the Northern Irish capital as they watched the service. Military veterans wearing medals and children playing made up the diverse crowd, according to UK’s PA Media news agency, with a solemn silence as the service drew to its end and God Save the King was played. The Books of Condolence at Belfast City Hall will remain open until 8 p.m. local time [3 p.m. ET] on Monday evening, according to Belfast City Council. Members of the public have also been leaving floral tributes in the Garden of Remembrance. (Hafsa Khalil/CNN) Standing by the Mall in central London, where the procession with the Queen’s coffin will pass by on its way to Windsor, Jan Gard, 68, said the funeral service had brought up a flurry of emotions for her. First, there was sadness over the Queen’s death, and then the poignant symbolism of the funeral crowd singing the British national anthem ‘God Save the King,’ as Charles III has become the new monarch. The service “was beautiful because she (the Queen) was Christian and she served God and her people,” Gard said. She added that when she saw the Queen’s coffin on the livestream, “it really hit me. I was born the year of her coronation and so it means something to me.” (John Sibley/Reuters) The Queen’s coffin has set off for Wellington Arch, where it will be transferred to the state hearse and driven to Windsor for a committal service at St. George’s Chapel this afternoon. The route from Westminster Abbey is lined by the Armed Forces all the way to the top of Constitution Hill. The procession is being led by Mounties of Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and followed by representatives of the George Cross foundations from Malta, the former Royal Ulster Constabulary, as well as representatives from the United Kingdom’s National Health Service – including May Parsons, the nurse who administered the first Covid-19 vaccine. Detachments from the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth are also in the procession, followed by detachments of the British Armed Forces who hold the privilege of a special relationship with the Queen, including mounted elements of the Household Cavalry. (Hannah McKay/Pool/Reuters) King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, are leading the royal family on a somber walk behind the Queen’s coffin. Many guests at the funeral stooped their heads as the family passed. The coffin has now left the Abbey and will move towards London’s Wellington Arch. Outside, troops in formation salute the procession. (Phil Noble/Pool/Reuters) The card placed on top of the Queen’s coffin, alongside the flowers, reads: “In loving and devoted memory. Charles R.” (Jack Hill/Pool via Reuters) The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II has concluded and the late monarch’s coffin is now being carried out of Westminster Abbey. It will proceed through London to Wellington Arch, from where the Queen will make her final journey, towards Windsor, to be buried. The Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, is playing the traditional piece “Sleep, dearie, sleep” inside Westminster Abbey. The Queen’s coffin will soon be carried out of the abbey. The British national anthem, “God Save the King,” has been sung inside Westminster Abbey to bring the Queen’s funeral to a close. Outside the abbey, applause broke out on the Mall – the road which links Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square – after the national anthem ended. Some people were seen climbing on bollards there to get a better view of the road. (Marko Djurica/Pool/Reuters) A two-minute silence in honor of the Queen has begun at Westminster Abbey and across the country. It follows a rendition of “The Last Post,” a short fanfare played at remembrance services and military funerals. The crowds outside Westminster Abbey have paused to stand in silence, alongside mourners inside the building. The Dean is pronouncing the blessing, as Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral service draws towards a close. “God grant to the living grace; to the departed rest; to the Church, The King, the Commonwealth, and all people, peace and concord, and to us sinners, life everlasting; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen,” he read. The choir and congregation is now singing the third hymn – Love divine, all loves excelling – which is a Welsh tune, and was also performed in 2011 the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey. The arrangement is by James O’Donnell, a former organist at the abbey. An anthem – composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 – is being sung by the choir. It follows a number of prayers that were read in honor of the late monarch. The choir sings: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Alleluia! Amen. (Gareth Fuller/Pool Photo via AP) The Queen was consulted on the Order of Service for her funeral over many years, according to Buckingham Palace. The Dean of Westminster prepared the Order of Service in conjunction with Lambeth Palace, which is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The King’s Master of Music, Judith Weir, composed a new piece of choral music for the state funeral service, called ‘Like as the Hart,’ according to Buckingham Palace. It is being sung by the Choirs of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace. The second hymn “The Lord’s my Shepherd” was sung to the Crimond tune. The tune hails back to a parish in Aberdeenshire, not far from Balmoral Castle in Scotland where the Queen died. The hymn was also sung at the Queen’s wedding to Prince Philip, and according to Buckingham Palace, the young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret summoned the Master of Choristers to the Palace in the lead-up to the day, so that they could sing him the descant that would be used. The same descant was sung at the state funeral, Buckingham Palace said. Queen Elizabeth’s broadcast during the Covid-19 lockdowns ended with “We will meet again,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby reminded mourners as he wrapped up his sermon in Westminster Abbey. “We will all face the merciful judgement of God. We can all share the Queen’s hope which in life and death inspired her servant leadership,” he said. “Service in life, hope in death; all who follow the Queen’s example and inspiration of trust and faith in God can with her say: ‘we will meet again.’” That concluded Welby’s sermon. (Ben Stansall/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) “In 1953 the Queen began her coronation in silent prayer just there, at the high altar,” the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in his sermon at Westminster Abbey. “Her allegiance to God was given before any person gave allegiance to her,” he continued. “Her service to so many people in this nation, the Commonwealth and the world had its foundation in her following Christ.” “In all cases, those who serve will be loved and remembered, when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten,” Welby continued. “The grief of this day, felt not only by the late Queen’s family but all round the nation, the Commonwealth and the world, arises from her abundant life and loving service – now gone from us.” “And we pray today especially for all her family, grieving as every family at a funeral, including so many families around the world who have themselves lost someone recently,” he added. “But in this family’s case, doing so in the brightest spotlight.” Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is delivering the sermon, following a rendition of the hymn, The Lord’s My Shepherd. “Come holy spirit, and fill our hearts with the balm of your healing love. Amen,” he said. “The pattern for many leaders is to be exalted in life and forgotten after death. The pattern for all who serve God famous or obscure respected or ignored, is that death is the door to glory. “Her Majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast, that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth. Rarely has such a promise being so well kept, few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen,” Welby continued. (Hafsa Khalil/CNN) Donned in a black and white feathered hat and in a hand-sewn pearl button suit, Pearly Queen Michelle Thorpe, 55, said she decided to come to the Mall – which links Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square – as she loves Queen Elizabeth II. The Pearly King and Queens are an instantly recognizable London institution dating back 150 years. They evolved from Coster Kings and Queens, who were elected as leaders of London’s street traders, according to their website. Traditionally, each Pearlie sews their own pearl button suit before being crowned, often decorated with family symbols: a heart for charity, a horseshoe for luck, for example. Next to Thorpe is her husband is Jimmy Jukes, in a similarly ornate outfit as he is a Pearlie King. “My favorite memory was receiving my MBE [Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire] from Her Majesty The Queen in Buckingham palace in 2015,” he said. “We’re here for our affection for the Queen and say goodbye for the final time.” (Phil Noble/Pool/Reuters) Liz Truss, the UK prime minister, is reading the second lesson from John 14: 1–9. Truss has been in the job less than two weeks; she met the Queen two days before the monarch’s death to formally take up the role, in what would be the Elizabeth II’s final act of official service. Her reading follows a rendition by the choir by Judith Weir, Master of the King’s Music. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you,” Truss reads. “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. “Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” (Peter Cziborra/Reuters) You could hear a pin drop on the Mall in central London as silence descended at the start of the Queen’s funeral in Westminster Abbey. While there are no screens, hundreds of mourners are able to hear a radio broadcast of the funeral. People are standing still, gazes lowered. Some are staring into the distance as the broadcast pipes the singing choir in Westminster Abbey. Before the broadcast, 11-year-old Carly Orton from Buckinghamshire said despite not being able to see anything, “I wanted to experience the crowds and it’s been amazing so far.” Left to right: Kindarti, Maya Orton and Carly Orton (Hafsa Khalil/CNN) She came with her mother Maya Orton, 42, and family friend Kindarti, 40. “I’ve been to all the events like the platinum jubilee and I’m glad I can pay my respects to the Queen,” Kindarti told CNN. Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland is reading a lesson. Formally known as Baroness Scotland, she was Attorney General under Tony Blair for three years – the first woman to hold the post. The reading is from 1 Corinthians 15: “Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming,” she reads. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The opening hymn, The Day Thou Gavest, Lord Is Ended, is sung by mourners inside the Abbey including King Charles III and the Queen’s relatives. Those present sing: “The day thou gavest, Lord, is endedthe darkness falls at thy behest,to thee our morning hymns ascended,thy praise shall sanctify our rest.We thank thee that thy Church unsleeping,while earth rolls onward into light,through all the world her watch is keeping,and rests not now by day or night.As o’er each continent and islandthe dawn leads on another day,the voice of prayer is never silent,nor dies the strain of praise away,The sun that bids us rest is wakingour brethren ‘neath the western sky,and hour by hour fresh lips are makingthy wondrous doings heard on high.So be it, Lord; thy throne shall never,like earth’s proud empires, pass away;thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever,till all thy creatures own thy sway.” The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE, Dean of Westminster, is opening the Queen’s funeral service with a bidding. “In grief and also in profound thanksgiving we come to this House of God, to a place of prayer, to a church where remembrance and hope are sacred duties,” he said. “Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God, our maker and redeemer.” “With gratitude we remember her unswerving commitment to a high calling over so many years as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth,” he said. “With admiration we recall her life-long sense of duty and dedication to her people. With thanksgiving we praise God for her constant example of Christian faith and devotion. With affection we recall her love for her family and her commitment to the causes she held dear.” “Now, in silence, let us in our hearts and minds recall our many reasons for thanksgiving, pray for all members of her family, and commend Queen Elizabeth to the care and keeping of almighty God.” (Hannah McKay/Pool/Reuters) King Charles is wearing a Royal Navy no. 1 tailcoat with a sword. His military uniform includes the following medals: Queen’s Service Order (New Zealand) Coronation Medal Silver Jubilee Medal Golden Jubilee Medal Diamond Jubilee Medal Platinum Jubilee Medal Naval Long Service Good Conduct Canadian Forces Decoration The New Zealand Commemorative Medal The New Zealand Armed Forces Award. (Jack Hill/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) A choir sings as Elizabeth II’s coffin is carried down the aisle of Westminster Abbey. King Charles III, Princes Andrew and Edward, and Princess Anne are following their mother towards the front of the abbey. They are joined by several of the Queen’s other descendants, including Princes William and Harry. Camilla, the Queen Consort, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, The Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent have joined the royal procession behind the coffin as it makes it way through the abbey. Watch the moment here: The Queen’s coffin is being carried into Westminster Abbey after a short procession from the Westminster Hall, where it lay in state. Elizabeth II’s funeral service is beginning. Waiting for the Queen’s coffin in Parliament Square is a tri-service honor guard of three officers and 53 rank-and-file from each service with colours draped. It is accompanied by a Band of the Royal Marines with Drums draped and muffled. In a few moments, the coffin will enter Westminster Abbey and the service will begin The State Gun Carriage carrying the Queen to Westminster Abbey has a fascinating history. In the care of the Royal Navy since 1901, it was removed from active service for Queen Victoria’s funeral. It has also been used for the funerals of several other monarchs, including those of King Edward VII, King George V and King George VI. It also featured in the funerals of the Queen’s first prime minister, Winston Churchill, and her cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten. In keeping with tradition, the gun carriage is being drawn by 142 Royal Naval Ratings, who are service personnel. It is flanked by the bearer party, pallbearers made up of the Queen’s service equerries, as well as detachments of the King’s Body Guards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, The Yeomen of the Guard and the Royal Company of Archers. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters) King Charles III is leading the royal family on foot behind the Queen’s coffin. In a similar formation to that we saw when the coffin was conveyed to Westminster Hall last week, the King is walking in a line with his siblings, Princess Anne and the Princes Andrew and Edward. Behind them is William, Prince of Wales, Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne. They are followed by Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, the Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Gloucester and the Queen’s nephew the Earl of Snowdon. Staff from the household of the King and Prince of Wales are bringing up the rear. There is an incredible military presence in the royal procession. Flanking the Queen’s coffin is the bearer party, which is founded by the Queen’s Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, and 10 pallbearers made up of former equerries to the Queen, as well as detachments of the King’s Body Guards of the Honourable Crops of Gentlemen at Arms, The Yeomen of the Guard and the Royal Company of Archers. The procession is being led by 200 musicians: A massed Pipes & Drums of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, and the Royal Air Force. Directly behind the coffin is the King and members of the royal family and the King’s Household. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters) The Queen’s coffin is being taken in a procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. The coffin is draped with the Royal Standard, and the Instruments of State – the Imperial State Crown and regalia – are laid upon it along with a flower wreath. The wreath – which has been made in a sustainable manner – contains flowers and foliage cut from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House at the request of King Charles III. It sits in a nest of English moss and oak branches. The flowers included are: scented pelargoniums; garden roses; autumnal hydrangea; sedum; dahlias; and scabious. They are all in sh
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Excitement is building as Charles III prepares to be crowned King in a historic ceremony full of pomp and pageantry which will be watched by millions of people at home and across the world.
Hundreds of royal fans are camping out at The Mall in London in a sea of tents draped in union jack flags, in a bid to secure a spot to catch a glimpse of the King in the country's first coronation in 70 years.
World leaders, kings and queens from across the world, celebrities, everyday heroes and family and friends of the couple will be among over 2,000 guests attending the Westminster Abbey service which starts at 11am.
The nation's armed forces have promised a "spectacular" display of military pomp and pageantry when the King and Queen Consort travel by carriage through the streets of the capital.
During the ceremony, the St Edward's Crown, which dates back to 1661, will be placed on the monarch's head as cries of "God Save the King" will ring out around the abbey and his wife will become Queen Camilla.
The crowned couple will then ride in the four-tonne Gold State Coach back to Buckingham Palace in a mile-long coronation procession featuring 4,000 ceremonial troops.
The event is the military's largest ceremonial operation since Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, with 9,000 servicemen and women deployed.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "It will be spectacular and with the precision and detail you would expect, we have taken key lessons and best bits from previous coronations, the Platinum Jubilee, Her Late Majesty's funeral and added them to our plan."
A massive security and policing operation, dubbed Golden Orb, is under way that will see 11,500 police officers on duty alongside more than 9,000 military personnel taking part in the ceremony.
Thousands of street parties set to take place
Meanwhile around the country, thousands of street parties and events are set to take place to celebrate the occasion with coronation-themed cakes, activities and decorations.
The King, Queen and other royals are also expected to make an appearance on the famous balcony at Buckingham Palace after returning from the service - but it's still unclear which members have made the cut.
Read more:
Where you can watch the flypast
How did Camilla successfully rehabilitate her image?
Order of service: Follow ceremony including hymns and prayers
Speculation has been rife as to why the palace has not yet announced which members of the royal clan will appear on the famous balcony.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, who are no longer working royals, will not have any formal role at the coronation but will attend the service.
Anticipation continues over whether the six-minute flypast, featuring more than 60 aircraft which are due to soar over London, will go ahead amid concerns of wet weather which could mean it is cancelled at the last minute.
While many people will gather to celebrate the occasion, the coronation is taking place amid a cost of living crisis and public scepticism, particularly among the young, about the role and relevance of the monarchy.
Anti-monarchy group Republic is among a number of groups which have organised protests on the day.
It argues that the coronation pageant will cost tens of millions in taxpayers' money and points out that many families and households are struggling with spiralling costs as these celebrations take place.
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Thousands of people lined the streets of central London hoping to catch a glimpse of King Charles III as he travelled from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after his coronation.
Soldiers and royal footmen, marching bands and ornate coaches, magnificent horses and an Irish wolfhound called Seamus all took part in the UK military's largest ceremonial operation for 70 years - and it all ended with a short fly-past. Here's how the day unfolded.
Procession to Buckingham Palace
The service finished at 13:00 BST and the King and Queen travelled back to the palace in the ornate Gold State Coach as part of the Coronation Procession - a much larger ceremonial display than the morning's procession to the abbey.
At the head of the procession - about a mile in front - was Brigade Major Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw riding Sovereign's Shadow.
He led more than 4,000 members of the armed forces from the UK and across the Commonwealth, 19 bands and flag-bearers, formed into eight groups. A full list of all those who took is at the end of this page.
The 1.42-mile route was lined by 1,000 members of the military from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
The Gold State Coach
The Gold State Coach, which is covered in gold leaf and carved decorations, was first used by King George III to travel to the State Opening of Parliament in 1762. The first king to use the coach in a coronation was William IV in 1831 and it has been used at every coronation since.
The panels feature Roman gods, and sculptures of cherubs and tritons ride on the roof and over the wheels.
Queen Elizabeth II, who used the coach for her coronation as well as jubilee celebrations, said it might look luxurious but it was a horrible, uncomfortable ride because of the lack of suspension.
It weighs four tonnes and is pulled at walking pace by eight grey horses, with a mounted rider or postilion for each pair.
Alongside the coach, walked eight grooms, six footmen and four Yeomen of the Guard.
Also present were members of the Royal Watermen, who traditionally rowed the Royal Barges up and down the River Thames between the royal palaces, but now have ceremonial duties.
The Princess Royal was among those riding behind the coach, in her role as Gold Stick and Colonel The Blues and Royals - a ceremonial bodyguard entrusted with the safety of the sovereign.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were in the first carriage behind the coach with other "working royals" - those family members who carry out official duties on behalf of the King - in carriages and cars following them.
The marching bands kept beat of 108 paces a minute, which is slightly slower than a standard quick march of 116 paces a minute, because of the speed of the heavy coach.
Members of the RAF were in group three of the procession, the Army in the next three groups - with the Royal Lancers in group four - and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in group seven.
The Irish Guards with their mascot Seamus, the Irish wolfhound, were part of the final group ahead of the coach, which also includes the Welsh Guards and Scots Guards.
The Ministry of Defence said it was the largest military procession in London since more than 16,000 people took part in Queen Elizabeth II's coronation procession in 1953.
The coach made the 1.42 mile journey in about 30 minutes.
Once the procession had passed, members of the public were allowed to move up The Mall to fill the area around the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.
Royal Salute and three cheers
In a coronation first, all those marching formed up in the palace gardens to give a Royal Salute and three cheers to the King and Queen.
The King and other members of the Royal Family then proceeded to the front balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the public crowds assembled in The Mall.
Palace fly-past
The balcony moment was due to be accompanied by a spectacular six-minute fly-past involving more than 60 aircraft from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
But due to poor weather it was scaled back to helicopters and the Red Arrows display team.
The Coronation Procession in full
Mounted Household Troops: Brigade Major's Retinue ⢠Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry ⢠The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery
Representatives from the Commonwealth nations: Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland ⢠Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland ⢠Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland ⢠Representative Detachments of Realm and Commonwealth Forces: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cameroon, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia
Representative Detachments of British Overseas Territories: Falkland Islands Defence Force, Cayman Islands Regiment, Turks and Caicos Regiment, Royal Montserrat Defence Force
Representatives from Royal Air Force: Royal Air Force Regiment ⢠Bands of the Royal Air Force ⢠Royal Air Force Halton ⢠Royal Auxiliary Air Force ⢠Royal Air Force Cranwell
Representatives from the Army:
Army Royal Armoured Corps: Head of Arms and Services ⢠Colonel Royal Armoured Corps ⢠The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabineers and Greys) ⢠1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards ⢠The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) ⢠The Royal Dragoon Guards ⢠British Army Bands Colchester and Sandhurst ⢠The King's Royal Hussars ⢠The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths' Own) ⢠Royal Tank Regiment ⢠The Light Dragoons ⢠The Royal Wessex Yeomanry ⢠The Royal Yeomanry ⢠Scottish and Northern Irish Yeomanry ⢠The Queen's Royal Yeomanry ⢠Corps Sergeant Major, Royal Armoured Corps
Army Corps and Infantry: Corps Colonels of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Royal Corps of Engineers, Royal Corps of Signals, Infantry ⢠Royal Corps of Engineers ⢠Royal Regiment of Artillery ⢠Royal Regiment of Scotland ⢠Royal Corps of Signals ⢠Duke of Lancaster's Regiment ⢠Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment ⢠Royal Anglian Regiment ⢠Royal Regiment of Fusiliers ⢠Bands of the Rifles and Brigade of Gurkhas ⢠Mercian Regiment ⢠Royal Yorkshire Regiment ⢠Royal Irish Regiment ⢠Royal Welsh ⢠Royal Gurkha Rifles ⢠Parachute Regiment ⢠Rangers ⢠The Rifles ⢠Corps Sergeant Majors of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Corps of Royal Engineers, Royal Corps of Signals, Infantry
Army Corps: Corps Colonels of the Army Air Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Logistics Corps, Adjutant General's Corps, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Intelligence Corps ⢠Army Air Corps ⢠Royal Army Medical Corps ⢠Royal Logistic Corps ⢠Adjutant General's Corps ⢠Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers ⢠Royal Army Veterinary Corps ⢠British Army Bands Catterick and Tidworth ⢠Royal Army Dental Corps ⢠Small Arms Service Corps ⢠Royal Army Physical Training Corps ⢠Intelligence Corps ⢠Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst ⢠Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps ⢠Royal Army Physical Training Corps ⢠Corps Sergeant Majors of the Army Air Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Logistics Corps, Adjutant General's Corps, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Intelligence Corps ⢠Royal Army Chaplain's Department ⢠Honourable Artillery Company ⢠Royal Bermuda Regiment ⢠Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Representatives from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines: Royal Navy ⢠Royal Navy Reserve ⢠Bands of the Royal Marines ⢠Royal Marines ⢠Royal Marines Reserve ⢠Commando Training Centre Royal Marines and Britannia Royal Naval College ⢠Service Chiefs: Commander Strategic Command ⢠Vice Chief of the Defence Staff ⢠Chief of the Air Staff, Chief of the General Staff ⢠Chief of the Naval Staff ⢠Chief of the Defence Staff ⢠Command Warrant Officer Strategic Command ⢠Corps Sergeant Major Royal Marines ⢠Warrant Officer to the Royal Air Force ⢠Army Sergeant Major ⢠Warrant Officer to the Royal Navy ⢠Senior Enlisted Adviser to the Chiefs of Staff Committee
Representatives from the Household divisions:
Massed Foot Guards' Bands: Coldstream Guards ⢠Irish Guards ⢠Welsh Guards ⢠Scots Guards ⢠Grenadier Guards
Foot Guards: Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Coldstream Guards ⢠Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Irish Guards ⢠Regimental Lieutenant Colonel London Guards ⢠Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Welsh Guards ⢠Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Scots Guards ⢠Regimental Lieutenant Colonel Grenadier Guards ⢠Commanding Officer Coldstream Guards ⢠Commanding Officer Irish Guards ⢠Commanding Officer London Guards ⢠Commanding Officer Welsh Guards ⢠Commanding Officer Scots Guards ⢠Commanding Officer Grenadier Guards ⢠The King's Colour Coldstream Guards ⢠The King's Colour Irish Guards ⢠The King's Colour Welsh Guards ⢠The King's Colour Scots Guards ⢠The King's Colour Grenadier Guards ⢠Coldstream Guards ⢠Irish Guards ⢠Welsh Guards ⢠Scots Guards ⢠Grenadier Guards ⢠Regimental Sergeant Major Coldstream Guards ⢠Regimental Sergeant Major Irish Guards ⢠Regimental Sergeant Major London Guards ⢠Regimental Sergeant Major Welsh Guards ⢠Regimental Sergeant Major Scots Guards ⢠Regimental Sergeant Major Grenadier Guards
Household Cavalry Regiment (Dismounted): Commanding Officer Household Cavalry Regiment ⢠The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) ⢠The Life Guards ⢠Regimental Corporal Major Household Cavalry Regiment ⢠King's Gurkha Orderly Officer (x2)
The King's Body Guards and Royal Watermen: The King's Bargemaster ⢠Officer (x4) ⢠Chief Yeoman Warder with Mace ⢠Colour (x2) ⢠Standard ⢠Yeomen Warders of HM Fortress the Tower of London (x12) ⢠Royal Watermen (x12) ⢠The King's Bodyguard the Yeomen of the Guard (x12) ⢠The King's Bodyguard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers (x12) ⢠His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms (x12) ⢠Yeoman Gaoler with Axe ⢠Messenger Sergeant Major ⢠Officer (x2) ⢠Royal Canadian Mounted Police ⢠Staff Captain Headquarters Household Division ⢠Major General Commanding the Household Division ⢠ADC to the Major General Commanding the Household Division
Led by: 1st Division of The Sovereign's Escort ⢠2nd Division of The Sovereign's Escort
Drawn by: Eight Grey Horses
Carrying: His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen
Flanked by: Representatives of the Realm Armed Forces ⢠Royal Waterman (x4) ⢠Grooms (x8) ⢠Palace Footmen (x6) ⢠Yeoman of the Guard (x4) ⢠Brakeman ⢠Escort Commander ⢠Field Officer of the Escort ⢠Standard Coverer ⢠Sovereign's Standard of The Life Guards ⢠Trumpeter ⢠The Princess Royal, Gold Stick and Colonel The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) ⢠Colonel Coldstream Guards ⢠Master of the Horse ⢠Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel The Life Guards ⢠Silver Stick Adjutant ⢠Field Officer in Brigade Waiting ⢠Silver Stick ⢠Crown Equerry ⢠3rd Division of The Sovereign's Escort
Royal Family members:
Carriage: of The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales
Carriage: The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Lady Louise Mountbatten Windsor, Earl of Wessex
Carriage: The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence
State Car: The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra
Followed by: 4th Division of The Sovereign's Escort
Written and produced by Dominic Bailey and Chris Clayton, design by Lilly Huynh and Zoe Bartholomew, illustration by Jenny Law.
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The death of the Queen - the world's longest-reigning monarch - has not only rocked the nation, but the world. Her state funeral will be one of the largest diplomatic occasions of the century.Buckingham Palace has confirmed her funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday 19 September.Poignantly, it is the same venue the Queen married Prince Philip in 75 years ago, and just one year ago paid tribute to him there at his memorial service.Queen's coffin to lie at rest in Edinburgh - latest updatesOn the day, the large venue - which can hold up to 2,000 people - will be full of family members, world leaders, politicians, monarchs from other countries, public figures and those who worked with the Queen, all paying their last respects.So, who can we expect to see at the Queen's funeral, and who won't be there? Image: The Queen's grandsons - William and Harry - and their wives Kate and Meghan will be there FamilyThe Queen's family will of course be there to mourn their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.Her four children - King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and Prince Edward - will be present, as will Camilla, the Queen Consort, and the Countess of Wessex, and the monarch's grandchildren - princes William and Harry, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, princesses Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, will also be present at the ceremony.Read more:'Thank you for your infectious smile': Prince Harry's tribute to 'granny'Official guidance issued for Queen's lying in stateThe Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester - who are the Queen's cousins - are also likely to be there.Spouses of all close family would be expected to be present too, including Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and the Duchess of Sussex.Members of Europe's royal families, from countries including Spain, the Netherlands, Monaco, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and Greece, are also likely to fly to London for the funeral. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The Queen on the world stage World leadersMany of the world leaders the Queen met during her long reign will also be in attendance.US President Joe Biden has confirmed he will attend, as will his wife, First Lady Jill Biden.Westminster Abbey will be so full for the event it will only be possible for a single, senior representative from each country and their partner to attend, according to Foreign Office documents obtained by Politico - which Sky News understand to be correct.It is therefore unclear whether former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and their respective wives Michelle and Melania, all of whom met the Queen, will be in attendance.Read more:World leaders 'to be bussed' to historic Westminster Abbey service and asked to take commercial flights to UKQueen's final journey: The people from all walks of life who waited side-by-side for history to unfold before themLiz Truss, who will be the last UK prime minister to have been officially asked to form a government by the Queen, is expected to attend, as well as Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer.Irish premier Micheal Martin has confirmed he will be travelling to London for the event, and the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, is also expected to be there. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sturgeon on Scotland's farewell European leaders to confirm their attendance include German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will be attending.Other world leaders who say they will be there include New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australia's Governor-General David Hurley, South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Spreaker Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcastsJapan's Emperor Naruhito says he plans to attend, while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may also attend, according to Japanese media.And away from high profile figures, some of the Queen's closest staff, including her ladies-in-waiting and footmen, will want to be there to say a final goodbye.And who might not be thereOne high-profile world leader not expected to be there is Russian President Vladimir Putin.Although he expressed his condolences to the King on the news of the Queen's death, the Kremlin's ongoing attacks on Ukraine make his attendance in London highly unlikely.Many have also wondered whether any of the Queen's corgis will be at the funeral.While the formal nature of the event make that highly unlikely, sadly the 'no dog' rule at Westminster Abbey rules it out completely, with dogs not even permitted to walk on the grounds.
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On Tuesday, King Charles III and Queen Camilla led the carriage procession at Royal Ascot for the first time, marking another exciting milestone in his reign after Trooping the Colour took place over the weekend. For more than 300 years, the British monarch has been a guest of honor at the annual event where England’s upper crust gather to mingle and watch horse races. Across Tuesday and Wednesday, the king watched three of his own horses race, and though none of them claimed any wins, he was nevertheless photographed celebrating in the royal box.
Ever since 1822, the royal family have had their own box at the races where they invite friends, politicians, and diplomats to join in the fun. On Tuesday, their majesties were joined in their carriage by the Duke and Duchess of Wellington, and followed in the procession by Princess Anne, Camilla’s sister Annabel Elliot, nephew Ben Elliot, and his wife Mary-Clare Elliot, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
On Wednesday, the king and queen were joined in the carriage by the Earl and Countess of Halifax (who is also Camilla’s former sister-in-law) and followed by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Camilla’s companion Lady Sarah Keswick, Charles’s former equerry Lord Soames of Fletching, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and his wife, Madeleine.
Earlier this year, the Jockey Club, which owns tracks around Britain, announced that it was relaxing the dress code for Royal Ascot in order to attract more attendees, but the royals still showed up in their finery, including architectural hats. Following Tuesday’s procession, Camilla wore a diamond brooch that once belonged to the late queen, and on Wednesday, she handed out a trophy in a pink Anna Valentine coat and one of her most often worn necklaces, a pink topaz choker. The Tindalls were also on hand to give out the trophy for the Queen’s Vase race to famous jockey Frankie Dettori, who is planning to retire after this year.
As Anne told the CBC in April, one consequence of a new reign is that the royal calendar is necessarily going to change, and until this week, it was unclear how Charles would plan his own participation at Royal Ascot. Though monarchs have traditionally made an appearance at the event, Queen Elizabeth II’s enthusiasm went above and beyond. Over her 70-year reign, Ascot’s reputation became inextricably bound with the avid and lifelong fan of breeding and racing horses. After making her first appearance in 1949, she attended nearly every year until 2020, when coronavirus restrictions ended her streak. The royal summer schedule was usually planned so the queen could spend as many days on the track as possible.
This year, Ascot made one change to honor her memory. “The Late Queen’s close association with Ascot Racecourse was well known throughout the world, but no race at the Royal Meeting previously carried the name of Queen Elizabeth II,” Francis Brooke, the king’s representative at Ascot, said in a May statement. “His Majesty The King has approved the renaming of the Platinum Jubilee Stakes to The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.”
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WIMBLEDON, England -- A week after Princess Kate graced Centre Court at Wimbledon by taking a seat in the Royal Box, Queen Camilla made an appearance at the Grand Slam tennis tournament on Wednesday.
The queen, the wife of King Charles III, was wearing a white dress at the All England Club, where the players on court dress all in white.
When she arrived at the club, Camilla met with some ball boys and ball girls — the kids who run across the court chasing stray balls after a point is finished or a serve goes awry.
The first match on Centre Court was a rematch of last year's women's final, with defending champion Elena Rybakina playing Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals. In the later match, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz was to face Holger Rune for a spot in the semifinals.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, sat in the Royal Box on Day 2 of the tournament. Others to sit in the section reserved mainly for royalty and celebrities include David Beckham and members of the England national soccer team who are injured and will miss the Women's World Cup.
Queen Camilla wasn't the only royal in the Royal Box on Wednesday, however. Prince Albert II of Monaco was also scheduled to be in attendance.
Prince Albert is the son of the late Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands are joined by their daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia, 19, as they visit the Dutch Caribbean IslandsMáxima and Willem-Alexander are visiting the Dutch Caribbean IslandsThey have been joined by their eldest daughter Princess Catharina-AmaliaREAD: Queen of orange! Maxima of The Netherlands goes bold for her last day in India as she wears her national colour head-to-toe Published: 12:37 EST, 28 January 2023 | Updated: 12:40 EST, 28 January 2023 Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands have been joined by their eldest daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia as they visit the Dutch Caribbean Islands.On day two of their two-week visit to the various countries and municipalities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the couple toured Bonaire alongside the 19-year-old princess.Catharina-Amalia cut an elegant figure in a blue and white floral dress, teamed with cream heels and a dainty handbag. She left her hair loose and opted for a smattering of glamorous makeup.Her mother looked equally stylish in a colourful pink frock, cinched at the waist with a fashionable belt and featuring elegant button detailing down the front. Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands have been joined by their eldest daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia as they visit the Dutch Caribbean IslandsKnown for her colour coordination, she opted for a coffee-coloured headband to sweep back her locks, and a matching handbag and pair of heels.King Willem-Alexander made sure to appear just as smart as his family, sporting a pair of royal blue trousers and a crisp white shirt.Although the Netherlands is the largest and wealthiest part, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is actually comprised of four constituent countries - all of which have equal status.Along with the Netherlands itself, the members are Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten, each of which has King Willem-Alexander as its head of state and its own parliament.On day two of their two-week visit to the various countries and municipalities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the couple toured Bonaire alongside the 19-year-old princess Catharina-Amalia cut an elegant figure in a blue and white floral dress, teamed with cream heels and a dainty handbag The princess (pictured right) left her hair loose and opted for a smattering of glamorous makeup Queen Maxima (pictured) looked equally stylish in a colourful pink frock, cinched at the waist with a fashionable belt and featuring elegant button detailing down the frontThree further Caribbean islands, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, are administered as municipalities of the Netherlands and as such, inhabitants are Dutch citizens with the same rights and responsibilities.Until 2010, all the Caribbean islands, with the exception of Aruba, were part of the Dutch Antilles - an entity that was dissolved and its residents given the choice of independence or integration.The arrangement is similar to that between the Commonwealth Realms, all of which have Britain's monarch as head of state but have separate directly elected parliaments.Earlier this month, Queen Maxima looked effortlessly chic in a camel cape coat as she received guests at the Royal Palace. Known for her colour coordination, Maxima (pictured right) opted for a coffee-coloured headband to sweep back her locks, and a matching handbag and pair of heels King Willem-Alexander (pictured centre) made sure to appear just as smart as his family, sporting a pair of royal blue trousers and a crisp white shirtThe Dutch queen, 51, teamed her elegant gold blouse with a stunning diamond bracelet and matching earrings, as she joined her husband King Willem-Alexander at the palace in Amsterdam.Underneath her coat she donned a textured midi skirt in a variety of colourful patterns and brought the whole thing together with suede olive heels. The mother-of-three kept her blonde tresses loose, in a side parting and tucked behind her ears, and her make up naturally bronzed with a smokey eye and nude lip.King Willem, 55, wore a single breasted navy suit with a blue and white patterned tie as he joined his wife to welcome several hundred guests from political and public administration and from various sectors of Dutch society. This was a quick turn around, as the couple attended the funeral of former King Constantine II of Greece the day before in Athens. Advertisement
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The last set of new stamps showing the late Queen's head are being issued by Royal Mail, featuring the centenary of the Flying Scotsman steam locomotive.
This marks the end of an era, with this familiar version of Queen Elizabeth II's silhouette having appeared on special stamps since 1968.
These final stamps of the Elizabethan era can be ordered from Tuesday, and will go on general release next week.
Future commemorative stamps will show a silhouette of King Charles III.
Such sets of special stamps have long-term planning schedules, and the Royal Mail has kept to publication plans made before the late Queen's death last September.
The 12 stamps featuring the Flying Scotsman will be the last to show the Queen's silhouette, with this design updating an earlier image.
These farewell stamps will show the steam locomotive, built in 1923 and running between London and Edinburgh, in settings including North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Berwick-on-Tweed and Victoria Station in London.
The series also shows poster artwork from the 1920s and 1930s, with Royal Mail spokesman David Gold saying the stamps evoke "the golden age of steam travel".
During her reign, the late Queen's head appeared on hundreds of special issues of stamps, on themes ranging from Concorde, Star Trek and endangered species to Sherlock Holmes.
This release marks the end of the Queen appearing on such commemorative stamps, but existing stocks of regular first and second class stamps showing the Queen's head will be used until they run out.
The new King Charles stamp, to be phased in over the forthcoming months, has already been revealed by the Royal Mail, showing a very minimalist design without a crown.
The current silhouette of the late Queen, based on a 1950s image of her in her 20s, was first used in 1968 on stamps celebrating British bridges, including what was then a modern-looking M4 motorway viaduct.
There was politics in the background too, with the Postal Museum noting that a decision to include a stamp of the Menai Bridge rather than Tower Bridge was out of sensitivity to "Welsh aspirations".
In 1968, a first-class stamp cost 5d, about two pence in decimal money. The cost is now 95 pence.
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On April 8, the Prince of Wales and his and wife Kate Middleton's eldest child, 9, had a father-son day out, watching soccer club Aston Villa FC play a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
George, who occasionally accompanies his parents to sports games and other events, and his dad both wore navy sweaters over light collared shirts. From inside a VIP box, the royals cheered on Aston Villa. The team won 2-0.
The game took place one day before Easter Sunday, when the U.K. Royals traditionally attend a church service at St. George's Chapel at Winsor Castle. Last year, William and Kate brought along George and daughter Princess Charlotte, 7, while Prince Louis, 4, remained at home. Sunday's Easter service will mark the first for the Royal family since Queen Elizabeth II's death last September.
They are also currently preparing for the coronation of the late monarch's son and William's father, King Charles III. There, George is set to take on a major role: The young prince, the second in line to the throne, will be one of eight Pages of Honour at the May 6 event. The group is tasked with carrying the King and Queen Consort Camilla's robes and will form part of the procession inside Westminster Abbey.
See photos of William and George on their father-son day out at the soccer match:
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In July 2020, Princess Beatrice married her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in a small pandemic-appropriate Windsor ceremony. In honor of the couple’s third anniversary, the bride’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, shared a photograph from the day on her Instagram account, along with a message where she praises their skills as parents to 1-year-old daughter Sienna and 7-year-old stepson Wolfie.
“Happy anniversary to my magical daughter and wonderful son-in-law,” she said. “You are the most amazing parents to my beautiful grandchildren. Your love knows no bounds. As your mother, Beatrice, it warms my heart and gives me peace knowing you got your fairytale.”
The couple’s July wedding took place soon after the UK ended its first coronavirus lockdown, and counted Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip among its 20 attendees. Though Ferguson and her ex-husband Prince Andrew were both present at the wedding, they were not featured in any of the photographs released by Buckingham Palace. After the ceremony, which took place at All Saints Chapel in Windsor, Andrew and Sarah hosted an outdoor reception at their nearby home, Royal Lodge.
On Sunday, Edoardo also took to Instagram to honor his wife. “Happy wedding anniversary to the most beautiful wife in the world,” he wrote. “I am so grateful for every moment we have shared, every challenge we have overcome, and every dream we have pursued together. I love you more than words can say, and I can't wait to celebrate many more anniversaries with you.”
The couple lives in a four-room apartment at St. James Palace in London, and The Sun reports that they also own a property in the Cotswolds. Their daughter Sienna was born in September 2021, but the couple hasn’t publicly shared photos of her. However, the palace released a photo of the late queen and eight of her great-grandchildren to honor her birthday in April, and in one picture frame to the side, Beatrice can be seen holding Sienna as she wears what looks to be the family’s hand-me-down coronation gown.
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More than 6,000 armed forces members will take part in King Charles's coronation, making it the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years.
Personnel from across the UK and the Commonwealth will join the processions in London.
Thousands of veterans have also been invited to watch the coronation from a special viewing platform on 6 May.
They will join NHS workers on a stand in front of Buckingham Palace.
The guests, invited by the Royal British Legion, will be given a special view of the coronation, including the processions and flypast.
The first procession will be smaller in scale, and will feature just under 200 members of the armed forces who will travel down the Mall to Trafalgar Square, before turning onto Whitehall where they will march to Westminster Abbey.
Flanking them on either side will be over 1,000 personnel from the Army, navy and RAF who will line the route.
The biggest event of the day will be the coronation procession, featuring nearly 4,000 personnel, which will see King makes the historic journey from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
Outside of London, gun salutes will be sounded from firing stations in 13 locations including Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast at the moment the King is crowned.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was incredibly proud of our military personnel who were "preparing to honour centuries of military tradition".
"As they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Commonwealth friends and allies, I know the hard work of thousands of our servicemen and women during the past weeks and months will culminate in an incredible display that will amaze crowds at home and across the world."
Brit and Emmy-nominated composer Sarah Class has also been announced as the latest composer selected by the King to write music for the event.
Ms Class, who composed musical scores for Sir David Attenborough's natural world programmes and National Geographic documentaries, said she was "very honoured and privileged and excited" to have been chosen.
She joins eleven other musicians selected by the King, as well as Andrew Lloyd Webber, who will compose the coronation anthem.
The King has opted for a shorter, smaller and more diverse ceremony than the previous coronation held for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
More than 29,000 personnel took part in the 1953 coronation, including 16,100 members of the army.
The King, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy for a total of five years.
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The weekend-long Coronation celebrations draw to a close on Monday with members of the public taking part in community events across the UK.
The Big Help Out involves people taking on volunteering roles on the extra bank holiday.
The King and Queen are not expected to attend any events - but other royals will drop in on some of the projects.
The community-focused events follow Sunday's Coronation concert which featured Take That and Katy Perry.
Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, Hugh Bonneville featured in the concert at Windsor Castle watched by the King, Queen and senior royals, along with singers Olly Murs and Paloma Faith.
The Royal Family were seen dancing along to Lionel Richie during the 95-minute event as colourful images to accompany each of the acts were projected onto the historic castle.
The Prince of Wales gave a poignant speech as he told the King: "Pa, we are all so proud of you", adding the late Queen would be a "very proud mother".
Prince William and the Princess of Wales are expected to join in with volunteer events on Monday.
For the Big Help Out, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will take part in a puppy class at the Guide Dogs training centre in Reading, while Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence will attend a civic service recognising local volunteers at Gloucester Cathedral.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will meet young volunteers at a Coronation party at St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in Kensington, west London.
An app and website have been set up to allow people to search for volunteering opportunities, which will range from helping the elderly to working with environmental charities and supporting animal welfare.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King was "wholly supportive of the Big Help Out initiatives taking place".
Queen Camilla is patron of the Royal Voluntary Service charity and has also been patron of the Big Lunch initiative since 2013.
The royals have been out in force over the weekend as they joined various Coronation events around the country.
Before the concert on Sunday, Edward and Sophie attended a Coronation Big Lunch in Cranleigh, Surrey, while the Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence went to a community street party in Swindon.
The Duke of York's daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie also attended a big lunch in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire.
The street parties and lunches followed Saturday's coronation of the King and Queen at Westminster Abbey.
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King Charles is set to lead the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London later.
The service honours the contribution of military and civilian servicemen and women in World Wars One and Two, and other conflicts.
Members of the Royal Family, senior politicians and dignitaries will lay wreaths in Whitehall.
Thousands of veterans, army personnel and members of the public will also gather to pay their respects.
The Cenotaph remains under a dedicated 24-hour police presence until the conclusion of Remembrance events.
On Saturday, nine police officers were injured as they prevented a violent crowd of mainly football hooligans reaching the war memorial while a service took place.
Scuffles first broke out shortly after 10:00 GMT as police attempted to stop a crowd of people carrying St George's flags marching along Embankment towards Whitehall where the Cenotaph is located.
Officers faced aggression from some of the counter-protesters - who include some far-right groups - near the Cenotaph, the Metropolitan Police said.
The group, which had been chanting "England 'til I die", pushed through the police barrier, with some shouting "let's have them".
However, a two-minute silence held at the Cenotaph at 11:00 GMT to mark Armistice Day was observed "respectfully", police added.
No major protest is scheduled to take place on Remembrance Sunday, although the policing operation will continue with some 1,375 officers deployed amid commemoration events in the capital.
Another two-minute silence will be held at the same time on Sunday and this will be followed by a parade through Whitehall.
Among those marching will be nuclear test veterans, who for the first time will wear a medal acknowledging their contribution.
After 70 years of waiting for recognition, those exposed to the effects of nuclear bombs during the UK's testing programme were given a medal - depicting an atom surrounded by olive branches - for the Remembrance Sunday service.
More than 300 different Armed Forces and civilian organisations will be represented, as well as some 300 veterans not affiliated with an association who have been invited to join for the first time.
Royal British Legion's Anthony Metcalfe told BBC Breakfast he expects "close to 10,000 individuals" to take part.
"Everyone from a 100-year-old D-Day veteran to young Scottish soldiers and many regimental associations and other groups," he said.
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With just days to go before the most important moment of his life, it’s not surprising that King Charles is suffering from some last-minute nerves. Sources close to Charles tell Vanity Fair that while he is “enormously excited” about his impending coronation ceremony, he is “fretting” over the number of robe changes he will have to undergo on Saturday.
In accordance with tradition, Their Majesties will wear two different sets of robes during the coronation service: the Robes of State and the Robes of Estate. Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will don the Robes of State upon their arrival at Westminster Abbey, and the Robes of Estate (which are traditionally more personalised in design) on their departure, following the coronation service.
During the service, Charles will undergo several robe changes and will wear various historic items of clothing that were previously worn by former monarchs at past coronations, including one of the oldest vestments in the Royal Collection: the robe worn by King George IV in 1821 for his coronation.
“The King and Queen are definitely nervous. It’s the logistics that are worrying them more than anything else. They’re worried about how it will all play out just as anyone else would be. It’s rather endearing to hear them fretting over the things any other normal person would be worried about. There haven’t been weeks of rehearsals but there will be intensive rehearsals over the coming days so everyone will know exactly what they are doing on the day,” one source told VF. “The King has mentioned the number of changes he will have saying he is having to arrive robed, then having to de-robe, then re-robe again. I think that’s been concerning him, he wants it all to go smoothly.”
On Monday, Buckingham Palace released new details about the robes the king will wear. While monarchs traditionally have some new coronation robes custom made (the Queen commissioned a bespoke coronation gown by Sir Norman Hartnell) the King will reuse a number of robes used for previous coronations in the interests of sustainability according to the palace.
“Although it is customary for the Supertunica and the Imperial Mantle to be reused, His Majesty will also reuse the Colobium Sindonis, Coronation Sword Belt and Coronation Glove worn by his grandfather King George VI, in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” the palace said in a statement.
The historic vestments are laden with historical significance and featured in the Coronation Services of King George IV in 1821, King George V in 1911, King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and include the Colobium Sindonis, the Supertunica, the Imperial Mantle, the Coronation Sword Belt and the Coronation Glove.
As rehearsals begin in the lead-up to the weekend’s events, VF has also learned that the Queen Consort has been practicing entering and exiting a coach wearing a crown so that she is comfortable wearing the Crown of Queen Mary. The headpiece was made for Charles’s great grandmother Queen Mary for the coronation of her husband George V in 1911.
The crown is heavy and Camilla, who has only previously worn tiaras, wants to feel confident wearing the historic piece. “The Queen wants to feel confident carrying the weight of the Queen Mary crown on her head. She has been practicing wearing it and getting in and out of the coach,” the source adds.
VF has also learned that the newly crowned King and Queen will celebrate privately with a select number of family and friends on Sunday following the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. “Some of their friends who were not invited to the coronation ceremony have been invited to the castle for a soirée on the night of the concert. It’s a very VIP invitation and a chance for the king and queen to be off duty for the first time over the weekend of celebrations.”
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Kings and Queens from around the world have started to arrive at Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II today. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, are among those who have travelled to London to mourn the monarch, yesterday visiting her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall and then attending the 'reception of the century' at Buckingham Palace. Emperors, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and other foreign dignitaries have descended on the British capital for Her Majesty's state funeral. Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco led the foreign royal arrivals at the Queen's funeral on MondayQueen Sofia of Spain (left) arrived for the service with her husband King Juan Carlos. Right, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan Princess Beatrix, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arriving at Westminster Abbey Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her son Crown Prince Frederick arrived to pay tribute to Her Majesty on Monday King Harald of Norway, walking with the aid of two crutches, looked dapper in military dress as he arrived for the funeral Queen Sofia of Spain (right) arrived for the funeral ahead of King Willem-Alexander and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, and the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his wife, behind, arrive for the funeral at Westminster Abbey on MondayRepresentatives of more than 20 Royal Families are expected at the funeral, including the reigning monarchs of the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. Thanks to family ties that date back generations, many European royals have a particularly close relationship to the Queen. Spain's reigning King Felipe even knew her as his 'dear Aunt Lilibet'. Among the most anticipated attendees is the Emperor of Japan, who rarely makes overseas visits. King Jigme & Queen Jetsun of Bhutan and the Sultan of Brunei will also attend. The Queen is to be reunited with her husband Prince Philip as she is laid to rest in a historic state funeral today. Up to two million mourners are expected to flock to London, Windsor and royal sites around the UK on the national bank holiday, with the service set to draw an estimated 4.1billion TV viewers across the globe.The royal family, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be among the 2,000 people gathered at Westminster Abbey to remember the late monarch this morning, before a committal service at Windsor Castle.They will walk in procession behind the Queen's coffin as it is carried through the Gothic church by the military bearer party. The King and the Queen Consort will walk immediately behind the coffin. Spain's former King Juan Carlos (left) needed a hand as he arrived at Westminster Abbey on Monday King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of the state funeral of the Queen on Monday Revealed: How the monarchies of Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg are related to the Queen. All the major royal houses of Europe will be represented at the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey todayThey will be followed by the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the Prince and Princess of Wales. George and Charlotte will walk with their parents in a side-by-side in formation, followed by their uncle and aunt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and other royals.On Sunday evening, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were spotted waving to well-wishers as they left the Spanish Embassy for Westminster Hall. Felipe, son of disgraced former King Juan Carlos, is a distant cousin of the Queen and referred to Her Majesty as 'dear Aunt Lilibet' in a personal tribute following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. The king looked sombre in a black suit and tie as he and his stylish wife left the embassy for the Palace of Westminster. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II with the Imperial State Crown resting on top is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey past the grave of the Unknown Soldier An emotion Prince Charles arrives in the Abbey after the Queen is placed by the altar Her Majesty is carried into her funeral watched by her mourning family The Queen is carried to Westminster Abbey - the scene of her coronation and wedding - for her state funeral today The King, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward walk to the abbey behind their motherThe couple crossed themselves and bowed their heads as they filed past Her Majesty's coffins. Visiting dignitaries have access to a VIP entrance and platform that means they can avoid the queue snaking through central London. At around the same time, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden also filed into the hall to pay their respects. King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla are preparing to host 1,000 VIPs including US President Joe Biden, New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian premier Justin Trudeau, at Buckingham Palace this evening. The list of dignitaries includes President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed and Colombia's First Lady Veronica Alcocer Gargia and Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva.However, it also includes a string of controversial strongmen, including Bolsonaro, who was filmed giving a thunderous speech from the windows of the Brazilian Embassy in London to a cheering crowd waving the national flag. Prince Andrew was fighting tears as the Duke of Sussex followed him Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, stands next to King Charles, Anne, Princess Royal, and William, Prince of Wales, as they salute during the state funeral Kate rests a caring arm on George and his sister Charlotte as they arrive at the Abbey Prince George, Prince Charlotte and their mother, the Princess of Wales, walk into Westminster Abbey for today's service His allies hope his four-day international trip - first in London, then at the UN Assembly General session in New York - will sway some voters in the upcoming elections, give him some gravitas after almost four years of rifts with other world leaders and provide material for TV ads.And yesterday, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia confirmed that Mohammed Bin Salman, known by the abbreviation MBS, had been invited to attend the funeral. He was set to hold talks with British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Sunday evening, despite international outrage after ordering Saudi agents to brutally murder and dismember Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018.And Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the authoritarian ruler who has jailed hundreds of journalists and busily dismantled Turkish democracy, is also coming to the funeral.China has announced it will send its vice-president, Wang Qishan, but was barred by parliamentary leaders from the lying-in-state.Due to strained ties, the UK opted to invite ambassadors, not heads of state, from Iran, Nicaragua and North Korea. Meanwhile, Russia and Belarus are among a small group of nations excluded altogether following Putin's invasion of Ukraine.Police have also been granted a no-fly zone order over London on today, which will follow 10 days of mourning.As well as thousands of uniformed Metropolitan Police bobbies drafted into action, plain-clothes officers will also mingle among crowds to monitor any threats.It is expected that other forces will be asked to provide officers under 'mutual aid'.The Queen's Coffin was today carried from Westminster Hall to the State Gun Carriage, and then positioned outside the building's North Door.The procession then went from New Palace Yard through Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary before arriving at Westminster Abbey just before 11am.After the State Funeral Service finishes at around midday, the coffin will be placed on the State Gun Carriage outside the Abbey.At 12.15pm, the procession will set off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner. The royal family, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be among the 2,000 people gathered at Westminster Abbey to remember the late monarch this morning, before a committal service at Windsor Castle A general view of a guest holding the Order of Service inside Westminster Abbey ahead of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II The route will go from the Abbey via Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen's Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley WayAt Wellington Arch, the Queen's coffin will be transferred from the State Gun Carriage to the State Hearse just after 1pm, ahead of the journey to Windsor.It then will travel from central London to Windsor, on a route that has not been disclosed by the Palace. When the hearse arrives in Windsor, the procession will begin just after 3pm at Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road.The state hearse will join the procession, which will have been formed up and in position, at Shaw Farm Gate before travelling to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.The procession will follow the route of Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.Just before 4pm, the procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps of St George's Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister. Here, the bearer party will carry the coffin in procession up the steps into the chapel.The Queen will be interred during a private burial at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle at 7.30pm. Who's who of the world's royal families: As monarchs pay tribute to the Queen, FEMAIL reveals who is attending - and how the Kings and Queens of Europe are related to Her Majesty King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of BelgiumKing Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, pictured in 2020, were among the first royal families to confirm their attendance The monarchs share several common ancestors, including Franz, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and the father of King Leopold I of the BelgiansThe Queen's distant cousin King Philippe of Belgium will attend the funeral with his wife, Queen Mathilde. The monarchs share several common ancestors, including Franz, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and the father of King Leopold I of the Belgians.They are also related via King Christian IX of Denmark, known as the 'grandfather of Europe' due to his far-reaching family tree. The Queen is King Christian IX's great-great granddaughter. Philippe is his great-great-great-grandson. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will attend the service without their four children.Their daughter Princess Elisabeth, who will one day ascend the throne, last week represented her parents when she signed a book of condolence to the Queen in Brussels. In a statement released shortly after the Queen's death, the couple said: '[The Queen] was an extraordinary personality. We will always keep fond memories of this great Lady who throughout her reign showed dignity, courage and dedication. 'Each of our meetings will remain forever etched in our memories. We extend our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the British people. Rest in peace, Your Majesty, with your beloved husband.' King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were among the first to RSVP for the monarch's final farewell Willem-Alexander's mother Princess Beatrix, the country's former Sovereign, will also be in attendance (pictured in August)King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who was the first to RSVP to the Queen's funeral, is the Queen's fifth cousin once removed thanks to an ancient connection in their family tree. Willem-Alexander is a descendant of Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, who was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, and his wife Anne, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort Caroline of Ansbach.The Queen is descendant from Princess Carolina through her paternal grandmother Queen Mary, wife of King George V.King Willem-Alexander will attend with his wife, Maxima, and his mother, Princess Beatrix, who abdicated in 2013. The Dutch royals were also among the first to pay tribute to Her Majesty.The official account for the Dutch Royal Family posted photos of the Queen, the new King Charles III and the new Queen Consort Camilla hosting Willem-Alexander and Máxima at Buckingham Palace on a state visit in October 2018.The statement read: 'We remember Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection.'Steadfast and wise, she dedicated her long life to serving the British people. We feel a strong bond with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their sorrow at this time. 'We are very grateful for our countries' close friendship, to which Queen Elizabeth made such an unforgettable contribution.'King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of SpainKing Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, pictured leaving the Spanish Embassy in London, were amongst the first to send their sympathies to King Charles IIIFormer Spanish King Juan Carlos (pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace) and his wife Queen Sofia will also attend the ceremony with Felipe and Letizia The Spanish King, who ascended the throne in 2014, will also be among the mourners at Westminster Abbey on Monday. He will be joined by his wife Queen Letizia. He is related to the Queen on both sides of his family and referred to the monarch as 'aunt Lilibet'. His mother, Queen Sofia, was a third cousin of the Queen and a first cousin once removed of the Duke of Edinburgh.Felipe's father, Juan Carlos, is a descendant of Queen Victoria. His grandmother, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.Juan Carlos, 83, who abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe VI, 53, has been living in Abu Dhabi since summer 2020 after becoming the target of several probes in Spain over his financial dealings. There were questions over whether he would attend the funeral but he looks set to be among the mourners at Westminster Abbey. He will be in attendance at the funeral with his wife Queen Sofia. Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik Following Elizabeth II's death, Margrethe II of Denmark has become the only living Queen in the world. She is pictured paying respect to the Queen yesterday Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (right) and Crown Prince Frederik (left) arrive to pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, Lying in State inside Westminster HalThe Queen of Denmark celebrated her Golden Jubilee at the weekend, but modified the event's proceedings after the death of the Queen was announced. Following Elizabeth II's death, Margrethe II of Denmark has become the only living Queen in the world.The 82-year-old is also now the second longest reigning monarch in the world, second only to Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei. She is also the world's longest serving current head of state. While the Sultan of Brunei has been a monarch since 1967, he only became head of state in 1984 - when Brunei gained independence from the UK. Game of thrones! How Queen Victoria sat at the centre of a spider's web of European royal connections With nine children of her own and 42 grandchildren, Queen Victoria sat at the centre of a spider's web of royal connections across Europe.Her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha had dreamt of a Europe held together by family connections, and Victoria was determined to carry out his wishes.They married their offspring into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the nickname 'the grandmother of Europe'.Eight of their children married into royal houses, starting with Vicky, who wed the Crown Prince of Prussia.But after Albert's death in 1861, Victoria retreated from public appearances and became known for wearing black and living in mourning.Both Queens are great-great granddaughters of Queen Victoria - making them third cousins - with Margrethe often looking up to Elizabeth like a big sister.In May, Margrethe told the UK's ITV news that Elizabeth, 14 years her senior, was a 'huge inspiration' to her as the only other living Queen.'[Queen Elizabeth] was 26 when she became Queen. When I was growing up, I hoped I wouldn't be as young as that when my father died. It made an enormous impression on me. The fact that she was dedicating her life. I understood what that meant. This is for life. That is the whole point of my life. And I know she sees that too,' she said.'When I was growing up, my mother and father said to me, "look at what they do in England" and I could see that it could be done and it was worthwhile and you could live a very full life with it, even with a heavy schedule and demanding job.'She is also the first cousin of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf through Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Margaret of Connaught. Margaret of Connaught was the daughter of Queen Victoria's third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. She was also Queen Margrethe' and Carl Gustav's great-aunt. In a statement she wished the new King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla her 'deepest thoughts and prayers' after Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral.Speaking on behalf of the Danish family she was 'deeply moved' by the sad news of her 'beloved mother's death'.'I send you and Camilla my warmest thoughts and prayers,' she said.'She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly.'Her 70 years of reign and service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth are an unprecedented and remarkable achievement.'We shall always remember her important contributions to their development and prosperity.' Queen Margrethe will be joined by her son and heir Crown Prince Frederik. It was initially believed his wife Australian-born Princess Mary would be joining, but local media in Denmark has since reported she is no longer attending due to a UK Foreign Office error meaning only two royals from each state can attend. King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden and Queen Sonja, left, will also both be present for the ceremony Monday Carl paid his condolences to his 'dear relative' following the Queen's death. 'The Queen served Her countries and the Commonwealth with an outstanding devotion and sense of duty'At the age of 75 Carl is the longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, having took to the throne in 1973. He and his wife Queen Silvia, 77, a German-Brazilian former flight attendant will be in attendance.King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden is one of the European royals with the closest ties to the Queen. He is a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria and was a third cousin of the late Monarch. That is because the Swedish King is the great-grandson of Queen Victoria's son Prince Arthur, and is also related, on her mother's side to Victoria's eighth son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. Carl paid his condolences to his 'dear relative' following the Queen's death.'The Queen served Her countries and the Commonwealth with an outstanding devotion and sense of duty. She has been a constant presence, not only in British society but internationally. In addition, she has always been a good friend to my family and a link to our shared family history,' he said in a statement. King Harald & Queen Sonja of NorwayThe Queen's second cousin, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja, pictured paying his respects, also made the journey to London Harald V and the Queen shared the same great-grandparents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The Queen's grandfather King George V was the brother of Harald's grandmother Princess Maude, who married King Haakon VIIKing Harald of Norway is a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth and 78th in line to the British throne. Harald V has ruled the Scandinavian country since January 1991, succeeding his father, Olav V. He will likely be in attendance alongside his wife Queen Sonja.Harald V and the Queen shared the same great-grandparents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The Queen's grandfather King George V was the brother of Harald's grandmother Princess Maude, who married King Haakon VII.Paying tribute to Her Majesty, the King said: 'Our thoughts are with His Majesty The King and the members of the Royal Family on the loss of Queen Elizabeth. 'For nearly a century, Her Majesty devoted her life to the service of the Commonwealth, following the British people through good days and bad, in times of happiness and sorrow. We also send our condolences to the British people.' Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of LuxembourgThe Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa will also attend today's ceremony. Henri, who came to power in 2000, is a relative of the Monarch via Leopold I, Prince Albert's uncle The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa will also attend today's ceremony. They are pictured paying their respects last night Posting on Twitter after Her Majesty's death, the Luxembourg royal family wrote: 'Their Royal Highnesses are deeply moved and saddened by the news of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, a monarch deeply attached to the friendship between our two countries.'The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa will also attend today's ceremony. Henri, who came to power in 2000, is a relative of the Monarch via Leopold I, Prince Albert's uncle. Posting on Twitter after Her Majesty's death, the Luxembourg royal family wrote: 'Their Royal Highnesses are deeply moved and saddened by the news of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, a monarch deeply attached to the friendship between our two countries. 'HRH the Grand Duke will send a message of condolence on behalf of the people of Luxembourg to the British Royal Family.' Hereditary Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein The Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie will also attend Alois, the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein was the last European royal to confirm he would attend the Monarch's ceremony. Aged 54, he has been regent of his country since 2004 ands has been raising his four children with his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, who will also be in attendance. His father, Hans-Adam II, is the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein and an eighth cousin of Queen Elizabeth - making them one of the most distantly related royals in Europe.They are both descendants of Ludwig, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.Prince Albert & Princess Charlene of Monaco Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, pictured in July, who attended a memorial service for the Queen over the weekend, will also attend Albert is married to Charlene, a South-African Olympic swimmer, but their marriage has been plagued by controversy over the past year with Albert admitting to two illegitimate children and Charlene spending a significant amount of time outside of MonacoPrince Albert of Monaco - who competed in bobsledding at the Winter Olympics five times from 1988 to 2002 -ascended to the Monaco throne after the death of his father, Prince Rainier III, on 6th April 2005. He is married to Charlene, a South-African Olympic swimmer, but their marriage has been plagued by controversy over the past year with Albert admitting to two illegitimate children and Charlene spending a significant amount of time outside of Monaco.The pair share seven-year-old twins Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès.Albert, who is the son of Grace Kelly, and Charlene will no doubt put on a united front to pay tribute to Her Majesty at the service.Through his father, Prince Rainer, Albert is 7th cousin twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II. Their common ancestor is Johann Wilhelm Friso, Prince of Orange-Nassau.ASIAN ROYAL FAMILIES Sultan Hassanal of Brunei The Sultan of Brunei, who met the Queen several times throughout his reign, hsa also confirmed he will attend her funeral (pictured in 2019)The Sultan of Brunei, who met the Queen several times throughout his reign, has also confirmed he will attend her funeral. He has travelled to the UK many a time and has met with both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister David Cameron. Aged 74, he has been ruling over Brunei since since 1967, making him the longest running monarch in the world.In addition to being the country's Sultan and absolute monarch, 76-year-old Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III has also been the Prime Minister of Brunei since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.His reign has also been mired in controversy. He has faced criticism of his country's human rights record, and questions have been raised over business dealings.Despite this, Bolkiah has appeared to have enjoyed a close relationship with The Queen. Like his father before him, he was knighted by Her Majesty, and the pair met on several occasions during their reigns - in both London and Bandar Seri Begawan. King Jigme & Queen Jetsun of BhutanThe Bhutanese Monarchs will also travel to London for the Sovereign's funeral, but will leave their sons. They are pictured paying their respect to the Queen King Jigme has been in power in Bhutan since 2011, and married his wife Jetsun Pema that same year. They are pictured yesterday in LondonThe Bhutanese Monarchs will also travel to London for the Sovereign's funeral. King Jigme has been in power in Bhutan since 2011, and married his wife Jetsun Pema that same year. They share two sons, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, who will not travel to London with them. Their oldest son, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, is the heir to the Bhutanese throne. King Jigme, the hugely popular fifth Druk Gyalpo, studied in the UK and the US and ascended the throne in 2006, aged just 26 after his own father abdicated.Unlike his son, who plans to have a monogamous marriage, the former King, who introduced democracy to Bhutan during his reign, has four wives, all sisters who he married on the same day.But despite his own upbringing, the current monarch has made clear that he only plans to have one wife, whom he married on October 13, 2011, when she was still an international relations student at Regent's College in London. Emperor Naruhito & Empress Masako of JapanNahurito, 62, became Emperor of Japan after succeeding to his father Emperor Akihito in 2019 and he will also travel to London on Monday, with his wife Masako The couple, pictured paying their respects to the Queen, flew first class into London before swapping their luxury digs for a shuttle bus alongside other world dignitaries to get to the Queen's funeralNahurito, 62, became Emperor of Japan after succeeding to his father Emperor Akihito in 2019.His wife Empress Masako, will attend the ceremony with him, but their daughter Princess Mako will stay in Japan. The couple flew first class into London before swapping their luxury digs for a shuttle bus alongside other world dignitaries to get to the Queen's funeral.Leaked Government documents revealed plans for world leaders to travel en masse in a bus to Westminster Abbey for Monday's service, rather than using private cars. One of the newer world monarch's he formally proclaimed his ascendancy to the throne in 2019 in a centuries-old ceremony attended by dignitaries from more than 180 countries, pledging to fulfil his duty as a symbol of the state. 'I swear that I will act according to the constitution and fulfil my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,' he declared, his voice slightly hoarse, in front of about 2,000 guests, including Britain's Prince Charles.Sultan Haitham of OmanAt 66, Haitham of Oman has been reigning since 2020, where he was named as successor by Sultan Qaboos before his death. He met the Queen in 2021At 66, Haitham of Oman has been reigning since 2020, where he was named as successor by Sultan Qaboos before his death.Before becoming Sultan, Haitham served in Qaboos cabinet and was Minister of Heritage and Culture from 2002 to 2020. The Sultan met the Queen during his visit to the UK in 2021. The Middle Eastern ruler was joined by his wife, Her Highness The Honourable Lady Sayyida Ahad Bint Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Busaidiyah during the visit.Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, a former culture and heritage minister who studied at Oxford, came to power after the death of his cousin Sultan Qaboos - the Arab world's longest-serving ruler - last year. Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah & Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku of Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah, 63, became the King of Malaysia in 2019. He will attend the ceremony with his wife, Raja Permaisury Agong Tunky, right Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah, 63, became the King of Malaysia in 2019. As a young man, he completed his military training in the UK at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.He will attend the ceremony with his wife, Raja Permaisury Agong Tunky. Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was crowned monarch after Sultan Muhammad V stepped down after the last his reported marriage to a Russian ex-beauty queen, Oksana Voevodina. The ceremony was televised nationally and attended by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and hundreds of guests decked out in Islamic finery.Before being sworn in at the palace, the 63-year-old, who is also the ceremonial ruler of central Pahang state, was given a welcome at the national parliament and inspected a guard of honour. His predecessor, Sultan Muhammad V stepped aside following just two years on the throne after he went on medical leave. Reports then surfaced he had married a former Miss Moscow in November.OTHERS King Tupou of Tonga At 63, King Tupou has been the Monarch of Tonga since 2012, and met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2018. It was not confirmed that his wife, Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, will attend Monday's ceremony with himAt 63, King Tupou has been the Monarch of Tonga since 2012, and met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2018. He is married, however, it was not confirmed that his wife, Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, will attend Monday's ceremony with him. His brother, Oxford-educated King George Tupou V passed away in a Hong Kong Hospital at the age of 63 in 2012, the cause of death believed to be linked to kidney problems.FORMER MONARCHIES Crown Prince Pavlos of GreecePrince Pavlos is the eldest son and second child of Constantine II, the last King of Greece from 1964 to 1973 and his wife, Anne-Marie of Denmark. He is pictured paying respect to the Queen lat night In a statement last week he thanked The Queen 'for the kindness HM gave to my parents and family in times of need.'Prince Pavlos is the eldest son and second child of Constantine II, the last King of Greece from 1964 to 1973 and his wife, Anne-Marie of Denmark. He is married to Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece. In a statement last week he thanked The Queen 'for the kindness HM gave to my parents and family in times of need.' Crown Princess Marie Chantal also said: 'A sad day today on hearing that Her Majesty the Queen passed. May she Rest In Peace and I am sure the heavens have a special place for her. She taught us duty, honor, love and above all else courage. She ruled immaculately and was so loved. Thank you for your service and for showing my in-laws such kindness and love during their darkest days.' Prince Emanuele of Savoy (Italy) Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 47, has also confirmed he will attend the Queen's funeral on Monday (pictured in 2018) Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 47, who is known as the 'Pasta Prince', due to his career running food trucks in LA, announced his plans to run for political office last year. The defunct Italian throne runs a catering business called Prince of Venice and has lead a colourful life in the public eye, claiming to have dated Kate Moss and starring on Italy's version of Strictly Come Dancing.He is the grandson of Umberto II, the last reigning king of Italy, who was deposed in 1946 when the country became a republic.Crown Prince Alexander of SerbiaAlexander was born in exile at London’s Claridge’s hotel, temporarily declared Yugoslavia for a day in 1945. Pictured last night Alexander was
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More than five months after King Charles III named son Prince William and daughter-in-law Kate Middleton as the United Kingdom’s latest Prince and Princess of Wales, the titles are now official.
The official title change came when the Letters Patent passed the Great Seal of the Realm on Feb. 13, per People. The Crown Office announced that development on Friday in a notice in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record.
“In accordance with the direction of His Majesty the King, Letters Patent have passed the Great Seal of the Realm, dated the 13th February 2023 for creating His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cornwall Rothesay and Cambridge, Earl of Carrick and Strathearn, Baron of Renfrew, Baron Carrickfergus, K.G., K.T., Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester,” the Crown Office’s notice reads.
Charles, the previous Prince of Wales, passed the title to William in a speech to the nation on Sept. 9, 2022, one day after the death of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty,” Charles said at the time. “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given.”
Meanwhile, the previous Princesses of Wales include Princess Diana — Charles’ first wife, who died in 1997 — and Camilla, Queen Consort — Charles’ second wife, who opted to go by Duchess of Cornwall during her husband’s time as prince, according to Today.
After Charles named Kate the new Princess of Wales, a palace spokesperson said the 41-year-old “appreciates the history associated with this role” but will “understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path.”
In a conversation with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford later in September, William, 40, “acknowledged his and the Princess’s deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey, including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life,” Kensington Palace said in a statement, per Reuters.
“The Prince and Princess will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales,” the palace added. “They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them.”
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The monarchs arrived in a horse-drawn carriage as they led the Royal Procession on the final day of the racing event on Saturday
The royal couple were all smiles as they led the Royal Procession on the final day of the 2023 Royal Ascot on Saturday afternoon. The King, 74, and his wife Camilla, 75, were dressed in their finest as they sat in a horse-drawn carriage and waved to the crowds at the event, held at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England.
Charles wore a light gray three-piece morning suit — adorned with a light pink buttonhole and a patterned pocket square — and a black top hat. The monarch's gold cufflinks could be seen as he gestured to the crowds during the procession.
Queen Camilla looked elegant in a buttermilk silk dress by Anna Valentine, which had a scoop neckline, long sleeves and a flared mid-length skirt. She wore matching court heels, gloves and a hat by designer Philip Treacy — who also created her wedding headpiece — which had a burst of feathers to the side. Gold earrings and a necklace completed her outfit.
The King and Queen were joined in their carriage on Saturday by the Earl of Caledon and his wife the Countess of Caledon. The royal couple were followed in a second carriage by Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Lady Sophie Windsor, Princess Zahra Aga Khan and Lady Weatherby.
In the third carriage was Prince Michael of Kent's daughter Lady Gabriella and her husband Thomas Kingston, horse trainer Andrew Balding and his wife Anna-Lisa. Soon-to-retire jockey Frankie Dettori and his wife Catherine Dettori, with horse trainer Jamie Snowden and his wife Lucy Snowden sat in the fourth and final carriage of the procession.
As the royal couple watched the first race of the day, they were joined by Lady Gabriella and Kingston as well as Lady Sophie, who is also known for her role in the British TV comedy Peep Show. All appeared riveted by the race, with Charles in particular focused intently on the action on the track. The King was also spotted in conversation with a smiling Lady Sophie — who stood out on the day in a chic yellow dress and white hat — as the pair walked through the racecourse.
The King and Queen's happy afternoon came after Kate Middleton and Prince William made their first appearance at the 2023 Royal Ascot on Friday. Although William and Kate, both 41, have attended the famous horse races numerous times in the past, this marked their debut at the event since becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales.
While Prince William looked dapper in a top hat and suit, Kate popped in a red dress by Alexander McQueen (her royal wedding dress designer!) paired with a matching hat, also by Philip Treacy. She accessorized with statement gold earrings and a clutch.
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Prince William and Princess Kate arrived for the fourth day of the annual event in the Royal Procession, riding in a horse-drawn carriage behind Charles and Camilla. In the third carriage was Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and the late Queen Elizabeth's cousin Prince Michael of Kent and his wife.
In a surprise addition to the Royal Procession, actor Dame Judi Dench rode with her partner, David Mills, and the former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. William Farish, a close friend of the late Queen.
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Read the original article on People.
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Royal Families
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Prince Louis was named after one of the most famous and influential members of the Royal Family - and shares the name with many other royals including his father and his elder brother Prince GeorgePrince Louis was named after many members of the Royal FamilyAcross nearly 1000 years of royal history, there have been many famous royals who have played a key role in growing the family's popularity and influence. While Queen Victoria would certainly top this list as a key player thanks to her determination to have her children and grandchildren marry into European royal families, there is another royal who should be commended for his efforts. Lord Louis Mountbatten was born as Prince Louis of Battenberg and was a grandson of Queen Victoria. He is widely credited as being a 'secret weapon' for the Royal Family and served as a mentor for his godson, King Charles III. Louis Mountbatten's memory has been honoured by several members of his family. King Charles gave his first son 'Louis' as a middle name and Prince William carried on the tradition by using it as Prince George's third name and as his youngest son's first name. Prince Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas was born at Frogmore House on the Windsor Estate on June 25, 1900 to Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. He had three elder siblings, Alice, Louise and George. Alice became Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark and was the mother of the late Duke of Edinburgh. Louise went on to become the Queen of Sweden and George succeeded his father as 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven. Lord Mountbatten was Prince Philip's uncle (
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PA) Lord Mountbatten was previously known as Prince Louis of Battenberg (
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Hulton Archive) Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up . He was known as Prince Louis of Battenberg until the outbreak of World War One. After King George V announced that he was changing the Royal Family's surname from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor, his German relatives did the same and adopted more British-sounding names. The Battenberg family chose 'Mountbatten' as their new last name. Having been educated at Royal Naval College in Osborne on the Isle of Wight, Louis embarked on a career in the Royal Navy which would last his entire life. He would eventually take on vital roles such as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral of the Fleet and Chief of the Defence Staff. Lord Louis married heiress Edwina Ashley in 1922 and the couple had two daughters, Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess of Burma and Lady Pamela Hicks. Lord Mountbatten married in 1922 (
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Getty) The couple were famously unfaithful to one another (
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APIC) The couple were famously unfaithful to one another, with Louis Mountbatten even recalling: "Edwina and I spent all our married lives getting into other people's beds." Among his countless awards and recognitions, one of the most important roles Louis Mountbatten played was getting his nephew, The Duke of Edinburgh (then Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) to meet King George VI's daughter, Princess Elizabeth. Lord Louis also served as a mentor to his godson, Charles, and referred to him as his "honorary grandson". On August 27, 1979, Lord Mountbatten was with his family at Classiebawn Castle in Northern Ireland and went out on a trip to go lobster potting in the harbour at Mullaghmore. The IRA had attached a radio-controlled bomb to his boat the night before and detonated it when he was aboard with several others, including his twin grandsons, Nicholas and Timothy Knatchbull. Lord Mountbatten, Nicholas Knatchbull, Lady Brabourne and a young boy named Paul Maxwell were all killed in the explosion. Louis Mountbatten's funeral was held at Westminster Abbey on September 5 and saw all the royals gather to pay tribute. Lord Mountbatten was King Charles' mentor (
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Getty Images) In honour of his memory, King Charles made one of Prince William's middle names 'Louis'. This tradition was carried on by The Prince and Princess of Wales as they named their first son, George Alexander Louis. The couple also named their youngest son Louis to keep in with this trend and as a sweet nod to Prince Charles who was incredibly close with Lord Mountbatten. Other royals whose names include a touching link to Louis Mountbatten include Prince Edward, Princess Anne, Lady Louise Windsor and a number of extended members of the Royal Family. Read More Read More Read More Read More Read More
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Royal Families
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Queen Camilla’s family came out to support their matriarch at the coronation service for her and King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday. The queen is a mother of two, grandmother of five and step-grandmother of five.
Her family, alongside more than 2,200 guests, witnessed Camilla get crowned with Queen Mary's crown, which had been modified for the occasion to honor the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Below are some of Camilla's family members who were present at the ceremony.
Tom Parker Bowles
Tom Parker Bowles is the eldest of Camilla’s children. Ahead of the coronation, Parker Bowles, a food critic, had spoken out on "The News Agents" podcast and said there had not been “any sort of endgame” when his mother married Charles back in 2005.
"She married the person she loved and this is what happened," he said.
Master Freddy Parker Bowles
Parker Bowles’ son Freddy, now 13, assumed a special role during the coronation, serving as one of the queen’s Pages of Honour.
On "The News Agents" podcast, Tom Parker Bowles had said that he doubted his son was stressed about the once-in-a-lifetime event.
"I don't think he knows quite how big it's going to be,” Parker Bowles said. "He's a 13-year-old boy who loves football."
For the coronation, Freddy wore a red uniform with gold cuffs and a gold-and-crimson waist sash.
Lola Parker Bowles
Lola, Parker Bowles’ daughter and Freddy’s older brother, also attended the coronation.
Laura Lopes
Laura Lopes, Camilla’s daughter and the second of her children, attended the coronation in a green ensemble.
Master Gus Lopes and Master Louis Lopes
Lopes’ twin sons, Master Gus Lopes and Master Louis Lopes, joined Freddy as two of Camilla's Pages of Honour.
Gus sported a green jacket with a collar braid on the front and neck for the coronation.
Louis' outfit matched Freddy's with the red jacket, gold cuffs and red and gold waist sash.
Master Arthur Elliot
Camilla's great-nephew, Arthur, the son of Ben Elliot, Camilla's nephew, was also a Page of Honour for the queen. He donned the same uniform as his cousin Gus, with a green jacket and collar braid.
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Royal Families
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Queen Consort's former bodyguard - who 'would jump in front of a flying bullet' for the Royals - is made King Charles' head driver in shake-up of Buckingham Palace staffNew head driver Mark Andrews has guarded the Royal Family for 20 yearsHe will give the King and Queen Consort added security in lead up to coronation Mr Andrews was head of Camilla's police protection team up until last year Published: 20:58 EST, 23 January 2023 | Updated: 21:02 EST, 23 January 2023 The Queen Consort's former bodyguard has been made King Charles's head driver in a shake-up of Buckingham Palace staff. Mark Andrews has protected the Royal Family for 20 years and was head of the Queen Consort's police protection team before he retired from the Met last year aged 40. He will now become King Charles's head driver as Tim Williams, who currently holds the position, is retiring. Former firearms officer Mr Andrews will give Charles, 74, and Camilla, 75, added security in the build up to the coronation on May 6. Mark Andrews has become King Charles's new head driver and will give added security to the monarch and Queen Consort Mr Andrews has protected the royal family for 20 years and was head of the Queen Consort's police protection team before he retired from the Met last year aged 40Former Scot Yard commander John O'Connor told The Sun: 'He is clearly trusted and highly regarded by them, but there is the added importance of security, especially with the coronation coming up.' Sources added that Mr Andrews would 'jump in front of a flying bullet' to protect the royals if necessary. He previously accompanied the couple on their Caribbean tour in 2019 and is said to have a close relationship with the Queen Consort. The then Prince of Wales visited St Lucia, St Vincent, the Grenadines, St Kitts and more as part of the 12-day tour. They also took part in a four-day tour of Cuba - making history by becoming the first members of the Royal Family to do so. It comes as Camilla is reportedly arranging a shake-up in staff at Buckingham Palace. Camilla, 75, is reportedly arranging a shake-up of staff at Buckingham Palace and prefers a smaller number of staffShe has previously been claimed to prefer a smaller number of staff, as she thinks it is 'more with the times'.Security will be tightened in time for the King's coronation on May 6 in Westminster Abbey. The coronation itself will take place on a Saturday so a bank holiday will fall on Monday 8, two days after the service. Millions of people will line the streets of London to celebrate the occasion. In December an urgent review of King Charles' security took place after protests, including the monarch being targeted by activists throwing eggs twice in two months. One man was arrested following a disturbance on St George's Square in Luton. Four weeks previously an egg was thrown at the King and Queen Consort during a visit to York. MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. Advertisement Read more: Queen Camilla's former bodyguard lands important new job with King Charles as part of palace shake-up
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Royal Families
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It’s predicted to rain on King Charles’ parade on Saturday — but a viral tweet has joked that it may be the spirits above that have orchestrated it.
Responding to a tweet from LLC News, which read, “Disappointment for royal fans as rain and storms predicted for the coronation weekend,” user @lewispringle didn’t even need words when he reply.
Instead, he retweeted it with a picture of Princess Diana in that 1995 Martin Bashir interview on the BBC, in which she revealed her then-husband Prince Charles was having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles — and she knew all about it.
The tongue-in-cheek picture — suggesting either her spiritual involvement in or simply pleasure about the forecast — has been retweeted more than 15,500 times with topped 118,000 likes since it was posted on May 2.
Twitter users loved the insinuation that the poor weather forecast for Saturday had supernatural involvement from Charles’ late ex-wife Diana.
“It’s a sign,” one person declared.
“Diana will have the last laugh,” agreed another.
“The thought of Diana opening the heaves on Coronation makes me giddy,” laughed another.
The 1995 bombshell interview was the first time Diana had directly named Camilla — currently queen consort and soon to be queen — as the “third person” in her marriage.
Diana also claimed the royal family had been unsupportive in her ongoing mental health battles.
The official crowning of King Charles, 74, will take place on Saturday, May 6, with about 2,000 guests filling up the 1,000-year-old Westminster Abbey.
Camilla, 75, will be enthroned alongside him as well, officially becoming queen.
Charles’ mother, long-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II, died last September at age 96.
The ceremony will be helmed by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, will attend with their children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, who reportedly will have special roles at their grandfather’s coronation.
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Royal Families
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World leaders including Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern will be joined at the Queen's funeral by Europe's royals, Japan's emperor and a cast of controversial statesmen including Jair Bolsonaro and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.The presence of Brazil's right-wing populist President and Turkey's authoritarian leader in London could spark protests that would widen if Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum are also invited to Britain.As the world mourns Her Majesty's death at the age of 96, the globe's most powerful men and women are scrambling for seats on Monday amid limits on who can join the congregation of 2,000 VIPs.500 world leaders, foreign dignitaries and heads of state including Mr Biden, Mr Macron and Emperor Naruhito will be at the historic service honouring Britain's longest-reigning monarch - the first full State Funeral that Britain has hosted since Winston Churchill died in 1965. But Vladimir Putin has been snubbed along with his ally, Belarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko. Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar will also not be asked with no official stance yet on Syria's Bashar al-Assad or North Korea's Kim Jong-un - although they are highly unlikely to make the guest list because they rarely go abroad.Iran's Ayatollah and President won't be asked to be in London - but an ambassador from the rogue state will be invited.Buckingham Palace declined to comment on who is on the guest list and when it will be finalised. It is not thought the trip will be made by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, who took time out from organising his country's fightback against Putin's forces to sign a book of condolence for the Queen. China's President Xi and India's Narendra Modi are yet to confirm. Xi is considered unlikely to accept given he has not left the country for more than three years. The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Myanmar won’t get an invite to the Queen's funeral but a number of controversial figures including Erdogan and Bolsonaro are coming to London and other world leaders are yet to confirm including President XiThe octogenarian King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud will have received an invite but would be highly unlikely to attend due to his age and health. His son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the nation's de facto leader who mixed with world leaders at the G20, could head to Britain in his place - a decision that would likely spark protests.MBS is accused of ordering the murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. He vehemently denies the claims and said recently that that the journalist would not be among his top 1,000 targets to kill, 'if that was how we did things'. Major world leaders from the G7 will NOT have to take a bus to Queen's funeral Major world leaders will not be forced to take a bus to the Queen's funeral on Monday, it has been revealed.Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, and Japanese Emperor Naruhito are among those expected to be granted exemptions from the coach ride for 'security reasons'.German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian president Sergio Matarella, Canada's Justin Trudeau and Israel's Isaac Herzog may also be exempted.It comes after a leaked document suggested all foreign leaders would be forced to take coaches from a secret location in west London to Westminster Abbey due to 'tight security and road restrictions.'But a government source has since clarified the situation to The Times, saying it clearly would not be appropriate to ask G7 leaders to 'take a bus'.Dignitaries are being asked to be as flexible as possible, the source added. But US intelligence agencies concluded in a declassified intelligence report that the Saudi crown prince had approved the 2018 murder.Her Majesty's close friend Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the billionaire ruler of Dubai, is yet to confirm if he will attend.Before her death, Her Majesty was under pressure to ditch him after the High Court found he was responsible for illegal UK phone hacking.A senior judge concluded that Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the horse race-loving friend of the Royal Family and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, committed a 'total abuse of trust and indeed an abuse of power'.He previously orchestrated the armed kidnap of his runaway daughter Princess Shamsa from Cambridgeshire in 2000, persuading Tony Blair's government to hush it up, the High Court heard. He also allegedly abducted her sister Princess Latifa when she too tried to flee.But with the limit on numbers, it could be he is not asked because he is not technically a head of state - Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is leader of the United Arab Emirates and Sheikh Mohammed is his deputy.Brazilian right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted an invitation to attend the funeral, the country's foreign ministry said, as has Turkey's controversial president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Heads of state and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey. Leading figures in Britain's public life are set to attend her funeral next week, including Liz Truss and all her living predecessors. But with so many people wanting to go, invites are limited to one per VIP plus their spouse if they have one, but there is an ongoing row after the Government urged them to fly commercially and pool jets to get to the UK. There is also upset that many will be asked to jump on shuttle buses to the abbey rather than use state limousines or carriages. All of Europe's kings and queens, as well as minor royals from the continent related to Her Majesty and Prince Philip, will be there, including King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.Spain's former king Juan Carlos will pause his self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Outside of Europe, Japan's Emperor Naruhito will travel to London alongside Empress Masako and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The leaders of most Commonwealth countries are expected to attend, including New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern - whose journey across the world will take almost 24 hours - and her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese.Australia and New Zealand are also offering to share flights to allow Pacific leaders to travel together to London with Mr Albanese bring 10 'ordinary Aussies' with him on the plane to the UK.US President Joe Biden has confirmed he will attend the Queen's funeral alongside First Lady Jill Biden in Britain's first state funeral since Sir Winston Churchill's death Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been invited to the funeral. Chinese President Xi Jinping has been invited, but is not likely to leave China for the first time in two yearsBelarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko is not invited. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and The President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, will fly to LondonPictured: The Queen attends an unveiling of a design For the Shiekh Zayed National Museum accompanied By Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during a state visit to Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Mohammed was slammed by a High Court ruling recently. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the G20 Leaders' Summit for Saudi Arabia and could be asked to the funeral French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron will be in LondonPrincess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco will be in London King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands were the first foreign royals to confirm their attendance at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral next MondayKing Felipe VI, Queen Letizia of Spain recently paid tribute to their distant relative with a heartfelt statement. They have also confirmed their attendance to the Queen's funeral Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako pictured in Tokyo shortly after his enthronement in November 2019 may also attend New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern (pictured) has been confirmed as one of the attendees of The Queen's funeral next week. Australian PM, Anthony Albanese, pictured with his partner Jodie Haydon, will come to Britain from Down Under. Australia and New Zealand are also offering to share flights to allow Pacific leaders to travel together to London. The hearse carrying the coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, following the queen's death, departs St Giles' Cathedral, in Edinburgh as she is flown to London World leaders including Biden and Macron heading to London - but Putin and Xi likely to miss final farewell Not invitedRussia's Vladimir PutinBelarus’ Aleksandr LukashenkoMin Aung Hlaing of MyanmarSupreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei/President Ebrahim Raisi - but the ambassador to the UK will be askedNot confirmedIndian prime minister Narendra ModiChina's Xi JinpingRuler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumSaudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud or his son, de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al SaudConfirmedJoe Biden and Jill Biden, President and first lady of the United StatesEmmanuel Macron, President of FrancePresident Isaac Herzog of IsraelAlexander Van der Bellen, President of AustriaJacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New ZealandAnthony Albanese, Australian Prime MinisterGitanas Nauseda, President of LithuaniaRanil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan PresidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier, President of GermanyYoon Suk-yeol, South Korean PresidentJair Bolsonaro, President of BrazilTurkey's Recep Tayyip ErdoganKing Philip and Queen Mathilde of BelgiumAndrzej Duda, President of PolandSergio Mattarella, President of ItalyJustin Trudeau, Canadian Prime MinisterCharles Michel, President of the European CouncilEgils Levits, President of LatviaPaula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and TobagoMohammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian Prime MinisterSauli Niinisto, President of FinlandKatalin Novak, Hungarian PresidentMichael D Higgins, Irish President and Micheál Martin, Irish Prime Minister Royals to attend the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey Confirmed King Charles IIIAnne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew Prince EdwardCamilla, the Queen ConsortSophie, the Countess of Wessex,Prince William Prince HarryPeter PhillipsZara and Mike TindallPrincesses Beatrice and Jack Brooksbank Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.The Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.King Philip and Queen Mathilde of BelgiumKing Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the NetherlandsKing Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of SpainKing Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of SwedenKing Harald V and Queen Sonja of NorwayGrand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of LuxembourgPrince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of GreeceJapan's Emperor NaruhitoSpain's former king Juan Carlos Joe Biden was the first to confirm his attendance yesterday - and the majority of world leaders from the King's realms and the Commonwealth will be there. Russian President Vladimir Putin is certain not to be there. Invites to the Queen’s funeral have not been sent to Moscow, Belarus and Myanmar, while Iran will only be represented at an ambassadorial level, Whitehall sources said.Invitations to other leaders, including former heads of state, will be at the discretion of Buckingham Palace. This means that the Obamas and Donald Trump may miss out.The Queen's state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey in central London at 11am on Monday. Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind - just like they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.The military will line the streets and also join the procession. The service will be televised in the UK and around the globe.It came as the Government, which is in charge of travel arrangements for the funeral, was forced to clarify its security arrangements for visiting world leaders.Leaked documents suggested world leaders would be asked to travel to the funeral by bus for security reasons. The President usually travels in a limo nicknamed 'the Beast', which is bulletproof, bomb-proof and resistant to chemical attacks.Yesterday Number 10 said that its directions were guidance, adding: 'The arrangements for leaders and how they travel will vary depending on individual circumstances. Arrangements for different leaders will vary depending on things like security risks.'The Foreign Office also encouraged leaders to use commercial flights, warning that Heathrow is 'not available for private flight arrangements or aircraft parking'.Those that insist on travelling by private jet should head for 'less busy airports' around London, it said. Helicopters have also been banned 'due to the number of flights operating at this time'. After the funeral, the Queen's coffin will be taken to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service.Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.The Queen's final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annexe to the main chapel - where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip's coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen's.But there is a backlash over foreign leaders being ordered to travel to the ceremony by bus.Invitations will be issued to heads of state and their wives - but invitations to other leaders, including former heads of state, will be at the discretion of Buckingham Palace.Yesterday Number 10 said that the Government is taking the lead on travel arrangements, while the guest list is a matter for Buckingham Palace.When asked if there was space for former heads of state such as Mr Trump, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said 'space will be limited'.The funeral is being held in Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday, which has also been designated a bank holiday.Leaders who have already confirmed their attendance include the prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the heads of state of Japan and South Korea.US President Joe Biden said he will attend with his wife Jill, catching his White House staff off-guard as his predecessors declined to attend the last two state funerals in the UK - Winston Churchill's in 1965 and George VI's in 1952.His attendance is expected to create an awkward decision for the Palace, who may wish to invite Mr Trump's predecessors Michelle and Barack Obama.Mrs Obama and the Queen developed a strong bond, despite the former president's wife breaking royal protocol by placing her arm on the monarch's back during their first meeting in 2009.In a touching tribute to the Queen, the Obamas said her reign was 'defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic', adding she meant 'a great deal' to them, and remembered how she 'welcomed them to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity'.Former Tory leader Lord Hague said 'of course' there will be diplomacy at the Queen's funeral.But he said world leaders are coming to pay their respects to an 'extraordinary head of state' - and that is what '90% of it will be about'.Asked if there will be politics at the funeral, he told Times Radio: 'Of course there is some diplomacy - you can't have that number of people together from around the world without them starting to say, 'well, what do you think is happening in Ukraine?' - of course there is going to be some of that.'Nevertheless, they're coming because they want to pay their respects to this extraordinary head of state. And that is what 90% of it will be about.'Yesterday Irish premier Micheal Martin confirmed he will travel to attend the Queen's funeral, as well as a memorial service for the Queen in Belfast today.European royal families are expected to be present, including King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia.Emperor Naruhito, the Oxford-educated leader of Japan, is expected to make the trip to the UK despite not usually attending funerals.President Yoon of South Korea, President Steinmeier of Germany, President Bolsonaro, the right-wing leader of Brazil, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, have also confirmed their attendance.Other likely attendees will include President Macron of France and President Erdogan of Turkey.Number 10 said there will be no bi-lateral meetings granted to visiting dignitaries, but King Charles III will host a reception for overseas leaders at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening.After the state funeral service the following day, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will host a reception for political leaders in Dean's Yard, in the grounds of the abbey.King Charles III, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward each stood on one of the four corners of the coffin in a ceremony known as the Vigil of the Princes last night. They will lead the mourning at the state funeral Sophie, Countess of Wessex, guest the Duke of Buccleuch and Camilla, Queen Consort, will support their spouses Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle on SaturdayPeter Phillips (left) and Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall (right) are expected to be attending the service Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank (left) and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (right) will all be at the funeralJames Viscount Severn (left) and Lady Louise Windsor (right), the Earl and Countess of Wessex's children, will both be going The Queen and Prince Philip with their great-grandchildren, from left, George, Louis, Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Lena Tindall and Mia Tindall. This picture was taken by the Princess of Wales in 2018European royals have confirmed their attendance at the Queen's funeral on Monday.King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will be among the 2,000 mourners expected at Westminster Abbey. Representatives from the Swedish, Danish and Monegasque royal families are also expected, according to royal blogger Gert's Royals. Unlike the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in 2021 - which was restricted to just 30 people - it is likely Westminster Abbey's 2,000 capacity will be filled to capacity in honour Britain's longest-reigning monarch.The funeral congregation will be headed by the new King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, while William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, will follow closely.The Queen's other three children, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, and Princess Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will also be among the chief mourners. The King's mother, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, has also confirmed that she will be in attendance at Westminster Abbey next Monday King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will also join the congregation at Westminster Abbey next week Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, 81, described as a close friend of the late Queen and now Europe's longest-reigning monarch celebrating her 50th Jubilee - will almost certainly be prominent among the European heads of stateKing Harald V of Norway (right) is pictured with Queen Sonja (left) at a museum in Oslo on June 16, 2022 King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden are highly likely to be among the mourners at the Queen's funeral Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of LuxembourgIt is expected all eight of the Queen's grandchildren will be present, including Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her spouse Jack Brooksbank, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.The Queen's nephew Lord Snowdon and niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto are also anticipated to be there.Other monarchs likely to be in attendance at the Queen's funeral include King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg, and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.Other possible guests are the former King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece - who was deposed in 1973.The confirmation of foreign royals at the Queen's funeral comes shortly after they paid tribute to the monarch online. Following her death King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain paid tribute to their distant relative with a heartfelt statement.The Spanish Royal Family echoed sentiments from the Dutch and Swedish royals in praising the Queen's sense of duty to her country throughout her historic 70-year reign.Posting a letter to King Charles III on the Casa Real Twitter account, King Felipe said he would 'dearly' miss his Aunt Lilibet, a figure he held close.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is in the spotlight as he mulls his choice on who will be the country's next prime minister, after an election left no party with a majority in parliament and coalition talks failed.Al-Sultan Abdullah on Tuesday said he would "soon" decide between opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin after neither politician was able to gain enough support to form a coalition following Saturday's elections.It will be the third time the king has chosen a prime minister in just over two years - though it's the first time this has happened following an election.WHO IS MALAYSIA'S KING?King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah ascended the throne in 2019 at the age of 59, becoming Malaysia's 16th monarch since it gained independence from Britain in 1957.Malaysia has a unique constitutional monarchy in which kings have been chosen in turn from the royal families of nine states, and each reigns for a five-year term.The silver-haired, bespectacled Al-Sultan Abdullah became king after the surprise abdication of the previous king.The ruler of the state of Pahang in the east cost of Malaysia, King Al-Sultan Abdullah won popularity for his down-to-earth image at the start of his reign after he was seen queuing up at Kentucky Fried Chicken and helping accident victims on a highway.Al-Sultan Abdullah is an avid sportsman, having represented his state in football matches in his younger days. He has served as a member of the FIFA Executive Committee and as president of the Asian Hockey Federation.IS IT ALWAYS THE KING'S CHOICE?No. Elections normally determine who will be prime minister in Malaysia under a parliamentary system.But the constitution does give him the power to appoint a prime minister that he believes can command a majority among the lawmakers.Malaysia's kings have rarely used that power, but political instability in the last two years has prompted the monarch to pick a premier.The monarchy has played a more influential role since 2020 amid the decline of the once-dominant Barisan Nasional alliance and its leading party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).Barisan had led every government since independence from British colonial rule in 1957 up until its electoral defeat in 2018. It was voted out after a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB.HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?Yes. King Al-Sultan Abdullah has appointed two previous prime ministers, though this is the first time it has happened after an election failed to produce a clear winner.The king appointed Muhyiddin prime minister in February 2020 when then-premier Mahathir Mohamad resigned due to coalition infighting.Al-Sultan Abdullah took the unusual step of meeting with all of the country's 222 lawmakers after Mahathir's resignation to determine who had a majority to form a new government, eventually picking former Mahathir ally Muhyiddin Yassin.Less than a year later, after Muhyiddin's own coalition fell apart, the king asked lawmakers to submit a letter each on who they backed as PM and decided to appoint the next premier - Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was in power until the recent election.WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?The king met with Anwar and Muhyiddin on Tuesday.Muhyiddin said the king had suggested that he and Anwar should form a "unity government" together but he had not agreed.The king has summoned 30 lawmakers from the Barisan Nasional alliance for a meeting on Wednesday to determine who becomes prime minister.Barisan posted its worst electoral performance on Saturday but plays a pivotal role in the formation of the government as its support is needed for both Anwar and Muhyiddin to clinch the majority.Whoever is eventually named prime minister is likely to face more political turbulence of the kind that has plagued the country in recent years.Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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By The Visual Journalism Team BBC NewsImage source, Getty ImagesAfter days of lying-in-state, the body of the late Queen Elizabeth II will begin its final journey on Monday morning as part of a grand state funeral - first to Westminster Abbey, for a religious service in front of a congregation of thousands, and then on to Windsor Castle for a more intimate committal service and, finally, a private burial.It will be a day of emotion, pomp and ceremony the like of which has not been seen since the last state funeral, of Winston Churchill, almost 60 years ago. The Queen made personal additions to the plans, Buckingham Palace has said.Here is a breakdown of the day's events on Monday 19 September. The Queen's lying-in-state at Westminster Hall in the heart of London will come to an end in the early morning. Thousands have been queuing and filing by to view her coffin.A short distance away, at Westminster Abbey, the doors will be opened for guests to start arriving ahead of the service at 11:00. Heads of state from across the world have been flying in to join members of the Royal Family to remember the Queen's life and service. Senior UK politicians and former prime ministers will also be there.Members of royal families from across Europe, many of whom were blood relatives of the Queen, are expected - Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia will be there.At this point, the ceremonial part of the day will begin in earnest, as the Queen's coffin is lifted from the catafalque where it has been resting since Wednesday afternoon, and taken to Westminster Abbey, for her funeral service.She will be carried on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy, drawn by 142 sailors. The carriage was last seen in 1979 for the funeral of Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten and was used for the Queen's father, George VI, in 1952.Senior members of the Royal Family, including the new King and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, will follow the gun carriage in procession.The Pipes and Drums of the Scottish and Irish regiments will lead the ceremony, along with members of the Royal Air Force and the Gurkhas.The route will be lined by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and a guard of honour will stand in Parliament Square made up of all three military services, accompanied by a Royal Marines band.The Queen's funeral service, expected to be attended by 2,000 guests, will begin at Westminster Abbey.It will be a state funeral - an event typically reserved for kings or queens, which follows strict rules of protocol, such as a military procession and the lying-in-state.The Abbey, hosting the funeral service, is the historic church where Britain's kings and queens are crowned, including the Queen's own coronation in 1953. It was also where the then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947.There hasn't been a monarch's funeral service in the Abbey since the 18th Century, although the funeral of the Queen Mother was held there in 2002.The service will be conducted by the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle, with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby giving the sermon. Prime Minister Liz Truss will read a lesson.Towards the end of the funeral service the Last Post - a short bugle call - will be played followed by a two-minute national silence. The national anthem and a lament played by the Queen's piper will bring the service to an end at about midday.Following the service, the Queen's coffin will be drawn in a walking procession from the Abbey to Wellington Arch, at London's Hyde Park Corner.With the route lined with military personnel and police, Big Ben will toll at one-minute intervals as the procession moves slowly through the streets of the capital. Gun salutes will also fire every minute from Hyde Park.People can watch the procession in person from designated viewing areas along the route.The procession, led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, will be made up of seven groups, each with its own band. Members of the armed services from the UK and the Commonwealth, the police and the NHS will also be involved.Once again the King will lead members of the Royal Family walking behind the gun carriage bearing the Queen's coffin.Camilla, the Queen Consort, the Princess of Wales, the Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Sussex will join the procession in cars.Once at Wellington Arch, at about 13:00, the coffin will be transferred to the new State Hearse for its final journey to Windsor Castle.The castle, continuously inhabited by 40 monarchs across almost 1,000 years, had special significance to the Queen throughout her life. As a teenager she was sent to the castle during the war years as London faced the threat of bombing, and more recently she made it her permanent home during the coronavirus pandemic.The hearse is expected to arrive for a walking procession up Windsor Castle's Long Walk. The three-mile (5km) avenue will be lined with members of the armed forces.Members of the public will be allowed access to the Long Walk to watch the procession pass.The King and senior members of the Royal Family are expected to join the cortege in the Quadrangle in Windsor Castle a little later.The castle's Sebastopol and Curfew Tower bells will be tolled every minute and gun salutes will be fired from the castle's grounds.Then the coffin will enter St George's Chapel for a committal service. St George's Chapel is the church regularly chosen by the Royal Family for weddings, christenings and funerals. It is where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, were married in 2018 and where the Queen's late husband Prince Philip's funeral was held.Attended by a smaller, more personal congregation of about 800 guests, the committal service will be conducted by Dean of Windsor David Conner, with a blessing from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.The service will include traditions symbolising the end of the Queen's reign.The Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre will be removed from the top of the coffin by the Crown Jeweller, separating the Queen from her crown for the final time.At the end of the last hymn, the King will then place the Queen's company camp colour, or flag, of the Grenadier Guards on the coffin. The Grenadier Guards are the most senior of the Foot Guards carrying out ceremonial duties for the monarch.At the same time, the Lord Chamberlain, former MI5 chief Baron Parker, will "break" his wand of office and place it on the coffin. The snapping of the white staff will signal the end of his service to the sovereign as her most senior official in the royal household.The Queen will then be lowered into the royal vault and the Sovereign's piper will play before a blessing and the singing of God Save the King. The performance by the piper at Windsor was something the Queen had personally requested, Buckingham Palace said.The committal service will come to an end and the King and members of the Royal Family will leave the chapel.That evening, at a private family service, the Queen will be buried together with her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George's Chapel.Her marble slab will be engraved ELIZABETH II 1926-2022.UK Royal FamilyKing Charles IIIQueen Elizabeth II
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Prince William has made his first visit to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, to attend their St David's Day parade.
The Prince of Wales addressed troops, at Combermere Barracks in Windsor, for the first time since becoming colonel of the regiment in December.
William was bestowed the title by the King, who previously held the rank before becoming monarch.
He also met members of the 5th Royal Australian Regiment and spoke to them about their role in training Ukrainian armed forces in the UK.
As is tradition for the parade, the prince presented leeks, which feature on the cap badge of the regiment, to the officers and guardsmen.
William, who was joined by his wife, Kate, the Princess of Wales, also gave a speech to rank-and-file soldiers where he said the Welsh Guards' "banter" had helped him get through his own time in the regiment.
He told them: "I am both honoured and delighted to be standing here in front of you today as your new Colonel.
"At the same time, I'm sorry that my father couldn't be here with us today to say farewell, but I know he would talk of his fierce pride and admiration for you all, and of his own sadness to be moving on from an appointment he held so dear since 1975.
"While they may not have been my easiest or driest days in the Army, my memories with the Welsh Guards Sniper Platoon Salisbury Plain are some of my best.
"Another key milestone in my life was also shared with the Welsh Guards, this time in the jungles of Belize as I received my A-level results over the Bowman Radio.
"Many of you will know the feeling of being in the jungle; you're incredibly hot, continuously soaking wet and with nowhere to hide from potentially horrendous results, it could have been a really bad day.
"Ultimately though, it was the camaraderie, the togetherness, and of course the banter of the Welsh Guards that got me through that period, and it's a time I look back on fondly."
He finished the speech with the regiment's motto, Cymru am byth, Welsh for Wales forever.
In a post on the couple's Twitter page, he wrote: "Honoured and delighted to be the new Colonel of the Welsh Guards and to join friends, families and loved ones for the St David's Day parade at Combermere Barracks.
"Our friends in the 5th Royal Australian Regiment are here too and it was great chatting to them about their role training Ukrainian Armed Forces in the UK.
"Wishing a very Happy St David's Day to everyone celebrating today!"
On Tuesday, the pair took part in an endurance spin class during a visit to an Aberavon leisure centre.
The royal couple joined gym-goers at the endurance cycling session in South Wales, and were challenged to see who could cycle the furthest in 45 seconds while riding a virtual race in the Italian mountains.
Kate, who was still wearing her high-heeled boots, won the race.
Away from their race, the pair toured the centre's sports hall and swimming pool, and met children from the local Tywyn Primary School, who were taking part in various indoor sports.
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Universal History Archive/Getty Images
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At Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, the royal family pose at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
At Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, the royal family pose at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
As Britons prepare for the coronation of King Charles III, we take a look at the United Kingdom's last coronation — for Queen Elizabeth II.
That was 70 years ago, and Charles is making some changes for his own event.
The parade route will be shorter than his mother's. The ceremony will include a nod to other faiths besides Christianity. And all of the U.K., not just aristocrats, will be asked to swear allegiance to King Charles.
Elizabeth's coronation was on June 2, 1953, when the country still had some of the marks of World War II. The start of the 25-year-old's reign was widely seen as the dawn of a new era. And many citizens got to watch the coronation for the first time on an emerging medium: television.
See the pictures we found from Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
Daily Herald Archive/SSPL via Getty Images
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The procession from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II approaches the Marble Arch.
Daily Herald Archive/SSPL via Getty Images
The procession from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II approaches the Marble Arch.
Daily Herald Archive/SSPL via Getty Images
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
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Queen Elizabeth II walks down the aisle at Westminster Abbey, on her coronation day.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
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Queen Elizabeth II poses with her Mistress of the Robes and the six Maids of Honour after her coronation.
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Queen Elizabeth II poses with her Mistress of the Robes and the six Maids of Honour after her coronation.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
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Queen Elizabeth II leaves Buckingham Palace before her coronation ceremony.
NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II leaves Buckingham Palace before her coronation ceremony.
NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
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At Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeth II is coronated in June 1953.
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A bus in Newcastle is adorned with Queen Elizabeth's insignia to celebrate her coronation.
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A bus in Newcastle is adorned with Queen Elizabeth's insignia to celebrate her coronation.
NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Hulton Deutsch/Corbis via Getty Images
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Queen Elizabeth II examines sets of new stamps issued to commemorate her 1953 coronation.
Hulton Deutsch/Corbis via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II examines sets of new stamps issued to commemorate her 1953 coronation.
Hulton Deutsch/Corbis via Getty Images
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Children enjoy a bicycle race at their North East street party for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
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Lilly Lee, a weaver at Warner & Sons, Braintree, Essex, hand weaves the velvet that will go to make the coronation robes for Queen Elizabeth II, Nov. 18, 1952.
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Crowds in central London celebrate during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
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A coronation goblet is engraved by W.J. Wilson, director and chief designer at the Whitefriars Glassworks.
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After canceling the first leg of their overseas trip to France last week amid ongoing protests, King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Berlin, Germany, marking the first tour of their new reign.
The royal couple were greeted in Berlin on Wednesday by a twenty-one gun salute and a fly-past to commemorate the start of their state visit. This is the pair's first trip to Berlin since 2020, and the king's 29th official visit to the country. From there, Charles and Camilla were taken to the Brandenburg Gate where they received a ceremonial welcome from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Frau Elke Büdenbender, the first time a foreign head of state has been formally welcomed at the venue. These ceremonies typically take place at Schloss Bellevue, the president's official residence. After the Brandenburg Gate, the royals were then taken to Schloss Bellevue where they joined the president in attending the Sustainability Reception in partnership with the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue followed by a state banquet.
Over the next two days, the king and queen consort will continue their tour, visiting Hamburg where Charles is expected to address the Bundestag, or German federal parliament. Queen Camilla and Frau Büdenbender will also visit the Komische Opera in Berlin to learn about the company's community outreach programs and local engagement. And while in Brandenburg, King Charles will also meet with soldiers from the Corps of Royal Engineers and watch a demonstration of their bridge-building amphibious vehicles.
According to the palace, this trip is meant to celebrate Britain and Germany's “shared histories, culture and values. It will also provide an opportunity to look forwards and demonstrate the many ways the United Kingdom is working in partnership with Germany, whether that be to tackle climate change; respond to the conflict in Ukraine; seize trade and investment opportunities or share the best of our arts and culture.” The statement continued, “As well as speaking to the strength of the United Kingdom’s bilateral relationship with Germany, Their Majesties’ visit will include engagements highlighting the importance of sustainability and community—key themes which have been embraced by citizens of both our countries. There will also be opportunities to reflect on the sacrifices and challenges of our shared past, out of which has come an enduring legacy of cooperation and reconciliation.”
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King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will have two brand new thrones made for them to sit on during their coronation ceremony.
In keeping with tradition, King Charles will sit in the historic Coronation Chair for the crowning and anointing section of the ceremony, understood to be the most sacred part of the coronation.
The Coronation Chair was commissioned by King Edward I in 1296, with Charles to be the 27th monarch to be crowned upon it. It is thought to be the oldest piece of furniture in the United Kingdom that is still used for its original purpose.
The Daily Mail report each monarch has their own unique Throne Chair for the enthronement part, as a Palace source confirmed: “There is always a new throne for a new monarch, and this will be no exception.”
During the enthronement, Charles’s new throne will be set upon a raised dais, with Camilla to be crowned alongside him, seated on a lower level. She will also have her own unique throne.
King Charles’s new throne is said to carry the Tudor Crown, in a contrast to the late Queen’s logo, which held the St Edward’s Crown.
As Queen Elizabeth’s throne maker, London firm White Allom and Company, is no longer in operation, it is thought that a team of specialist craftsmen trained through the Prince’s Foundation could be selected to make King Charles’s throne.
Despite the archaic nature of the ceremony, King Charles has previously promised to modernise some parts of the coronation, which is set to take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 this year.
The monarch has opted to wear modern clothing, deciding against the traditional uniform of silk stockings and breeches, calling the outfit “too dated”.
He is expected to wear military dress instead, with reports suggesting he will don his Admiral of the Fleet uniform.
Buckingham Palace has said that the coronation will "reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future", while being "rooted in long-standing traditions".
The coronation is expected to be less grand than Queen Elizabeth’s ceremony in 1953, due to the cost-of-living crisis currently gripping the country.
While the Queen's coronation lasted three hours, King Charles's ceremony will last 90 minutes, and is thought to have a slimmed down guest list.
However, Buckingham Palace has announced a grand itinerary of events of a “ceremonial, celebratory and community” nature, to take place over the three-day weekend at the start of May.
Two grand processions, a religious service, a day of volunteering, street parties, and a concert with light show are currently pencilled in for the weekend.
While the concert will feature “global music icons”, it will also include a performance from the “Coronation Choir”, an ensemble made up of a diverse group of community choirs from across the UK.
Refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs will join together to form the choir in full.
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Having received the keys to Edinburgh for the very first time on Monday, King Charles and Queen Camilla are preparing for a busy week of events during Holyrood Week in Scotland and their very first summer holiday hosting members of the royal family at Balmoral.
Sources have told Vanity Fair that Charles will continue the late Queen’s tradition of holidaying at Balmoral instead of his home, Birkhall, and there will be a flurry of royal guests this summer. According to one close friend, the king and queen will spend much of the summer at Balmoral, entertaining family and friends and possibly the prime minister just as the late Queen used to do. “The Queen loved her summers in Balmoral and was a wonderful host. The house was always full of guests coming and going and Charles will be continuing that tradition. That is very important to him,” they said.
Usually, Charles and Camilla stay at Birkhall, their home in Scotland where they spent their honeymoon and have celebrated their wedding anniversary every year since their 2005 wedding. However, with a major shake-up of royal palaces and residences underway, there is speculation that Charles will gift the home to the Prince and Princess of Wales and spend his holidays at Balmoral.
The source added, “Both Charles and Camilla love Birkhall, for them it is home and it would have been the queen’s preference to be at Birkhall because it is quiet, and a proper getaway but the king is keen to follow in his mother’s footsteps by taking up residence at Balmoral. That was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite home and where she loved entertaining every summer. Charles and Camilla are preparing for a busy summer with lots of visits from family.”
One of the highlights for the late queen was hosting her grandchildren and great-grandchildren during the last weekend of August, which involved a sleepover for the great-grandchildren. The Queen would treat them to special treats and gifts on their beds. It is not known whether Charles will continue this particular tradition, however, he has been keen to continue many of his mother’s hobbies and calendar fixtures including Royal Ascot where he and the queen were in attendance for most of the week and even had a winning horse.
Monday marked the start of Royal Week in Scotland, known as Holyrood Week. As well as a special service of thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral on Wednesday where the king will be presented with the ancient crown jewels, Charles and Queen Camilla will attend an investiture service and a traditional garden party as part of the week-long celebrations which will involve meeting representatives from the many Scottish organizations and charities they are involved with.
Prince William and Princess Kate will also accompany the King and Queen at Wednesday’s service which will include a royal procession and Red Arrows fly past.
Each year the monarch spends a week at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The Queen’s final appearance was at the Ceremony of the Keys last June when she was accompanied by Edward and Sophie, now the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, at the ancient ceremony.
On Monday, Charles received the keys to the city from the Lord Provost Councillor on the palace forecourt for the first time. He will return to England after his week in Scotland to receive President Joe Biden who will have an audience with the king at Windsor Castle. After that Charles will return to Scotland with the Queen for their annual summer holiday.
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Prince Harry has denied calling the Royal Family racist in his 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously told the US chat show host about a conversation with an unnamed member of the Royal Family about how dark their unborn baby Archie's skin would be while Meghan was pregnant.
Now, in his latest round of TV interviews, to coincide with the release autobiography Spare, Prince Harry has denied calling the Royal Family racist.Instead, he said the word "racist" was used by the British tabloid press in the aftermath of the couple's comments.Here Sky News looks at what was said and the reaction to it.
Harry and Meghan's claims in the Oprah interviewIn March 2021, following their stepping back from frontline royal duties and their move to the US, Harry and Meghan sat down with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey to discuss their decisions to leave the UK behind. More on Meghan Markle Prince Harry may have rowed back on his racism claim - but the damage is done and race now affects the lens through which the Royal Family are viewed Prince Harry's 'self-destructive' behaviour could be sign of PTSD - and he should be protected, says Army veteran 'People are excited about reading it': Harry and Meghan's neighbours await release of prince's book Among a number of claims was one in which Meghan, who describes herself as biracial, said there were discussions between Prince Harry and his family about the colour of their then unborn child Archie's skin colour. Image: Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey. Pic: CBS She said: "(There were) concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he was born." Oprah, visibly shocked, responded: "What? Who is having that conversation with you?"Meghan replied: "There were several conversations about it.Oprah said: "There's a conversation with you?"Meghan interjected: "With Harry."Oprah continued: "About how dark your baby is going to be?" Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Meghan told Oprah there were 'several conversations' about her son Archie's skin tone Meghan replied: "Potentially, and what that would mean and look like."Meghan did not name any family member involved, adding: "I think that would be very damaging to them."Harry was also asked to name names, adding: "That conversation, I'm never going to share."The royal family's reactionHarry and Meghan's interview was broadcast on 7 March 2021, with the Royal Family issuing a response two days later, on 9 March."The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," the statement read. Image: Pic: AP "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately," it added."Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members."There was a further response two days later by Prince William in response to a question by a journalist during a visit to a school in east London on 11 March. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Prince William says the Royal Family are "very much not a racist family" Prince William was asked: "Are the Royal Family a racist family, sir?"He responded: "We are very much not a racist family."Reaction to the claimsMany of the UK's national newspapers led on the claims made about comments around Archie's skin colour following the broadcasting of the Oprah interview.The Times newspaper's main frontpage headline was: "Palace in turmoil over Meghan's racism claims".The Daily Mail, with the headline "What have they done?", said: "Toxic accusations. Incendiary racism claims against their family. Palace left reeling and Queen, 94, in emergency talks".The Guardian, on its front page, carried the headline: "Palace in crisis following devastating racism claims".The paper said at the time that Buckingham Palace was "under pressure to respond to allegations of racism within the highest echelons of the royal family". Image: The front pages of UK national newspapers showing the reaction to the interview of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Oprah Winfrey It said the claim, which it described as "the most shocking disclosure", "threatened to have a devastating effect on the reputation of the monarchy".Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, an author and activist, also labelled the alleged comments as racist.Writing in a comment piece for the US magazine Harper's Bazaar in March 2021, she claimed that racism had become "so normalised" in the UK that "white people are able ignore what is blatantly racist in front of them"."People will watch the Oprah interview, listen to concerns a member of the royal family had over the colour of Archie's skin, and still deny that it's racism," she wrote at the time.In December last year, the couple accepted a Ripple of Home award in New York for their stance against racism. Image: Harry and Meghan at the 2022 Ripple of Hope Awards The award was given by the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation (RFKHR), which is run by Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F Kennedy.Ahead of the award ceremony, she said she had picked Harry and Meghan for the award because of their "heroic" stance against what she described as "structural racism" in the Royal Family.What has Harry said about the comments now?The comments were brought up again in Prince Harry's ITV interview with Tom Bradby, ahead of the publication of the royal's biography Spare.The journalist asked: "In the Oprah interview you accused the royal family of racism."Harry then shakes his head and says: "No I didn't. The British press said that. Did Meghan ever mention they were racist?"Mr Bradby responds: "She said there were troubling comments about..."Harry replies: "That there were concerns about his skin colour." Image: Prince Harry speaks to ITV Mr Bradby responds: "Right. Wouldn't you describe that as essentially racist?"Harry replies: "I wouldn't. Not having lived in that family."Going back to what my understanding is, because of my own experience, the difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different."Once it has been acknowledged, or pointed out to you, as an individual or as an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you, therefore, have an opportunity to learn and grow from that, in order that you are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.""Otherwise unconscious bias then moves into the category of racism."
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Latest developments:
Emma Thompson, Lionel Richie among guests for coronation
Wearing suits, fascinators, military uniforms and medals and religious clothing, guests began filing into Westminster Abbey Saturday over three hours before the start of Charles’ coronation service.
Actress Emma Thompson and singer Lionel Richie, who is performing at Sunday's coronation concert, are among the guests.
Watching the coronation service in-person are over 2,200 invited guests who represent over 200 countries, according to Buckingham Palace.
In addition to royal family members, the assembled guests include heads of state, members of foreign royal families, representatives from charities of which Charles and Camilla are patrons, faith leaders, Nobel Prize winners and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
How to watch the coronation in the U.S.
Just as with royal weddings and funerals, Charles’ coronation is expected to be viewed by millions of people around the world.
Cameras are allowed inside Westminster Abbey, so everyone at home will get a chance to see the biggest moments of the day.
ABC News, "Good Morning America" and ABC News Live will have special coverage of the coronation on Saturday, May 6, from 5 to 10 a.m. ET.
The five hours of special coverage will also be available to stream on ABC News' digital platforms, including ABCNews.com and GoodMorningAmerica.com, mobile apps, social platforms and over-the-top (OTT) services.
ABC News Live will also immediately re-air the five hours of coverage from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 6.
Security high amid coronation protest threats
Anti-monarchists are expected to stage large-scale protests in London on Saturday, despite warnings from authorities and a controversial new law.
More than a thousand people will be protesting in Trafalgar Square, according to Republic, a London-based campaign group advocating to replace the British monarchy with an elected head of state.
Meanwhile, London's Metropolitan Police Service said it will have more than 11,500 officers on duty Saturday, making it "one of the most significant and largest security operations" that the agency has led.
Under a new law that went into effect this week, protesters who block roads and railways could face up to 12 months behind bars and a fine, and police will be empowered to stop and search protesters suspected of having intent to commit an offense.
World leaders join royals at Buckingham Palace
The coronation festivities kicked off Friday with a welcome reception for foreign guests hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.
U.S. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska were both spotted entering the palace for the reception.
Inside the palace, Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden were photographed speaking with Kate, the Princess of Wales.
Charles was photographed in conversation with Zelenska.
Around 100 heads of state and 20 royal families will attend Saturday’s coronation service.
In addition to Charles and Kate, other royals at Friday's reception included Prince William; Princess Anne; and Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
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The world has now witnessed the much anticipated event of the coronation of King Charles III.
The ceremony, held at Westminster Abbey in London, saw some special guests in attendance, including First Lady Jill Biden, a number of celebrities and many members of the royal family.
From the religious service at the church to the procession through London and Charles’ first wave as king from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, scroll down to see five of the best moments from the long-lasting tradition that marks “the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power," according to the royal family's website.
The crowning of King Charles III and Queen Camilla
During the religious service at Westminster Abbey, Charles was crowned with a 400-year-old crown. The crowning moment happened as the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the St Edwards Crown -- which weighs nearly five pounds and is made of solid gold -- on Charles’ head.To mark the moment, the congregation sang out “God save the king,” as the bells of Westminster Abbey were rung and gun salutes were fired across the U.K.
The service also saw Camilla being anointed by the archbishop and crowned with the Queen Mary’s Crown, marking the first time a new crown was not created for a queen consort. The Queen Mary Crown was redesigned though for Camilla, including the removal of the replica of the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond. As Camilla was enthroned, the choir sang “Make a Joyful Noise,” a new anthem composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the coronation.
Prince Harry attended solo without wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Prince Harry, who lives in California, arrived at Westminster Abbey alone without his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who remained at home with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Following the dress code for most of the guests in attendance, Harry could be seen wearing a morning suit and was seemingly in good spirits as he entered the venue with his cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, along with their husbands.
Harry, the fifth in line to the throne, was seated in a row with other guests including Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and their husbands. His appearance at the event marks his first public reunion with other members of the royal family for the first time in eight months after he was last seen together with them at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September.
Prince William and Kate attended the ceremony with their 3 children
Prince William and Kate appeared at King Charles III's coronation alongside their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
The eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales was a Page of Honour, processing behind Charles and holding his ceremonial robes as they entered Westminster Abbey. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, meanwhile, traveled separately to Westminster Abbey, riding in the same car with their mother.
For the occasion, George wore a bright scarlet tunic detailed with gold lace trim and blue velvet cuffs, along with with wool trousers and boots. Kate and Charlotte both donned floral headpieces with ornamental silver braids for the coronation. Following the service, George, Charlotte and Louis joined the coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace, riding in a carriage alongside their parents, William and Kate.
Prince William and King Charles III's father and son moment
Prince William paid homage to his father King Charles III on behalf of the royal family, following an homage from the Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of the Bishops of the Church of England. During the ceremony, William gave Charles a kiss on the cheek, displaying a sweet father and son moment to the public.
William also swore his loyalty to Charles during the historical event, saying, "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." In response, Charles who appeared emotional during the moment, nodded and said, "Amen."
King Charles III's first wave as king from the balcony at Buckingham Palace
King Charles III stepped out on the balcony at Buckingham Palace giving his first wave as the King of England. The future generations of the monarchy, Prince William and his son Prince George -- the first and second in line to the throne, respectively -- were also present on the balcony.
Joining the king and future kings on the balcony were Camilla, Kate, Charlotte and Louis, along with other members of the royal family.
Additionally, standing alongside Charles and Camilla were the young men who served as their Pages of Honour. Charles' pages include his grandson George as well as Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Master Nicholas Barclay and Master Ralph Tollemache.
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Prince Harry has hinted that he and his wife, Meghan Markle will never give up their royal titles, while brazenly asking 'what difference it would make'. When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they were stepping away from the monarchy and moving to America in early 2020 - many people called for them to give up their royal titles.Those cries have become increasingly louder in the years since, during which Harry and Meghan have both launched multiple attacks on the royal family, beginning with their incendiary Oprah interview - and continuing with further TV appearances, a Netflix documentary, and the release of Harry's bombshell memoir, which he has been promoting in a series of on-air interviews. More than two years later, a poll revealed in December that 98 per cent of participants sill want the pair to be stripped of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles - especially amid the couple's bombshell Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which premiered last month and included several explosive accusations about their time as royals.But now, the Prince, 38, has addressed the burning question surrounding his and his wife's royal titles during a new, tell-all interview with 60 Minutes - suggesting that the pair will not ever relinquish their status as Duke and Duchess because he doesn't believe it would 'make a difference'. Prince Harry has hinted that he and his wife, Meghan Markle (seen in 2017) will never give up their royal titles The Prince, 38, addressed the burning question surrounding his and his wife's royal titles during a new, tell-all interview with 60 Minutes, which aired on SundayWhen asked by host Anderson Cooper (left) about why he and Meghan haven't renounced their titles, Prince Harry (right) fired back, 'And what difference would that make?' When asked by host Anderson Cooper about why he and Meghan haven't renounced their titles, Prince Harry fired back, 'And what difference would that make?'Anderson then pointed out that 'one of the criticisms' that the pair has received is that they 'want to step back from the institutional role' but still want to 'be so public.''Every single time I've tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife,' Prince Harry stated.'You know, the family motto is never complain, never explain. But it's just a motto. And it doesn't really hold.'The couple first made the shocking announcement that they were going to step back from their royal duties on January 8, 2020.At the time, they wrote in a joint statement that they had reached the decision after 'many months of reflection and internal discussions.'They said they wanted to 'work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.' 'We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages,' the statement continued. 'This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.' When the couple (seen in 2020) announced that they were stepping away from the monarchy and moving to America in early 2020 - many people called for them to give up their royal titles A recent poll revealed in December that 98 per cent of participants sill want the pair to be stripped of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles People want them to give up their titles amid the couple's bombshell Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which premiered last month and included several explosive accusationsAt the time, Norman Baker, a former Liberal Democrat MP and a Home Office minister in the coalition government, said they should give up their titles in a scathing interview, stating, 'You can't be one foot in, one foot out.''You are either a member of the royal family or you are not,' he told Express. Just over a year later, in February 2021, Harry and Meghan announced that they were permanently stepping down as royals and moving to California full-time, where they purchased a $14 million mansion in Montecito. Harry(seen in 2017) said in the doc that he told his father, King Charles II, that he and Meghan were willing to relinquish their titles during discussions surrounding their plan to move to AmericaOne month later, the pair sat down with Oprah for a two-hour, tell-all conversation - during which, they alleged that someone in the royal family voiced concerns over their son, Archie's skin color before his birth and that Meghan had suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant, but that she was told by the Palace that she couldn't 'get help' because 'it wouldn't be good for the institution.'After the interview aired, palace aides called on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to give up their titles once again. 'The Duke of Sussex has now spent a significant amount of time emphasizing that he's no different to anyone else and attacking the institution which he says has caused him so much pain,' a senior courtier told The Mail on Sunday. 'There is a growing feeling that if you dislike the institution that much, you shouldn't have the titles.'They should just become Harry and Meghan. And if they refuse to do that, they have to explain why not.' In their recent Netflix doc, the couple made more shocking statements - like that the couple were victims of 'institutional gaslighting' and that the royals would lie to protect his older brother, Prince William. Anderson pointed out during 60 Minutes that 'one of the criticisms' that the pair has received is that they 'want to step back from the institutional role' but still want to 'be so public' 'Every single time I've tried to do it privately there have been briefings and leakings and planting of stories against me and my wife,' Harry statedHarry also said in the series that he told his father, King Charles II, that he and Meghan were willing to relinquish their titles during discussions surrounding their plan to move to America. Following its premiere, a poll by YouGov, carried out for The Times, revealed that 44 per cent of participants said that Prince Harry and Meghan should have their titles removed, while 32 per cent thought not. A separate poll for The Sun newspaper found that 93 per cent of its readers said Harry and Meghan should be stripped of their titles - and just four per cent thought they should keep them. A third taken by Mail+ resulted in 98 per cent of 9,700 people stating that they wanted the royal couple to lose their titles. Royal expert and biographer Robert Jobson said afterwards: 'Harry claims in his Netflix docuseries he offered to give up his title Duke of Sussex. 'Given his and his wife's distaste for our constitutional monarchy, surely it is time for the Crown to accept his offer. The title was given in anticipation of service to the Crown and country.'It was also reported last month that Members of Parliament have been trying to get a bill passed that would give the Privy Council the power to downgrade Prince Harry and Meghan's status, with the Isle of Wight MP accusing the Sussexes of 'monetizing misery' and using their titles to rake in $121 million-plus from corporate deals. To change the royal couple's status, legislation would have to amend the 1917 Titles Deprivation Act that was used to remove honors such as peerages from enemies who supported German aggression in the First World War.
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This Father's Day celebration has a royal stamp of approval.
The picture showed the Prince of Wales and his children smiling as they posed for the camera with Louis sitting on his father's lap. Another image showed the 5-year-old hugging William, while Charlotte, 8, and George, 9, shared a laugh at the adorable moment.
The June 17 snap, posted to Wales' official social media pages, was captioned, "Happy Father's Day."
The family photos come one day after the royals attended King Charles III's Trooping the Colour event, which marks the monarch's birthday parade. (Even though Charles turns 75 in November, the celebrations are traditionally held on a Saturday in June.)
Kate donned a bright emerald design by Andrew Gn for her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards on the big day. She accessorized with a wide-brimmed hat by Philip Treacy and a golden shamrock brooch by Cartier, according to Women's Wear Daily.
And though the event was all about Charles, it was George, Charlotte and Louis who sweetly stole the show.
Keep scrolling to see some of the best pictures from the Trooping the Colour 2023.
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Royal Families
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Live developments ahead of the Queen's coffin being moved to Westminster Hall – watch liveShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureLive feedWhat happens todayHello, I’m Léonie Chao-Fong and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.Here is what to expect today:Today will see the first big ceremonial in London as the Queen’s coffin is borne on a gun carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall for her lying in state.In a tribute to his late mother, the King will lead a procession behind the gun carriage to Westminster Hall. King Charles’s three siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward – as well as his sons Prince William and Prince Harry will also walk in the procession. Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, will travel by car, as will Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.The coffin will leave Buckingham Palace at 2.22pm and arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. The procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, the Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.There will be a gun salute from Hyde Park during the procession, with one round fired every minute. Viewing areas for the public along the route will open at 11am on the day.After a service conducted by the archbishop of Canterbury lasting around 20 minutes, the Queen’s lying in state will begin, lasting for four days and ending on the morning of the state funeral on 19 September. The King and the Queen Consort will return to Buckingham Palace.Those wishing to pay their respects will be able to file solemnly past the Queen’s coffin 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on the day of the funeral - Monday 19 September.Senior members of the royal family are expected to pay their own moving tribute, standing guard at some stage around the coffin – a tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.At the lying in state, the Queen’s closed coffin will rest on a raised platform, called a catafalque, in Westminster Hall and will be draped in the Royal Standard with the orb and sceptre placed on top. Each corner of the platform will be guarded around the clock by a vigil of units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division, or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.Key events2h agoWhat happens today2h agoSummaryShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featurePeople gather at The Mall on the day the coffin of Queen Elizabeth is transported from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament for her lying in state. Photograph: Carlos Barría/ReutersThose wishing to pay their respects will be able to file past the Queen’s coffin 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday. Photograph: Carlos Barría/ReutersHundreds of people are queuing to see the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall, which begins today. Photograph: Kevin Coombs/ReutersCanada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has announced that the date of the Queen’s funeral, Monday 19 September, will be a federal holiday and national day of mourning.The national day of mourning is “an opportunity for Canadians from coast to coast to coast to commemorate Her Majesty”, Trudeau said in a statement published last night.To mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, September 19th will be a National Day of Mourning in Canada. On the same day, there will also be a national commemorative ceremony to honour Her Majesty’s life and service. More details here: https://t.co/Vh31Qr7KQq— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 13, 2022
In Canada nearly 90% of workers fall under provincial jurisdiction and are not eligible for federal holidays. Trudeau said he was working with the country’s provinces to arrange a possible public holiday.Trudeau said:We have also chosen to move forward with a federal holiday on Monday. We will be working with the provinces and the territories to try and see that we’re aligned on this. There are still a few details to be worked out, but declaring an opportunity for Canadians to mourn on Monday is going to be important.Joanna PartridgeKing Charles III will inherit his mother’s considerable wealth alongside assets belonging to the crown. One of the richest people in the world, Queen Elizabeth II inherited much of her fortune but is credited with having made some astute investments during her long life and reign.Union flags in Regent Street, part of the crown estate, for the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations in the spring. Photograph: Matt Dunham/APThe sovereign and the wider royal family have three main sources of income, the crown estate, the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall, much of it derived from centuries-long ownership of land and property across the country, including in central London, and even the seabed around swathes of the British Isles, amounting to assets with a combined value of more than £17bn.Here’s an explainer of the UK royal family’s finances:Flights at Heathrow airport will be delayed today to ensure silence is observed in the skies as the ceremonial procession of the Queen’s coffin moves from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.This could mean some cancellations or flights being rescheduled between 1.50pm and 3.40pm, with further changes expected on the day of the funeral, Monday 19 September.In a statement, the airport said “out of respect” for the mourning period it will be making “appropriate alterations to our operation”.A Heathrow spokesperson added:Passengers will be notified by their airlines directly of any changes to flights. We anticipate further changes to the Heathrow operation on Monday September 19, when Her Majesty’s funeral is due to take place, and will communicate those in more detail over coming days. We apologise for the disruption these changes cause, as we work to limit the impact on the upcoming events.A civil service trade union has criticised the decision to give King Charles’s staff redundancy notices during the period of mourning as “nothing short of heartless”.The Guardian reported on Monday that up to 100 employees at the King’s former official residence, including some who have worked there for decades, received notification that they could lose their jobs following his accession to the throne.Clarence House is the official London residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Photograph: Michael Dunlea/AlamyMark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), said:While some changes across the households were to be expected, as roles across the royal family change, the scale and speed at which this has been announced is callous in the extreme. Least of all because we do not know what staffing the incoming Prince of Wales and his family might need.He added that the union, which represents some palace workers, was working to ensure staff have “full job security”, and that it continued to support other royal staff concerned that their “futures are thrown into turmoil by this announcement at this already difficult time”.Clarence House, located next to St James’s Palace in central London, is the official London residence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. The offices of King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will move to Buckingham Palace and staff had expected to be transferred.Some people in the crowd outside Buckingham Palace on Monday night were shocked at the Guardian’s revelations about the handling of redundancies at Clarence House.Read the full story by my colleagues Rachel Hall and Emily Dugan here:Japan’s emperor and empress will attend Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral next week at the invitation of the royal family, a Japanese government spokesperson has confirmed.The Japanese government accepted the invitation for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to travel to Britain to pay their respects to the late Queen, because of close relations between the two countries’ royal families, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako pictured in 2020. Photograph: Eugene Hoshiko/APTraditionally, a Japanese emperor does not make appearances at funerals at home or abroad because of a cultural belief that considers death impure. The decision for Naruhito to attend the Queen’s funeral underscores the importance and the bond between the royal and imperial families.Matsuno said:During Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign, the British royal family and the Japanese imperial family have maintained friendly relations for three generations.The imperial couple are scheduled to leave Japan on Saturday and return home on Tuesday, he said.Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and other government officials are not planning to attend the funeral, Matsuno added.Richard AdamsA new university to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II should be located in Milton Keynes or elsewhere after a national competition, says the head of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) in a speech today.Nick Hillman, Hepi’s director, says that increasing long-term demand for university places means creating a new institution would be justified, and suggests Milton Keynes as the largest location in the country without a campus university, although it is home to the Open University.Hillman says:We have universities named after King George IV [King’s College London], Queen Victoria [Queen’s University Belfast] and Queen Mary. We also have a number of Oxbridge colleges named after royals. How fitting it would be if we were now to found a new university in the late Queen’s memory. I tentatively suggest we might want to investigate the possibility of doing that … in Milton Keynes, which was formally designated as a city earlier this year as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. If this seems unfair to other parts of the UK, I wonder if we could have a competition, as with city status, to determine where such a new university or universities might go. If this all sounds mischievous or opportunistic, I would merely ask if not now, then when? We cannot sensibly serve the future growing demand for higher education from existing institutions alone.Hillman notes that at the start of Queen Elizabeth’s reign in 1952 there were only 18 mainstream universities in the UK, and now there are more than 140. The number of fulltime students 70 years ago was around 80,000 - while University College London and Manchester universities now have as many students combined, and there are more than two million in total studying in UK higher education in 2022.Hundreds of people are queuing to see the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall, which begins today.Members of the public in Whitehall, central London, ahead of the ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PAPeople waiting patiently for the ceremonial procession. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PAPeople take place behind fences ahead of the procession. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPAThe Queen will lie in state at Westminster Hall in London from today at 5pm until 6.30am Monday 19 September. Here’s what that means and how you can be involved.Westminster Hall, where people will be able to view the Queen’s coffin. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesWhat exactly is meant by the term ‘lying in state’?Lying in state is usually reserved for sovereigns, current or past queen consorts, and sometimes former prime ministers. During the formal occasion, the closed coffin is placed on view, as thousands of people queue to file past and pay their respects.When and where will the Queen lie in state?The late monarch’s lying in state in Westminster Hall opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday and it will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6.30am on Monday 19 September – the day of the Queen’s funeral. Westminster Hall is the oldest building the parliamentary estate, it dates back to 1099 and has been the site of key events, such as the trial of Charles I, coronation banquets, and addresses by world leaders.What can people expect to see?The closed coffin will be draped in a royal flag, usually a personal standard, and will rest on a raised platform called a catafalque, flanked by a military guard around the clock. A crown and other regalia are traditionally placed on top of a sovereign’s coffin. Each corner of the platform is watched 24 hours a day by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, Foot Guards or the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.Will the royal family be there?It is likely that the Queen’s children or even grandchildren will honour her with a vigil and join the guard over the coffin at some point – a tradition which has been called the Vigil of the Princes. Should the Princess Royal stand guard for the Queen, she will be the first female member of the royal family to do so.Will there be a queue?Yes. Government guidance says there will be a queue that is expected to be very long. People will need to stand for “many hours, possibly overnight” with very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will be continuously moving. As large crowds are expected, there are likely to be road closures and delays on public transport.Will security be tight?Visitors will go through airport-style security and there are tight restrictions on what you can take in, with people allowed just one small bag with one simple opening or zip.Is there anything I need to bring?Official guidance suggests that people should bring suitable clothing for the weather, food and drinks to have while queueing, a portable power bank for your mobile phone and any essential medication. People are also advised to “dress appropriately for the occasion to pay your respects”, banning clothes “with political or offensive slogans”. People will not be allowed to bring flowers or other tribute items, including candles, soft toys, and photographs. Also banned are banners, flags, hampers, blankets and folding chairs. The government guidance says people should not film, photograph, use mobile phones or other handheld devices in the security search area or within the Palace of Westminster. Queue-jumpers and anyone drunk will be removed from the queue by stewards and police patrolling the lines.Guardian columnist Andy Beckett has written today about how there is no single “national mood” in the aftermath of the Queen’s death, in a country where support for the monarchy has fallen significantly over the last decade.The idea that the whole country is mourning the Queen and welcoming her successor is a fiction: energetically disseminated, seductive for many in a time of division, but a fiction nonetheless. There is no single ‘national mood’ about the royal family, and there never has been, whatever most journalists and politicians say. Instead there is an assortment of feelings, even right outside Buckingham Palace.In the short term, the Queen’s passing will probably boost support for the monarchy, he adds.But over the longer term, the reign of her more divisive, less historically resonant son may cause that surge to fade, and the decline in royal popularity to resume, even accelerate. With Charles, known for his impatience with staff and extravagant lifestyle, the sense of entitlement, which is as fundamental to the royal family as a sense of duty, is more obvious. The poorer country that the UK is likely to become over the next few years may also be less tolerant of one of the world’s most lavish monarchies. The Queen’s old-fashioned, relatively plain public persona, and the length of her reign – to an extent, she continued to be judged by rather deferential, mid-20th century standards – means that modern Britain’s appetite for a less self-effacing ruler has not yet been tested.You can read the whole piece here:What happens todayHello, I’m Léonie Chao-Fong and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.Here is what to expect today:Today will see the first big ceremonial in London as the Queen’s coffin is borne on a gun carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall for her lying in state.In a tribute to his late mother, the King will lead a procession behind the gun carriage to Westminster Hall. King Charles’s three siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward – as well as his sons Prince William and Prince Harry will also walk in the procession. Camilla, the Queen Consort, and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, will travel by car, as will Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.The coffin will leave Buckingham Palace at 2.22pm and arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. The procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, the Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.There will be a gun salute from Hyde Park during the procession, with one round fired every minute. Viewing areas for the public along the route will open at 11am on the day.After a service conducted by the archbishop of Canterbury lasting around 20 minutes, the Queen’s lying in state will begin, lasting for four days and ending on the morning of the state funeral on 19 September. The King and the Queen Consort will return to Buckingham Palace.Those wishing to pay their respects will be able to file solemnly past the Queen’s coffin 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on the day of the funeral - Monday 19 September.Senior members of the royal family are expected to pay their own moving tribute, standing guard at some stage around the coffin – a tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.At the lying in state, the Queen’s closed coffin will rest on a raised platform, called a catafalque, in Westminster Hall and will be draped in the Royal Standard with the orb and sceptre placed on top. Each corner of the platform will be guarded around the clock by a vigil of units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division, or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.Summary Officials are preparing for a queue stretching up to five miles long as huge numbers of people wait to pay respects to the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall. The Queen made a final journey home to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night, as her coffin was received by her family in a small private ceremony. Outside the palace thousands of well wishers cheered as the state hearse entered the palace gates. The coffin stayed overnight in the Bow Room, where the Queen had entertained foreign royalty, high-profile figures and dignitaries during her reign. On Wednesday afternoon, the coffin will be taken in a silent procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on a gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. King Charles, his sons Princes William and Harry, and other senior royals will follow on foot. A short service will be held at Westminster Hall after the procession. It will be open to the public from 5pm. Officials have warned that anyone planning to attend the lying in state should be prepared to stand in queues for many hours. In other developments: Dozens of Clarence House staff have been given notice of their redundancy as the offices of King Charles and the Queen Consort move to Buckingham Palace. One source said: “Everybody is absolutely livid…All the staff have been working late every night since Thursday, to be met with this.” British authorities protected Prince Andrew from US prosecutors investigating his relationship with the financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new book by a US attorney who led the investigation in New York. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is providing information on road closures and the route of today’s queue on its Twitter account. It is also expected to give updates on the length of the queue.What's happening today?2.22pm: Procession of Her Majesty's coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster5pm: Her Majesty The Queen's Lying-in-State opens Find out more about how, when and were to view:https://t.co/qd1lrLScA8 pic.twitter.com/6kqZs9fFJ5— Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) September 14, 2022
Caroline DaviesHundreds of thousands of people are expected to file past the Queen’s coffin to pay their respects during the lying in state. At some stage, senior members of the royal family are expected to stand guard around the coffin, in the tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.Members of the public will be able to file past the coffin 24 hours a day during the lying in state from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on the day of the Queen’s state funeral, Monday 19 September.At the lying in state, the Queen’s closed coffin will rest on a raised platform, called a catafalque, in Westminster Hall and will be draped in the Royal Standard with the orb and sceptre placed on top. Each corner of the platform will be guarded around the clock by a vigil of units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division, or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.Those wishing to attend will be required to queue for many hours, possibly overnight, as large crowds are expected. There will be airport-style security and tight restrictions on what can be taken in, with only small bags permitted. Details of what is and is not permitted can be found on the DCMS website.Dozens of Clarence House staff have been given notice of their redundancy as the offices of King Charles and the Queen Consort move to Buckingham Palace after the death of the Queen, write Pippa Crerar and Caroline Davies.Up to 100 employees at the King’s former official residence, including some who have worked there for decades, received notification that they could lose their jobs just as they were working round the clock to smooth his elevation to the throne. Private secretaries, the finance office, the communications team and household staff are among those who received notice during the thanksgiving service for the Queen, at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday, that their posts were on the line. Many staff had assumed they would be amalgamated into the King’s new household, claiming they were given no indication of what was coming until the letter from Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s top aide, arrived. One source said: “Everybody is absolutely livid, including private secretaries and the senior team. All the staff have been working late every night since Thursday, to be met with this. People were visibly shaken by it.”PA Media reports some further details on today’s procession.The imperial state crown and a wreath of flowers will be placed on top of the Queen’s coffin, it says, while the procession will begin at 2:22pm.The King will follow the coffin on foot, joined by his sons the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex, as well as the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex. Anne’s son Peter Phillips and her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will also walk in the procession, as well as the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Snowdon. The Queen Consort, the Princess of Wales, the Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Sussex will travel by car. Viewing areas for the public along the route will open at 11am on the day, with large crowds expected to attend.The procession is expected to arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. A service lasting around 20 minutes will be led by the archbishop of Canterbury accompanied by the dean of Westminster.Here is the Guardian’s roundup of today’s front pages, many of which show the moment Queen’s coffin was driven through the gates of Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night.The Guardian’s front page also carries pointers to stories inside on anger about the sacking of some members of King Charles’s staff, and how the queue to see the Queen lying in state could stretch for five miles. It leads, however, on “Johnson’s junk food rules under threat as Truss targets read tape”.Peter WalkerOfficials have set out the formal plans for a queue up to five miles long for people to pay respects to the Queen lying in state, a complex logistical exercise including toilets, first aid and round-the-clock refreshments on the route.With hundreds of thousands of people expected to queue for many hours to get the chance to view the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall, volunteers from groups including the Scouts and Salvation Army have been drafted in to help.Official guidance to the public coming to London warns those thinking of attending to expect “very long” queues, very possibly overnight, and to especially consider this if bringing children.People will be issued with coloured and numbered wristbands, showing their place in the queue and meaning they can leave it to use toilets or fetch food and drink.The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which is leading on the arrangements, plans to provide live updates on the length of the queue, and where it begins at any given time. It will be closed if the numbers waiting are too great to ensure those in the line will reach Westminster in time.It’s 6.10am in London, where the Queen’s coffin will today be brought on horse-drawn gun carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. She will then lie in state there for four days until her funeral on Monday.King Charles, his sons Princes William and Harry, and other senior royals are expected to walk in silence behind the hearse as it travels through the streets of London. The coffin will leave Buckingham Palace at 2.22pm and arrive at Westminster Hall at 3pm. The procession will travel via Queen’s Gardens, the Mall, Horse Guards and Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square and New Palace Yard.A vigil will then be held at the Westminster parliament complex, before members of the public are allowed in from 5:00 pm. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to queue for many hours to visit. Airport-style security measures have been put in place.
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A new photo of Princess Charlotte has been released to mark her eighth birthday on Tuesday.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, took the photo in Windsor this weekend and it shows the third in line to the throne smiling and relaxed.
It comes soon after a picture of her brother Louis, sitting in a wheelbarrow, was released to celebrate him turning five on 23 April.
Charlotte, Louis and their elder brother George live with their parents in Windsor's Home Park.
The family will be gearing up for the King's coronation on Saturday, with Charlotte and her siblings reportedly set to take part in the procession from Westminster Abbey.
Prince George is one of eight Pages of Honour for the service and the children are later expected to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Read more:
Coronation procession route, the best spots and how to get there
Moment-by-moment guide to everything in the ceremony
All the places you can watch the coronation on a big screen
The children were also featured recently in an unseen photo of the late Queen, released on what would have been her 97th birthday.
It showed her smiling with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and was taken by the Princess of Wales at Balmoral.
The Princess of Wales is a keen photographer and often takes pictures to mark family occasions.
She and Prince William released another image last week - showing them on bicycles - to mark their 12th wedding anniversary.
The picture, taken by photographer Matt Porteous, was taken in Norfolk last year and posted with the caption "12 years" and a heart emoji.
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King Charles III's May 6 coronation is underway, leading up to the service at Westminster Abbey.
Charles will be the 40th monarch to be crowned at the church; William the Conqueror was the first on Christmas Day in 1066.
The most recent was Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953. The Windsors are the only royal family in Europe that still holds coronations.
Although Charles immediately became king by law upon the death of his mother, the coronation is a "ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power," according to the royal family's website.
"The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry," Buckingham Palace said in a statement earlier this year.
What can we expect to see on Coronation Day? This is your guide to all of the traditions that take place.
What we can expect to see
Like every coronation since 1066, it will be held in Westminster Abbey and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury – the Church of England's most senior cleric.
The palace describes it as "a solemn religious service" and it acknowledges the king's role as both the head of state and head of the Church of England. The king is the Church's Supreme Governor.
Charles' wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will also be crowned. "The ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort," according to the palace.
While the king and the coronation committee may be adapting the ceremony to suit modern times, there are some parts of the service that are expected to remain. Since the late 14th century, coronations have followed the instructions laid out in the Liber Regalis or "royal book," a medieval Latin manuscript that describes the order of service.
Alastair Bruce, ABC News royalty consultant and one of the U.K.'s leading experts on coronations, said there are five key stages to a coronation: the recognition, the coronation oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning) and the homage.
The Recognition
During the recognition, the monarch is presented to his or her people. The archbishop of Canterbury is expected to proclaim King Charles "the undoubted King" and call on the attendees to support him. For the queen's coronation in 1953, the archbishop presented the queen to the east, south, west and north and each time people shouted "God Save Queen Elizabeth!" with trumpets sounding after each recognition.
The Coronation Oath
For this part of the service the archbishop of Canterbury asks three questions to the monarch. King Charles will place his hand on the Holy Bible and say, "The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God." The king will then sign an oath, pledging to serve the people and rule according to law.
"This is the only time that a monarch signs a written obligation to his or her people," Bruce said.
The Anointing
Of all the coronation moments, Bruce said the anointing, or unction, is the most important.
"This is where the Archbishop of Canterbury makes a cross with holy oil on the royal forehead and elsewhere on the body to show that the monarch has been chosen by God," according to the Westminster Abbey website.
"This signals the conferment of God's grace upon a ruler," according to David Torrance, who wrote a paper on coronations for the House of Commons' Library.
For Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, the archbishop anointed her with these words: "Be thy head anointed with holy oil: as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, so be you anointed, blessed and consecrated Queen over the Peoples, whom the Lord thy God hath given thee to rule and govern."
This sacred moment was barred from the cameras. The queen was covered with a canopy so people couldn't see as the archbishop dabbed oil on her face, chest and hands.
Torrance noted that, according to a former dean of Westminster, "At its heart, the anointing of the Sovereign, and clothing with priestly garments that precede the coronation itself, resemble the ordination of a priest or the consecration of a bishop."
The anointing oil contains a mixture of orange flowers, roses, jasmine, cinnamon, musk, civet and ambergris.
London pharmacy John Bell and Croyden holds the "recipe and a sample of the famous anointing oil used when a new sovereign is crowned," according to its website. It displays a replica of the bottle of oil in its London shop. The actual oil is under lock and key.
"Richard II is given the words by Shakespeare that describe why an anointing is so important: 'Not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the balm off from an anointed king,'" Bruce noted.
The Investiture
The monarch now puts on ceremonial clothing known as the Colobium Sindonis and the Supertunica, a full-length coat made of gold silk cloth.
Coronation regalia is presented to the king or queen and he or she will be invested with the coronation bracelets, known as armills, representing sincerity and wisdom, followed by the stole, the robe royal and the orb. The monarch is also presented with the coronation ring and the sceptre with the cross and the rod with the dove.
The Crowning
"The real key moment is the anointing but the visual moment is the crowning," said Bruce.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will slowly place the more than 400-year-old St Edward's Crown on the king's head. The St Edward's Crown weighs 4 pounds and 12 ounces and is made of solid gold. It is the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels. This is the only time the king will ever wear the St Edward's Crown.
It is being sized to fit King Charles' head after it had "been removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work" late last year, according to a palace statement.
At previous coronations it was at this moment, Bruce said, that the king's peers put on their coronets and the congregation shouts "God Save the King!" or "God Save the Queen!" and the guns at the Tower of London are fired.
Why do kings and queens wear crowns?
"It is to adorn the head that has been anointed with an earthly halo," said Bruce. "That's the concept of a crown."
And where they are crowned also has symbolism, according to Bruce. "We crown them on a tumulus, an old Saxon and Teutonic tradition where you raise the new king on the burial chamber of a previous king. The tumulus in Westminster Abbey is made up of principally of Edward the Confessor's Tomb," he explained.
The Homage
The king is then expected to move from the coronation chair up some steps to the throne for the final part of the ceremony, which is the homage. This is when the sovereign's subjects swear their allegiance. The homage is traditionally begun by the archbishop of Canterbury.
It remains to be seen who will pay homage to King Charles III at his coronation, or whether the traditional way of kneeling, kissing and touching the crown will take place.
The Queen Consort
The last time a Queen Consort was crowned was in 1937. If King Charles intends to replicate that ceremony, then Camilla will be crowned after the homage. "The queen is crowned at the will of the king," explained Bruce.
The king is expected to give a nod and then the queen will be crowned.
"It's traditional that the queen is anointed too," Bruce added, but the entire ceremony is much simpler and shorter than for a monarch.
Ending the service
Traditionally the king is expected to take Holy Communion and go into the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, which is behind the high altar. He will put on the Imperial State Crown and purple velvet robe and emerge for the final procession through the Abbey carrying the orb and sceptre. The congregation will sing the National Anthem – "God Save the King."
The king will leave Westminster Abbey and start the procession back to Buckingham Palace. He is expected to travel in the Gold State Coach and he will have the orb and sceptre with him. After returning to Buckingham Palace, the newly crowned king and queen will appear on the balcony to greet the crowds.
The coronation service on Saturday, May 6, will be the focal point of a weekend of celebrations. There will also be a concert at Windsor Castle on the Sunday with the palace encouraging people to come together for a big lunch that same day and to volunteer in their communities on Monday, a holiday in the U.K.
"Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort hope the Coronation Weekend will provide an opportunity to spend time and celebrate with friends, families and communities across the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth," the palace announced in a statement.
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The first special stamps bearing the head of King Charles are being released by the Royal Mail, with his silhouette appearing on a set showing popular garden flowers.
These are likely to be the first stamps showing the King's profile that will be widely seen by the public.
This replaces a design showing the Queen's head used continuously on commemorative stamps since 1968.
Last month saw the final issue of a new set of stamps with the Queen's head.
David Gold, of Royal Mail, said using pictures of flowers for this landmark set of stamps reflected the fact that the King was a "passionate gardener".
The Royal Mail had previously revealed the design for new regular first and second class stamps showing King Charles.
But those new stamps will not begin to appear regularly on letters until stocks run out of existing stamps showing the late Queen's head.
It is not expected that the new King Charles versions of ordinary first and class stamps will start to be seen until next month.
That means that the first visible change in stamps for the new reign will be these 10 flower stamps, showing back garden favourites such as rose, dahlia, sunflower and fuchsia.
These flower stamps can be ordered from Tuesday, and will go on general release next week.
This ends the use of the late Queen's head for commemorative stamps.
It had appeared on stamps marking hundreds of events and themes, from Concorde to Christmas and Doctor Who to Thomas the Tank Engine.
The long-term planning for such special stamps meant that the Royal Mail had continued with plans in the pipeline made before the Queen's death last September.
But the last planned set, marking the centenary of the Flying Scotsman, was revealed in February. The silhouette of Charles will now appear on all such special issues.
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On Monday, King Charles began his birthday celebrations with a tea party at Highgrove, where he met with individuals and institutions also celebrating 75 years.
Charles was greeted by a round of applause as he joined guests at Highgrove to enjoy a cup of tea and piece of cake. He appeared in good spirits after a busy weekend of Remembrance commemorations, which saw Charles and Queen Camilla attend the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Sunday.
Amid tight security following protests against Israel’s campaign in Gaza in the capital over the weekend, the Royal Family was out in force. Laying his first wreath as monarch and commander in chief of the Armed Forces, King Charles wore the uniform of the Marshal of the Royal Air Force and a solemn expression as he laid a wreath similar to the one produced for his grandfather George VI, the last king to lay such a tribute at the Cenotaph. The wreath consisted of 41 open-style poppy petals and was wrapped in a ribbon using the colors from the king’s racing silks, scarlet purple and gold.
Princess Anne was the only female family member to lay a wreath. Major Ollie Plunket of The Rifles, equerry to the Queen, laid a wreath on behalf of Camilla, who watched the service from the balcony of the Foreign Office with Kate Middleton. Princess Kate wore a pair of diamond and pearl earrings that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II for the occasion and a recycled black Catherine Walker coat. One notable absentee in the royal line up was Prince Edward, who missed the service due to mobility issues.
After a solemn weekend of reflection, Monday marked the start of Charles’ 75th birthday celebrations. After the tea party at Highgrove, he will return to London for a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate nurses and midwives working in the United Kingdom. The event will form part of the NHS 75 celebrations.
On Tuesday, which is Charles’ actual birthday, the King and Queen will launch the Coronation Food Project, a legacy project that is aimed to end food wastage in the UK.
Over the weekend, the King’s official birthday photograph was also published. Taken by photographer Rankin, the black and white image captures Charles looking focused in a pinstripe suit. It is featured on the cover of Big Issue magazine to promote the King and Queen’s latest initiative, which aims to reduce food waste and address the cost of living crisis by distributing food to those in need across the United Kingdom.
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The coronation of His Majesty King Charles III is tomorrow — Saturday, May 6 — and you’ve all been invited (sort of). In June 1953, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation made history as the first-ever televised coronation of a monarch. Over 20 million Brits tuned in to the black-and-white broadcast back then, which was later shown worldwide. Seventy years later, Queen Elizabeth’s son is set to be officially crowned the King of England in a ceremony that will no doubt be viewed live by many millions across the globe. Looking to join in on the royal family’s festivities from across the pond? Even if you’re in the US, there’s no shortage of ways to watch or stream the coronation of King Charles.
How to watch the Coronation of King Charles III:
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Start time: 6 a.m. ET
Location: Westminster Abbey, London, UK
UK TV: BBC, ITV, Sky News
US TV: ABC, BBC America, CBS, CNN, FOX News, NBC
When is King Charles’ Coronation?
The coronation of King Charles III begins with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey at 5:20 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 6 2023. The ceremony is officially set to start at 6 a.m. and conclude at 8 a.m. Following the end of the ceremony, the newly crowned King Charles and his Queen Consort, Camilla, will depart in the Gold State Coach, returning to the palace.Back at Buckingham Palace, the royal family make another appearance at 9:15 a.m. to watch a military flypast from the palace balcony.
What time will the Coronation be broadcast?
The coronation ceremony officially begins at 11 a.m. in the UK and 6 a.m. ET in the US. However, many US broadcasts will air coronation coverage as early as 5 a.m. ET, and the BBC will begin coverage at 2:30 a.m. ET.
Will the King Charles coronation be televised?
King Charles III’s coronation marks the second time a member of the British royal family’s coronation will be broadcast on TV. In the US, coverage of the coronation will air on many major broadcast and cable networks, including ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC. In the UK, the BBC has coverage covered.
How to watch King Charles III’s coronation without cable
Don't have easy access to ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News or NBC? Don't worry. Here's how you can watch the coronation through a VPN, streaming platform or live TV package.
How to watch the King Charles III coronation for free
Many media outlets (including this one) will be livestreaming coronation coverage. Check back for more info on the Yahoo News coronation livestream.
How to watch the King Charles Coronation Concert
On Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. ET, a special coronation concert is set to take place at Windsor Castle.
Hosted by Hugh Bonneville and featuring performances by Katy Perry, British pop group Take That, international superstar Lionel Richie and opera singer Andrea Bocelli, the coronation concert may be the most exciting part of the whole royal weekend for some.
The coronation concert will air on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds. For those in the US, it is currently unclear if the coronation concert will air on any major broadcast networks or streaming platforms, but you can easily tune into the UK's free coverage with the use of a VPN.
- Stream the Coronation Concert with ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN
If you've never used a VPN before and want to learn more, check out this guide to the best VPNs of 2023.
Will Prince William and Kate Middleton be at King Charles’ coronation?
Prince Williams’ role in the coronation, according to a copy of the Liturgy of the Coronation Service obtained by Entertainment Tonight, will be to pledge his loyalty and allegiance to King Charles III during the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Duchess of Cambridge has made headlines for her potential fashion choices come coronation day, with the Sunday Times reporting that she is opting for a “bold and innovative gesture” by wearing “a floral headpiece” as opposed to a tiara for the ceremony.
Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle be at the coronation?
His wife, Meghan Markle Duchess of Sussex, will remain at home with the couple’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Meghan’s missing out on the party in part to throw one of her own for her son’s birthday, which falls on May 6, coronation day.
It’s been reported that the former Suits star is planning a “low-key” gathering to celebrate Archie’s 4th birthday.
Let’s review: Here’s every way you can watch the King Charles coronation from the US
Have more questions on the Coronation of King Charles III? Follow along with our live updates
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A top question on Google: What is the schedule today?
The day began at 6am when the viewing routes opened to the public, with members of the armed services taking part in the two processions gathering at 9.45am. At 10.20am, Charles and Camilla will set off in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in a small procession. They’ll arrive at the Abbey just before 11am, when the service starts. At midday, Charles will be crowned. The coronation service will wrap up before 1pm, when the newly crowned Charles and Camilla will head back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, accompanied by other working royals. The King and Queen will arrive back at the palace at 1.33pm, where they will receive a military salute, before appearing on the balcony while there is a flypast at 2.15pm."
Catch up on the full schedule here (EM)
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The Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the coronation at Westminster Abbey. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)
A rather younger looking Charles (centre) pictured during the coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1952. The Queen's coronation was the first to be broadcast to the nation on television - and around 27 million people are thought to have tuned in, while 11 million listened in on the radio, according to royal.uk.
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King Charles reminisced about his late mother Queen Elizabeth on the first UK Mother's Day since her death.
On Sunday, the monarch shared a photo from the Royal Collection Trust via the Royal Family's Instagram account of himself as a child, standing up on the late queen's lap. The post also featured a second image of Queen Consort Camilla with her mother, Rosalind Shand, who died in 1994. Alongside the images, the royals wrote a warm message in the caption, celebrating all mothers in honor of the holiday known as “Mothering Sunday” in the United Kingdom. They wrote, “To all mothers everywhere, and to those who may be missing their mums today, we are thinking of you and wishing you a special #MothersDay.”
And that's not the only way the royal couple has been honoring Queen Elizabeth's memory. Last week, Camilla accessorized her outfit for the Cheltenham Festival with a silver brooch that formerly belonged to the late queen featuring a galloping white horse and jockey. As the late monarch was a passionate horse owner, racer, and breeder throughout her life, Camilla is also keeping the monarch's legacy alive by personally supporting a number of equestrian charities, including the Ebony Horse Club, the Brooke Hospital for Animals, and the British Equestrian Federation. Earlier this week, the queen consort once again borrowed a brooch from her late mother-in-law to attend the annual Commonwealth Day Service, choosing a sapphire and diamond piece which she paired with a black Launer handbag, a brand that has been closely associated with Queen Elizabeth since the '70s.
And the queen consort's coronation crown will also honor Queen Elizabeth as she will wear Queen Mary's crown for the ceremony held at Westminster Abbey. This marks the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used instead of a new one being commissioned “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency,” per the palace. The crown will be altered, however, in keeping with longstanding tradition that the addition of jewels be unique to the occasion and the wearer's individual style. Camilla has chosen to reset the crown with the Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds, which were all a part of Queen Elizabeth's personal jewelry collection for many years and were often worn by her as brooches.
King Charles has found a special way to pay tribute to his late father Prince Philip on his coronation day as well. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that an original composition honoring the Duke of Edinburgh will be played during the May 6 ceremony at the monarch's request. They wrote in a statement, “His Majesty The King has personally commissioned the new music and shaped and selected the musical program for the Service At the request of His Majesty, in tribute to his late father His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Greek Orthodox music will also feature in the Service performed by the Byzantine Chant Ensemble.” Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99, was born in Greece and baptized in the Greek Orthodox church. When he married Queen Elizabeth in November 1947, he converted to Anglican as his new wife was supreme governor of the Church of England.
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WIMBLEDON, England -- Kate, the Princess of Wales, had the best seat in the house Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon — in the front row of the Royal Box and right next to Roger Federer.
The future queen, wearing a mint green blazer, made her way down to her seat only moments before Federer was feted ahead of the opening match on Day 2 of the grass-court tournament.
Federer, an eight-time champion at the All England Club, sat between the princess and his wife, Mirka.
The first match on a wet second day of Wimbledon — with the retractable roof closed — featured Elena Rybakina against American opponent Shelby Rogers. As is tradition at the most traditional of all tennis tournaments, Rybakina opened play on Tuesday as the defending women's champion.
Kate has been somewhat of a regular visitor to Wimbledon since marrying Prince William. The late Queen Elizabeth II, William's grandmother, made only a handful of trips to the All England Club during her 70-year reign. Her last appearance in the Royal Box was in 2010.
King Charles III has taken his seat in the Royal Box at times but not since taking over as monarch from his mother. Elizabeth died last September and Charles had his coronation in May.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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The King and Queen are "deeply touched" by the nation's celebration of their historic coronation, Buckingham Palace has said.
A spokesman said: "Their Majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion - and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield."
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned in a historic ceremony yesterday at Westminster Abbey, watched by 100 heads of state, royals from around the world, celebrities, everyday heroes, and millions around the globe.
It was the fulfillment of Charles' destiny, but followed the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, after a 70-year reign.
And the celebrations will continue today, with big lunches taking place around the UK as well as a star-studded concert at Windsor Castle this evening.
The King and Queen will join around 20,000 members of the public at the coronation concert where, along with other family members, they will see performances by Take That, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie.
The show in Windsor, hosted by Paddington and Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, will see Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Dynasty actress Dame Joan Collins, adventurer Bear Grylls and singer Sir Tom Jones appear via video message.
Meanwhile, guests have begun arriving in Downing Street for a lunch with the Prime Minister and his wife to mark the King's coronation.
More from the King's coronation:
What do you think of the coronation? Submit your message here
Why Wales doesn't want a Prince
How to watch the coronation concert
There is a hum of excited chatter as those invited - including volunteers, Ukrainian refugees, and youth group members - sipped fruit drinks and took photos in front of the famous Number 10 door as they awaited the arrival of Rishi and Akshata Murty.
The street was bedecked in Union flag bunting and music was being played by the RAF Northolt brass quintet.
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The first coronation in 70 years is to take place on Saturday morning, with King Charles III and the Queen Consort preparing for their historic carriage ride to Westminster Abbey.
Despite forecasts of rain, crowds have already begun to gather on the procession route.
There will be a huge security operation in central London, with 100 heads of state set to attend.
Protests have been promised by those opposed to the monarchy.
The Coronation service, which will last almost two hours, will be seen first-hand by 2,300 guests, including Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who arrived from the United States on Friday on a commercial flight.
It will be the first time since the release of Prince Harry's memoir that he will have been seen in public with his brother, Prince William, the Prince of Wales. It is thought Prince Harry may fly back to the US a matter of hours after the ceremony to rejoin his wife Meghan.
Charles became king of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries in September, when his mother Elizabeth died after 70 years on the throne. Months of intense planning has gone into the coronation celebrations - the 40th to take place at Westminster Abbey since 1066.
On the eve of the Coronation, the King looked relaxed as he went on a walkabout on the Mall, flanked by the Prince and Princess of Wales and a heavy security detail.
The King laughed when asked by a man if he was nervous for tomorrow, and joked to some children: "No school? You've done very well!"
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will preside over the service, with guests ranging from US First Lady Jill Biden to President Macron of France and entertainers Ant and Dec.
Olena Zelenska, wife of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, met Catherine, Princess of Wales at a pre-Coronation reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
Charles was photographed sharing warm words with the First Lady of Ukraine, and greeting Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek.
There has been controversy over whether people at home were being asked to pledge their allegiance to the King.
The Church of England has made clear this is entirely optional and people might instead have a "private moment of reflection".
The keynote message of the Coronation from King Charles is in his first prayer when he reaches the Abbey reads: "I come not to be served, but to serve."
The high point of the ceremony will come when the St Edward's Crown is placed on the King's head, a moment that will be marked by the Abbey bells being rung and a gun salute in nearby Horse Guards Parade.
Camilla will be crowned alongside Charles - and after the couple's long and often complicated relationship, she will now be officially described as "Queen Camilla".
The ceremony will emphasise diversity and inclusion, with more multi-faith elements than any previous coronation, with contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh representatives.
A Bible lesson will be read by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is Hindu, and music will be sung in Welsh and Scottish and Irish Gaelic.
There will be women bishops taking part in the service for the first time in a coronation service that goes back almost a thousand years.
After the service, at around 13:00 BST, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel in the Gold State Coach back to Buckingham Palace, in a spectacular mile-long (1.6km) procession, with 4,000 soldiers and 19 military bands.
Meticulous rehearsals for the procession were carried out by marching around a replica route with landmarks such as the Cenotaph marked out with traffic cones.
When they reach the Palace, it remains uncertain who will be seen with the King and Queen for the traditional balcony appearance.
There are plans for a flypast when the senior royals are on the Palace balcony, but there will be concerns about the weather, with a forecast for cloud and showers.
The run-up to the Coronation has also seen a number of vocal protests from anti-monarchy groups - and the Republic campaign group has announced its intention to hold a protest on the route of the procession.
There will be a massive security operation, with the Metropolitan Police putting 11,500 officers on duty in what it says will be its biggest ever single-day deployment.
Anti-monarchy groups have defended their right to protest, but the police have warned that "tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low".
The guest list has also been disputed, with criticism of the presence of Chinese vice-president Han Zheng, accused of presiding over a crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong.
But this will be a ceremony played out before a huge global audience, with TV crews from all over the world arriving in London.
They will see pageantry, religious symbolism and ancient traditions, with King Charles III crowned in a 700-year-old Coronation chair, in a ceremony that most people will never have seen before in their lives.
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LONDON -- LONDON (AP) — King Charles III rode on horseback Saturday to take part in his first Trooping the Color ceremony as U.K. monarch, inspecting hundreds of soldiers and horses in a spectacular annual military display at central London's Horse Guards Parade.
Charles, 74, the colonel in chief, received the royal salute and watched as the most prestigious regiments in the U.K. army paraded to mark his official birthday.
It was the first time in more than 30 years that a U.K. monarch has taken part in the pomp-filled ceremony on horseback.
Earlier, Charles' eldest son, Prince William, and the king's siblings, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, also rode on horseback in procession from Buckingham Palace. All the royals were dressed in red and gold tunics and tall black bearskin hats, matching the uniforms worn by many of the 1,400 soldiers taking part.
Others in the royal family, including Queen Camilla, Kate, the Princess of Wales, and her three young children, rode in horse-drawn carriages as thousands of people thronged the Mall, the grand avenue outside Buckingham Palace, to watch the pageantry.
Here are some things to know about the colorful spectacle:
BIRTHDAY PARADE
Trooping the Color is essentially a grand birthday parade to honor the reigning monarch. The annual ceremony is a tradition that dates back more than 260 years.
Huge crowds turn out each June to watch the display, which begins with a procession involving horses, musicians and hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial uniform from Buckingham Palace. The monarch then inspects their troops, including both foot guards and horse guards. Gun salutes and a crowd-pleasing military flyby over the palace typically round out the celebrations.
Charles' actual birthday is Nov. 14, 1948. But U.K. monarchs have traditionally celebrate two birthdays — their real one and an official one — to ensure that public celebrations can take place in warm summer weather.
Charles' late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, always held the Trooping the Color birthday parade in June, while she celebrated her actual April birthday privately with family.
“THE COLOR"
The central part of the parade features a battle flag — or the “Color” — being displayed and marched past troops and the monarch.
This is a ceremonial reenactment of the way regimental flags were once displayed for soldiers on the battlefield to provide a crucial rallying point if they became disoriented or separated from their unit.
The flags were traditionally described as “Colors” because they displayed the uniform colors and insignia worn by soldiers of different units.
A different flag is trooped each year. This year the “Color” was the King's Color of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
KING ON HORSEBACK
Saturday was the first time a monarch has ridden on horseback at the event since Elizabeth did so in 1986.
The queen rode her favorite horse, called Burmese, to 18 Trooping the Color ceremonies until the black mare retired in 1986. After that she decided to use a carriage for the event instead.
Charles also rode on horseback for the spectacle last year, when as heir to the throne he inspected the troops on behalf of his mother. Elizabeth died last September at the age of 96.
BONUS MILITARY FLYBY
The birthday parade typically reaches its climax when, at the end of the military procession, the royal family lines up on Buckingham Palace's balcony to watch a spectacular flyby.
The Royal Air Force's aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, usually wows the crowds as they fly in formation leaving plumes of red, white and blue vapor trails.
This year, the flyby was even more impressive, because a similar display on Charles' coronation day in May had to be scaled back because of bad weather. Around 70 aircraft took part Saturday, including Spitfire and Hurricane fighters from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Eighteen Typhoon fighter jets flying in precise formation spelt out “CR” — “Charles Rex” — in the sky as the royal family and thousands of spectators cheered.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at risk of having their royal titles challenged if one lawmaker has his way.
Following the couple’s release of their six-part Netflix documentary in December, Bob Seely, a Conservative Member of the U.K. Parliament, announced he would try to introduce a bill to strip the couple of their royal titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Seely said Harry, in particular, was attacking important British institutions "as well as trashing his family and monetizing his misery for public consumption."
Johnathan Sacerdoti, a British broadcaster and royal commentator, told Fox News Digital the 56-year-old is adamant about moving forward with his plans.
"Seely plans to introduce a private member's bill that would allow a vote to amend the 1917 Titles Deprivation Act, which was used to strip the German royal family of their U.K. titles during the First World War," said Sacerdoti. "That level of treachery was seen as cause to remove royal titles back then, so it’s striking that a serving MP now feels so strongly about the actions of Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, that he wants to use the same law to strip them of their titles."
KING CHARLES III CORONATION DETAILS REVEALED; NO INSIGHT INTO PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE'S ATTENDANCE
Sacerdoti said Seely told him the bill needs to be drafted and should be expected sometime in mid-February. If it is ready within the next couple of weeks, Sacerdoti said there is then a process for the bill to be heard in Parliament.
Parliament’s experts have been looking at some old laws. One, The Titles Deprivation Act 1917, stripped German royals of their UK titles during WWI. A change of wording would update the law, allowing Parliament to remove Harry’s titles.— Bob Seely MP (@IoWBobSeely) December 9, 2022
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"Bob Seely originally started to consider this action after the Netflix series was released," said Sacerdoti. "But he and I spoke just after the publication of [Harry’s memoir] ‘Spare,’ and I think that it didn’t help matters at all."
"The book was seen by many as betraying the royal family and the monarchy and also has been quite widely mocked in some respects," he shared. "This just isn’t how royalty usually behaves. The allegations against the royal family in the book are more detailed and more numerous than ever before, which has decreased Prince Harry’s favorability polling and caused many people to question why he should still use his title."
In early 2020, the couple announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. Since then, the couple has aired their grievances against the British monarchy.
Following their exit, the couple sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview that was viewed by 50 million people globally. They alleged to the media mogul that there was "concern" in the royal family about their unborn child’s skin color. Markle, a former American actress, is biracial. The couple hasn’t identified the family member in question, and Harry later said it was an example of "unconscious bias" rather than racism.
In their Netflix documentary, Harry spoke scathingly about how the royal press team worked and spoke about how his relationship with the royal household broke down. Markle, 41, described wanting to end her life as she struggled to cope with toxic U.K. press coverage.
Then, in the New Year, Harry's memoir, which details private emotional turmoil and bitter family resentments, hit bookstores Jan. 10. The prince defended his decision to write the explosive tell-all, saying it’s an attempt to "own my story" after 38 years of "spin and distortion" by others.
The book explores Harry’s grief at the death of his mother in 1997 and his long-simmering resentment at the role of "spare," overshadowed by his older brother Prince William, the heir to the throne. He recounted arguments and a physical altercation with William, as well as how he lost his virginity in a field, using cocaine and cannabis and how he killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. That claim was criticized by both the Taliban and British military veterans.
Harry Windsor should voluntarily relinquish his titles. If he doesn’t, Parliament should act to remove them.— Bob Seely MP (@IoWBobSeely) December 9, 2022
If Harry Windsor doesn’t like the monarchy, don’t be part of it, but don’t use your titles AND trash the institution.
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Sacerdoti said the book and its many revelations have only further encouraged Seely to move forward with the bill.
"Bob Seely is planning to bring a private members bill to change the law so that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could have their titles removed," he claimed. "Seely’s amendment would give the Privy Council, made up of 741 senior parliamentarians, the power to strip the Sussexes of their titles. He argues that if the duke continues to trash the royal family, he should set an example and give up his title, but if he does not, the law should enable it to be removed anyway. Seely says that the duke’s criticism of the royal family is equivalent to attacking ‘important institutions in this country.’"
According to Sacerdoti, Seely made it clear to him that these efforts are a way to deal with "bad royals."
"Royal titles are not normally something that members of Parliament get involved in, but Seely was clear that he wants to be able to help and support the monarchy," Sacerdoti explained. "And the recent controversies surrounding the activities of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, have clearly made some want to act. The Oprah interview, the Netflix series, ‘Spare’ and all of Prince Harry’s TV interviews have caused problems for the monarchy. I think that because it is a fundamental part of the British constitution, lawmakers like Seely are understandably concerned that it shouldn’t be dragged into the world of celebrity gossip and backbiting."
As a Member of Parliament for a Sussex constituency and having been born in Sussex and lived most of my life here I am ashamed that this deeply embarrassing couple bear the title of our great county. It is time to take the title back from someone so clearly lacking any respect https://t.co/mVaGULjRIe— Tim Loughton MP 🇺🇦 (@timloughton) December 8, 2022
"He told me, ‘It is aimed at dealing with bad royals, to give support to the monarchy.'"
In the Netflix documentary, Harry claimed he offered to give up his title before the couple stepped back as senior royals.
"We would be willing to relinquish our Sussex titles if need be," he said. "That was the plan. We thought it would be good to give ourselves some breathing space, but we were also really passionate about continuing our work throughout the commonwealth and supporting the queen."
In an interview to promote "Spare," Anderson Cooper asked Harry, "Why not renounce your titles as Duke and Duchess?"
"And what difference would that make?" Harry replied.
Sacerdoti noted that the couple has continued to use their titles, making it clear that they see a commercial value in them that enhances their brand. The couple, choosing to live financially independent lives, live in the wealthy city of Montecito, California.
"They did initially try to set up a brand called ‘Sussex Royal’ when they left, but the queen was said to have put a stop to that," he explained. "I think that original branding reveals where they think their authority and value lies — both in their Sussex titles and their connections to royalty. But all indications are that the royal family never wanted them to trade off those connections.
"The favorability ratings for the Sussexes have dropped dramatically since they departed from the U.K.," he continued. "They chose not to be working royals, but continue to use the titles they were given when they were. Many people feel they are not acting as a duke and duchess should and that their constant attacks and revelations of conversations conducted privately within the royal family have shown them to be unworthy of their titles."
Seely didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. But in December, Seely wrote a series of tweets, noting the couple should be known as "Mr. and Mrs. Windsor" as they live in privacy.
"Harry Windsor should voluntarily relinquish his titles. If he doesn’t, Parliament should act to remove them," Seely tweeted. "If Harry Windsor doesn’t like the monarchy, don’t be part of it, but don’t use your titles AND trash the institution."
But not everyone supports Seely’s idea. In December, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said it did not back Seely’s bill, adding the government "would never comment on royal matters." Employment minister Guy Opperman also told BBC Question Time that the couple is clearly "very troubled," but they’ve also faced "unacceptable" press intrusion.
Tim Loughton, a Conservative Member of Parliament, also felt the couple shouldn’t hold the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"As a Member of Parliament for a Sussex constituency and having been born in Sussex and lived most of my life here I am ashamed that this deeply embarrassing couple bear the title of our great county," he tweeted in December.
Sacerdoti said it’s unknown whether Harry’s father, King Charles III, could oppose the bill, noting that "we are, in many ways, in uncharted territory."
"Bob Seely told me he wants to support the monarch," Sacerdoti explained. "He said, ‘This is about supporting a constitutional monarchy which has been brought into disrepute. If Harry has any self-respect he should renounce his title. The monarchy is meant to be dignified. It’s the dignified bit of our constitution.’
"I think the movement to strip them of their titles is motivated in large part by a sense that they don’t deserve them," Sacerdoti shared. "Many feel that there is a serious responsibility attached to the privilege of having these titles — you can’t enjoy just the benefits and none of the duties. The behavior of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in relation to the royal family, the constitutional monarchy, the county of Sussex and the U.K. at large has been called into question by lawmakers and members of the public alike, which is why the question of removing their titles is one that keeps being raised."
Largely funded by taxpayers, the monarchy plays a mostly ceremonial role in British society these days — masters of soft power. But supporters argue that the institution still serves a vital role, uniting the country behind shared history and traditions embodied in both the grandeur of royal ceremonies and the day-to-day work of royals as they open schools and hospitals and hand out honors to those who serve the nation.
Buckingham Palace officials have declined to comment on any of the allegations made in Harry's book. A spokesperson for the king did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A spokesperson for Kensington Palace, which represents the Prince and Princess of Wales, told Fox News Digital it doesn’t have a comment. Allies of the royal family have pushed back on Harry’s claims, largely anonymously.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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During Saturday’s coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, a spectacular military procession six months in the making will contain the “key lessons and best bits” from recent events, such as the Platinum Jubilee and the September funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.
“The big change from recent ceremonial events is the number of troops involved,” he added. “For the coronation there will be 7,000 ceremonial troops taking part—the most seen at any state occasion since the 1953 coronation.”
It is the first time Britain—and indeed the world—will see the coronation of a king and queen since 1953, and though some elements of the day will be much smaller than in previous coronations, the Mall will still be filled with troops during the procession.
“It will be an iconic image of the day,” the spokesman said. “In Buckingham Palace Gardens, there will be 4,000 troops stood in front of Their Majesties showing their support, confirming the inseparable bond between the Armed Forces and the sovereign.”
Buckingham Palace has also released further information about the procession, including the roles of various members and the king’s and queen’s schedules for the big day. The initial procession will leave Buckingham Palace at 10:20 a.m., taking about 33 minutes. The king and queen will travel in the horse-drawn Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The gilded black carriage, built in 2011 to honor the late queen’s 60th anniversary, has heat, air conditioning, power windows, and a suspension system.
Their Majesties will be escorted to Westminster Abbey by the Sovereign’s Escort, who have carried out this task since 1660. The procession will be led by the Household Cavalry Mounted Band, a group of 48 horses and musicians—with two distinctive drum horses, Atlas and Apollo—playing eight marches along the route. In total, 200 personnel and horses are involved.
When the king and queen arrive at the Abbey, they will be seated in the Chairs of Estate. The chairs were originally made for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1953, but they have been conserved and reupholstered to feature the king’s and queen’s new cyphers. After the king moves to the coronation chair and is anointed with oil behind the screen, he will be presented with the traditional regalia (the Spurs, the Armills, the Orb, the Ring, the Glove, the Rod, and the Sceptre) by a combination of members of the British peerage and officials of the Anglican church from across the UK. When the king and queen are enthroned, they will sit on the same coronation chairs used by King George VI and the Queen Mother in 1937, reupholstered with new cyphers.
The Prince of Wales will play a large role in the ceremony, first by assisting the king during his investment with the Imperial Mantle, a robe of gilded thread made for George IV, and the Stole Royal, a new scarf commissioned as the traditional gift of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers, and then by leading an homage later in the ceremony.
On the return procession, the king and queen, traveling in the traditional Gold State Coach, will be followed by the working members of the royal family and their children. Princess Anne, colonel of the Blues and Royals, will ride as the Gold Stick in Waiting with the regiment to the rear of the state coach.
The next carriage will carry the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, and the Earl of Wessex will travel in another carriage, while the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence will travel in a third. The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra will follow by car.
The royals will return to Buckingham Palace for a military flypast on the east balcony. The official program will end with a historymaking moment, when photographer Hugo Burnand takes the coronation portrait. After the pomp and circumstance concludes, the king and queen will host an informal family lunch at the palace.
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Long has lived the king.
King Charles III marked his 75th birthday Tuesday, and the royal family’s official social media accounts celebrated in the most modern way possible: With a photo post, emojis included, of course.
On Twitter and Instagram, the @RoyalFamily account pressed the crown and birthday cake emojis into the service of their monarch alongside the message “Wishing His Majesty The King a happy 75th birthday.” They created a jazzy little video of an animated photo book flipping through the past three-quarters of a century of all things Charles, from an infant in the arms of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, through a knee sock-clad child, Charles with then-wife Princess Diana holding Prince Harry and Prince William, all the way through his coronation as king.
The virtual photo album features Diana twice, in two photos with the couple’s sons as babies, and the estranged Prince Harry is pictured with his father in happier times, like a 1997 trip the two took to South Africa.
Charles will reportedly celebrate his milestone birthday with a rousing day of work—launching the charitable Coronation Food Project—and a private celebration with friends and family in the very same place he was born those 75 years ago: Buckingham Palace. Charles was the first birth at the royal residence since 1886. On Monday, Charles was fêted a day early with a party at Highgrove. Then there’s also June’s Trooping the Colour, the country’s official celebration of the monarch’s birthday, because tradition dictates that it’s not really a party until a military parade is involved.
The official Instagram account for William and Kate Middleton also shared birthday well-wishes for the king, with a three-photo carousel beginning with a photo of William and his father with their arms slung over one another’s shoulders. Notably absent from all three slides: Little brother Harry, who also has a strained relationship with William after resigning as a senior royal in 2020.
Harry and wife Meghan Markle will not be in attendance to toast the king’s birthday, a representative for their foundation, Archewell, told People earlier this week, saying “there has been no contact regarding an invitation to His Majesty’s upcoming birthday.”
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Harry alleges his brother "knocked him to the floor" during a 2019 argument over Meghan, according to news outlets that obtained copies of his much-anticipated memoir, “Spare."Jan. 5, 2023, 12:02 PM UTC / Updated Jan. 5, 2023, 1:55 PM UTCPrince Harry has accused his brother, Prince William, of physically attacking him during an argument over his marriage to Meghan, according to news outlets that obtained copies of Harry’s much-anticipated memoir.British newspaper The Guardian first reported the allegation, saying it had obtained an advance copy of the book, “Spare,” which is due to be published Tuesday. Despite intense efforts to keep the book under wraps, the news agency Reuters and other media outlets were also able to obtain copies after it went on sale days early in Spain.Harry says in the book that William “knocked him to the floor” during an argument at the Sussexes’ London home in 2019 as the brothers’ relationship spiraled, the news outlets report. The forthcoming book looks set to escalate Harry and Meghan’s feud with the British royal family, as the couple seeks to present their side of a story pitting celebrity against the centuries-old institution.NBC News has not yet obtained or seen a copy of the book. Representatives for Harry declined to comment on the record; the publisher, Penguin Random House, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Prince William and Prince Harry at Windsor Castle on Sept. 10 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Mark Kerrison / In Pictures via Getty Images fileThe title of the book is an apparent reference to Harry being a royal “spare,” not the first in line to the throne. William, Prince of Wales, is the next in line to their father, King Charles III.According to The Guardian, the book describes “intensely private scenes and conversations” that cover everything from Harry’s early childhood to his marriage to the former actress Meghan Markle. This includes details on Harry’s relationship with his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997, his father and his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Kensington Palace, which represents William, and Buckingham Palace, which represents Charles, declined to comment on the allegations made in the book. The published extracts focus on the alleged attack in Harry and Meghan’s former London home at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2019. Harry reportedly says in the book that William had complained about Meghan and called her “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive.”The confrontation then escalated with the brothers yelling and insulting each other, the book recounts according to the news outlets. Harry reportedly says that he was scared of his brother, who was furious and following him around the house. Harry writes that William then grabbed him by the collar and ripped his necklace before knocking him to the floor, the published extracts say.“I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed,” Harry writes in the published passages of the book. Harry then reportedly told his brother to leave, which he did after initially urging Harry to hit him back, according to the news outlets. William later returned and apologized, the news outlets report, though the extract says that he suggested Harry not tell Meghan about the alleged altercation. “‘You mean that you attacked me?’ Harry writes that he responded, according to the news outlets. “‘I didn’t attack you, Harold,’” he reportedly recounts William calling back.Harry writes that he initially only spoke to a therapist about the alleged incident, according to the published excerpts. But when Meghan noticed “scrapes and bruises” on his back, he told her what had happened, The Guardian quotes the book as saying.Office workers in London watch the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's documentary on Netflix in December. Jonathan Brady / PA Images via Getty ImagesA pair of interviews with Harry are set to be broadcast on ITV News in the United Kingdom and CBS’ "60 Minutes" in the United States this weekend ahead of the book’s release. In a new trailer released Thursday by ITV, Harry rejects the accusation that he has breached the privacy of his family members, saying “that would be the accusation from people who don’t understand or don’t want to believe that my family have been briefing the press.” Asked if he will attend his father’s coronation, Harry says that a lot can happen between now and then: “The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it.”The book follows the release of a six-part Netflix documentary series last month that illustrated just how acrimonious the couple’s split from the family has been, focusing on their 2020 announcement that they would step back from royal duties.It all comes at an awkward time for the monarchy, months after Elizabeth’s death and the ascension of Charles as the new king. In the Netflix series, the couple took direct aim at the family members, accusing them of actively fueling negative media coverage that they said helped drive Meghan to suicidal thoughts and led the couple to leave the country. Harry also said William had screamed at him during a crisis meeting.The palace has declined to comment on the allegations in the Netflix series.The couple first outlined their side of the story in their bombshell interview with the media mogul Oprah Winfrey, accusing members of the family of racism.William denied that the family is racist in public comments at the time, and the palace said in a statement that the allegations were “concerning” and that “while some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
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The backlash against Prince Harry's frantic denials that he or his wife Meghan ever accused the Royal Family of racism has raged on for a second day, with the Duke of Sussex today facing claims that he is now 'undermining' his own fight against 'unconscious bias'.In an incendiary interview to plug his bombshell memoir Spare, the prince told ITV journalist and old friend Tom Bradby that the Royal Family were guilty of 'unconscious bias', but denied calling them racist while discussing Meghan's controversial claim to Oprah Winfrey that an unnamed royal had expressed 'concern' about Archie's skin colour.Bradby - and millions of viewers - were left visibly stunned by Harry's screeching U-turn, which sparked a backlash and allegations that the Duke had 'hung his family out to dry' on an accusation which he helped to fuel and then left unchallenged for nearly two years.Lawyer and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, who has previously supported the Sussexes, today claimed there is 'absolutely' a 'problem of racism in the Royal Family'. Taking aim at Harry's defence of the late Queen's former lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey after she was accused of racism, she called the Duke's repeated attempts to draw a distinction between racism and unconscious bias in his interviews 'disingenuous'.She told Sky News presenter Kay Burley: 'He's clearly on a journey of learning and the good thing that he's said is that he's willing to learn. But he needs to unpick his learning about unconscious bias and racism, they are the same thing, there is no difference. In an incendiary interview to plug his bombshell memoir Spare , the prince told ITV journalist and old friend Tom Bradby that the Royal Family were guilty of 'unconscious bias' but denied calling them racist while discussing Meghan's controversial claim to Oprah Winfrey that an unnamed royal had expressed 'concern' about Archie's skin colour Lawyer and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu today claimed there is 'absolutely' a 'problem of racism in the Royal Family''And him not coming out and clearly stating that there is a serious issue of racism, it undermines his commitment to be part of the solution, and so when he uses examples like Lady Hussey not meaning any harm to Ngozi Fulani, or saying for instance no we didn't say they were racist when they raised concerns about the colour of our son's skin, to me it's just disingenuous'.She added: 'There is a significant issue of racism, I think the royal family has to be aware that they face a significant reputational risk - not because of Harry... but because they refuse to change and to demonstrate that they understand that change is necessary.'Oprah asked Meghan in 2021: 'They were concerned that if he were too brown, that would be a problem? Are you saying that?' The Duchess responded: 'If that's the assumption you're making, I think that feels like a pretty safe one, which was really hard to understand, right?'It prompted a worldwide guessing game about the senior royal who said it and hours later Harry's estranged brother, William, was forced to publicly remark that they were 'very much not a racist family'. The Queen gave a rare statement and said 'the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning' but stressed that 'recollections may vary'.But on Sunday night, Harry told Bradby that the Royal Family is not racist. The British broadcaster, a friend of Harry's, raised the 2021 Oprah interview with Meghan and said: 'You accused members of your family of racism.' But Harry snapped back: 'No I didn't. The British press said that. Did Meghan ever mention that they're racist?'The duke then insisted the comments made about his son Archie's skin colour were 'unconscious bias'. Mr Bradby appeared taken aback by the answer - while experts said that Harry clearly didn't understand the term he was now using. Yesterday, former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond told ITV's Lorraine: 'So much of what he said seemed conflicted and contradictory... he allowed his family to be hung out to dry on an accusation of racism which Harry says now he never said and wasn't true. That in my view is almost unforgivable.' Harry is facing allegations that he failed to 'correct the narrative' around racism in the Royal Family after sensationally accusing an unnamed royal of asking about the skin colour of his and Meghan's then-unborn son Archie during his bombshell Oprah interview Jennie Bond (left) told Lorraine: 'He allowed his family to be hung out to dry on an accusation of racism which Harry says now he never said and wasn't true'. ITV's Royal Editor Chris Ship (right) said: 'Harry is right to say that Meghan or Harry didn't use the word ''racist'' at any point... [but] Harry didn't correct the narrative when this whole racism row then started' Critics accused the Duke of not understanding the difference between denying the royals are racist while also accusing them of 'unconscious bias', arguing they amount to the same thingAnd ITV News's royal editor Chris Ship said on Good Morning Britain: 'Harry is right to say [they] didn't use the word ''racist'' at any point... [but] Harry didn't correct the narrative when this whole racism row then started, and not correcting the narrative is something he accused the Royal Family of not doing, when he criticised Jeremy Clarkson and other things as well.' Royal correspondent and biographer Robert Jobson said: 'Robert F. Kennedy's daughter said Prince Harry and Meghan were handed an award for their 'heroic' stance against the 'structural racism' of the royal family. Harry says neither he or Meg said the RF was racist. Perhaps they should give the award back then'. While the Duke has not referred to the Oprah interview in his memoir, he was asked by Bradby in the interview to plug the book: 'Wouldn't you describe that as essentially racist?'Harry replied: 'I wouldn't, not having lived within that family.' But he adds: 'The difference between racism and unconscious bias… the two things are different. 'But once it's been acknowledged, or pointed out to you as an individual, or as an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you therefore have an opportunity to learn and grow from that so that you are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.'And he accused Buckingham Palace of failing to follow up on promises it made in the wake of the Oprah controversy, including appointing a 'diversity tsar'.The Duke of Sussex said there is a place for the monarchy in the modern world if they addressed unconscious bias.Asked on Good Morning America this morning if he thinks there is a place for the British monarchy in the 21st century, he said: 'I genuinely believe that there is. Not the way that it is now.'Asked if they need to modernise and if so in what way, Harry said: 'I think the same process that I went through with regarding my own unconscious bias would be hugely beneficial to them. Not racism, but unconscious bias, if not confronted, if not learned and grown from, that can then move into racism. But there was an enormous missed opportunity with my wife.'During the interview, Harry also said: 'I think my mother would have realised the missed opportunity with Meghan being part of the institution, part of the monarchy.' The Duke of Sussex conceded that the Royal Family were not racist but said they were guilty of 'unconscious bias' while discussing the controversial claim in an incendiary interview to plug his new memoir Pictured, Meghan, Archie and Harry at a Polo match in Wokingham in 2019Harry and Meghan's 'tell-all' conversation with Oprah in 2021 marked their first major interview since they stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020. One of the most shocking moments from the interview came when Meghan said there were 'several conversations' between herself, Harry and members of the Royal Family about 'how dark' their baby could be before Archie was born.Speaking about the family, Oprah had asked Meghan: 'Because they were concerned that if he were too brown, that that would be a problem? Are you saying that?'Meghan then replied: 'I wasn't able to follow up with why, but that - if that's the assumption you're making, I think that feels like a pretty safe one, which was really hard to understand, right?'In his interview with Bradby last night, Harry said: 'That conversation, I am never going to share. At the time it was awkward, I was a bit shocked.' His refusal to name the person involved sparked an international guessing game about who the 'royal racist' was.In a statement the late Queen said the claims were 'concerning' but stressed that 'recollections may vary' and the claims would be addressed privately.Referring to the racism allegations made previously by his wife, Harry bridled at the suggestion by Bradby that he accused his family of racism, snapping back: 'No I didn't. The British press said that. Did Meghan ever mention that they're racist?' 'She said there were troubling comments about Archie's skin colour,' Bradby replied.'There was – there was concern about his skin colour,' Harry corrected him. When Bradby suggested that there was a danger by not naming the person concerned, Harry said: 'Yes, you're right, the key word is concern, which was troubling.'But you speak to any other couple, mixed race couple around the world, and you will probably find that the white side of the family have either openly discussed it, or secretly discussed, you know, 'What are the kids gonna look like?' And that is part of a, you know, bigger conversation that needs to be had.'He claimed that after the interview with Ms Winfrey 'they said that they were gonna [sic] bring in a diversity tsar. That hasn't happened'. He added: 'Everything they said was gonna [sic] happen hasn't happened. I've always been open to wanting to help them understand their part in it, and especially when you are the monarchy – you have a responsibility and quite rightly people hold you to a higher standard than others.' Harry told Netflix: 'In [the Royal Family], sometimes you are part of the problem rather than part of the solution. There is a huge level of unconscious bias'In the couple's Netflix series Harry & Meghan, the Duke claimed: 'In this family, sometimes you are part of the problem rather than part of the solution. There is a huge level of unconscious bias.'The thing with unconscious bias, it is actually no one's fault. But once it has been pointed out, or identified within yourself you then need to make it right. It is education. It is awareness. It is a constant work in progress for everybody, including me.'The Duke added that members of the Royal Family asked why the Duchess should be 'protected' when they questioned newspaper headlines about her.'The direction from the palace was don't say anything,' he said. 'But what people need to understand is, as far as a lot of the family were concerned, everything that she was being put through, they had been put through as well. So it was almost like a rite of passage, and some of the members of the family were like, ''My wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? Why should you get special treatment? Why should she be protected?'''I said ''The difference here is the race element''.' What Meghan told Oprah vs what Harry told Tom Bradby... and the Duke's claims on Netflix THE OPRAH INTERVIEWOprah: You certainly must have had some conversations with Harry about it and have your own suspicions as to why they didn't want to make Archie a prince. What are those thoughts? Why do you think that is? Do you think it's because of his race? And I know that's a loaded question, but...Meghan: But I can give you an honest answer. In those months when I was pregnant all around the same time, so we have in tandem the conversation of he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born...Oprah: What?Meghan: And...Oprah: Who is having that conversation with you? What?Meghan: So...Oprah: Hold up...Meghan: There's several conversations...Oprah: There's a conversation with you...Meghan: With Harry...Oprah: ...About how dark your baby is going to be?Meghan: Potentially, and what that would mean or look like.Oprah: And you're not going to tell me who had that conversation?Meghan: I think that would be very damaging to them.Oprah: Ok. So how does one have that meeting?Meghan: That was relayed to me from Harry. Those were conversations that family had with him, and I think it was really hard to be able to see those as compartmentalised conversations.Oprah: Was the concern that if he was too brown that that would be a problem? Are you saying that?Meghan: I wasn't able to follow up with why, but if that's the assumption you're making that feels like a pretty safe one. Which is really hard to understand, right? Especially when... look, the Commonwealth is a huge part of the monarchy and I lived in Canada which is a Commonwealth country for seven years but it wasn't until Harry and I were together that we started to travel through the Commonwealth, 60-70 per cent of which is people of colour, right? And growing up as a woman of colour, a little girl of colour, I know how important representation is.Oprah: What is particularly striking is what Meghan shared with us earlier, which is that no one wants to admit there's anything about race or that race has played a role in the trolling or vitriol. Yet Meghan has shared with us that there was a conversation with you about Archie's skin tone. What was that conversation?Harry: That conversation I am never going to share. But at the time it was awkward. I was a bit shocked.Oprah: Can you tell us what the question was?Harry: No, I'm not comfortable sharing that, but that was right at the beginning.Oprah: What will the baby look like?Harry: Yeah, what will the kids look like. But that was right at the beginning, when she wasn't going to get security, when members of my family were suggesting that she carry on acting... There were some really obvious signs before we even got married that this was going to be really hard.THE TOM BRADBY INTERVIEWBradby: In the Oprah interview you accuse members of your family of racism. You don't even...Harry: No I don't. The British press said that.Bradby: Right. I...Harry: Did Meghan ever mention that they're racist?Bradby: She said there were troubling comments about Archie's skin colour.Harry: Yeah there was concern about his skin colour.Bradby: Right. Wouldn't you describe that as essentially racist?Harry: I wouldn't, not having lived within that family. Going back to the difference between what my understanding is because of my own experience, the difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different. But once it's been acknowledged or pointed out to you as an individual, or as an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you therefore have an opportunity to learn and grow from that in order so that you are part of the solution rater than part of the problem. Otherwise, unconscious bias then moves into the category of racism.Bradby: But I suppose, I mean, isn't there a danger... you know. You haven't identified which members of the family...Harry: And I will never talk about that. I mean, what happened to Ngozi Fulani is a very good example of the environment within the institution. And why, after the Oprah interview, they said that they were gonna bring in a diversity tsar. That hasn't happened. Everyting that they said was gonna happen hasn't happened. I've always been open to wanting to help them understand their part in it. And especially when you are the monarchy at the... you have a responsibility and, quite rightly, people hold you to a higher standard than others. Certainly he media should, right? So the way that I've learnt it through my own experience and from what I've seen and what I've heard - yes, you're right, the key word is 'concern', which was troubling, but you speak to any other couple, mixed race couple around the world and you will probably find that the white side of the family have either openly discussed it or secretly discussed, you know, what are the kids gonna look like? and that is part of a, you know, bigger conversation that needs to be had. But to say that that doesn't happen around the rest of the world but it just happened there, is... that's not true. But again, for me, the difference is unconscious bias and racism.... If you are called out for unconscious bias, you need to make that right, and you have the opportunity and the choice to. But if you choose not to, then that rapidly becomes something much more serious.THE NETFLIX SERIESHarry: In this family, sometimes you are part of the problem rather than part of the solution. There is a huge level of unconscious bias. The thing with unconscious bias, it is actually no one's fault.But once it has been pointed out, or identified within yourself you then need to make it right. It is education. It is awareness. It is a constant work in progress for everybody, including me.The direction from the palace was don't say anything. But what people need to understand is, as far as a lot of the family were concerned, everything that she was being put through, they had been put through as well. So it was almost like a rite of passage, and some of the members of the family were like, 'My wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? Why should you get special treatment? Why should she be protected?' I said 'The difference here is the race element'.
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The coronation of King Charles III just got emoji-fied.
The image combines the colors gold, purple, blue, green and orange and is based on St. Edward’s crown.
The emoji will appear when social media users type in the hashtags #Coronation, #CoronationConcert, #CoronationWeekend and #CoronationBigLunch.
For the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, an adorable Twitter emoji popped up featuring a corgi wearing a purple crown.
Plans for Charles and Camilla’s coronation are well underway, with details about the processional journey — just 1.3 miles long, stretching from Buckingham Palace to the ceremony at Westminster Abbey — revealed on Sunday.
An array of royal regalia will also be utilized at the Abbey ceremony, including several items from the family’s selection of Crown Jewels.
Aside from St. Edward’s crown, “sacred” objects including the Imperial State crown, Queen Mary’s crown, the coronation spoon, the ampulla, the sovereign’s orb, sceptre with dove and the sceptre with cross will also be present.
The majestic headpiece has been used for every ceremony for the reigning sovereign since 1661.
“These unique objects represent the powers and responsibilities of the monarch,” the royal family’s official Instagram account stated. “The Regalia have played a central role in Coronation Services for hundreds of years.”
Each of the other gold-encrusted commodities used in the coronation will serve a different, unique purpose in formally instating Charles as monarch next month.
St. Edward’s crown was last used for the queen’s coronation in 1953, and it will be the headpiece used at the moment of crowning during the ceremony.
The Imperial State crown will be donned by Charles when he leaves Westminster Abbey once the ceremony has concluded.
Queen Mary’s crown will be wielded for coronating Camilla as queen at the event.
The coronation spoon is needed to anoint the new king with holy oil, while the ampulla will hold the consecrated liquid.
As for the orb, which symbolizes the monarch’s power, it will be placed in Charles’ right hand, while the sovereign’s sceptre with cross represents the king’s temporal power and has been used at every crowning since 1661.
The sceptre with dove is a symbol of his spiritual role as a supreme ruler, as well as being emblematic of the Holy Spirit.
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More than 2,000 people were invited to attendon Saturday, and are high-profile royals themselves. Along with members of the British royal family and leaders of the government — like British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, who spoke at the ceremony — world leaders from other countries were also attendance.
Delegates from countries in the British commonwealth attended, carrying flags for their countries as they entered Westminster Abbey.
Non-British royals at the ceremony included:
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
Prince Radu and Margareta of Romania
Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan
Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba and wife Sylvia Bongo Ondimba
King Felipe VI and Letizia of Spain
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene
Grand-Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand-Duchess Maria Teresa
Yang di Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
Letsie III, King of Lesotho, and Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
Dominican President Luis Abinader and his wife Raquel Arbaje
King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania
Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein and Alois and Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein
Crown Prince of Yugoslavia and Crown Princess Katherine
King of Malaysia Abdullah of Pahang and Queen Consort Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah
World leaders in attendance included:
First ladywith her granddaughter, Finnegan
French President Emmanuel Macron, along with his wife, Brigitte
Governor-General of Jamaica Patrick Allen and wife his Lady Patricia Allen
Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikat
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins
President of Israel Isaac Herzog and wife Michal Herzog
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Trudeau
Former Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and Marguerite Pindling
First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf
Former British Prime Ministers John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were seen arriving together. Former prime ministers Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Teresa May and Liz Truss were also there.
Some celebrities were also there, including actress Emma Thompson and singer Lionel Richie.
Prince Harry was seen entering with his cousin, Princess Beatrice and her husband.
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CNN — A rift has emerged in the Danish royal family following a decision by Queen Margrethe to strip four of her eight grandchildren of their royal titles in order to “future-proof” the monarchy. The 82-year-old monarch, who this year celebrated half a century on the throne, announced on Thursday that from next year the children of her younger son, Prince Joachim, will no longer be known as prince and princess. The reason for the move, according to an announcement from the Danish royal household, is to allow the junior royals to lead more normal lives, while it follows a similar decision by other royal families to slim down the monarchy. The announcement explained: “The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years. “With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves.” Joachim, the Queen’s second son, lives in Paris with his wife, Princess Marie, and their two children, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10. The prince has two older sons, Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, from his first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. The royal household said their HRH titles will be “discontinued,” adding: “Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future.” All four of Joachim’s children will maintain their places in the order of succession. In a telephone conversation with CNN, Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen, press secretary to Countess Alexandra, said the countess was “very sad and in shock. “She can’t believe why and why now, because there’s no good reason. They would lose their titles anyway when they get married one day. Her sons are young men so maybe they might get married in the near future so why shouldn’t it wait until that day so that the titles would disappear on a happy day?” The palace said the latest development was a “natural extension” of earlier moves to slim down the monarchy, saying: “In April 2008, Her Majesty The Queen bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the titles of count and countess of Monpezat. In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of The Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult.” Joachim’s older brother, Crown Prince Frederik, is first in line to the throne. His oldest child, Prince Christian, is second in line. All four of Frederik’s children retain their titles. Countess Alexandra told CNN by email that Von Wildenrath Løvgreen has been authorized to speak on behalf of Joachim and Marie, as well as on her behalf. Von Wildenrath Løvgreen said: “Their father told his children. They were quite shocked. “He’s really a man of honor. He’s lived all his life in his family with that title and he’s shocked and nearly cried this morning when one of the European tabloids talked to him in Paris.” She said the children only learned of the change in their titles in recent days, adding: “Back in May he (Prince Joachim) was told that they might remove their titles when they turn 25 and then he didn’t hear any more until a few days ago.” Von Wildenrath Løvgreen explained that the rebrand is purely a formality, as Joachim’s children do not receive any money from the public purse. “It’s just their loss of identity and it’s very hard for little children and young men. As Prince Nikolai said to me, ‘what will they write in my passport now?’” The four children have not spoken with their grandmother since the announcement was made, she said. Responding to the palace’s explanation that this will enable the youngsters to lead a more normal life, she added: “They will never get a normal life. If they do something very stupid it will always come back on the family.” Lene Balleby, the royal household’s director of communications, told CNN in an email: “As Her Majesty The Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming. The Queen’s decision has taken various forms along the way, but Prince Joachim has been involved in and informed about the process since May 5th. We fully understand that there are many emotions involved at the moment, but we hope that The Queen’s desire to future-proof the Royal House of Denmark will be respected.” This is not the first time titles have proved controversial for the family. The Queen’s husband, Prince Henrik, said he did not want to be buried in a plot intended for his wife at Roskilde Cathedral, because he had not been given the title of king. The French-born prince, who died in 2018, had been unhappy with his title since being named prince consort – rather than king consort – upon the couple’s marriage in 1967.
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At a glance
The King and Queen will hand out Maundy money at York Minister on 6 April
They will carry out the traditional service for the first time since the start of the King's reign
Coins will distributed to thank people for their work in the church and community
The royal couple last visited the minster in November to unveil a statue of the late Queen
- Published
The King and Queen Consort will distribute Maundy money at York Minster in April in the first such service since the death of the late Queen Elizabeth.
The royal couple will attend the minster on 6 April for the traditional service where money is handed out to people in recognition of their work in the church and community.
The royal couple last visited the city in November, when they unveiled a statue to the late monarch.
The Dean of York, the Very Reverend Dominic Barrington, said it was an honour the minster had been chosen for the first Maundy service of the new reign.
During the service, which is held annually at a cathedral or abbey in the UK, 74 men and 74 women - signifying the King's age - will be given Maundy money.
The late Queen carried out the royal tradition in York twice during her reign - first on 30 March 1972 and again on 5 April 2012.
Dean Barrington said: "We are honoured His Majesty has chosen York Minster to be his cathedral church for the first Maundy service of his reign.
"Taking place in Holy Week, this historic service symbolises humility, care, kindness and appreciation of others.
"The King's Maundy gift will be a moment of celebration and thanksgiving for 148 exceptional people who have made an impact in their communities ," he added.
Maundy Thursday is a symbolic ceremony where the monarch gives specially-minted coins to selected people, and dates back to AD 600.
The recipients are traditionally local elderly people, who are recognised for their contribution to community.
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The latest official Coronation photograph released by Buckingham Palace sends a strong message about the monarchy's next generations.
King Charles III is shown with his son Prince William and grandson Prince George, bringing together the King with those next in the line of succession.
The picture, taken in the palace Throne Room, is part of a set of official photographs taken by Hugo Burnand.
The King is seen wearing the Imperial State Crown and coronation robes.
In these formal portraits, he is pictured carrying the regalia from the Coronation - an orb and sceptre - while sitting in a throne made for the Coronation of Edward VII.
It is an image full of lavish symbolism and regal colours of gold, red and purple.
A second newly released photograph shows King Charles and Queen Camilla with their pages of honour and ladies in attendance.
It shows some of the members of the Queen's family who had roles in last Saturday's Coronation, including her sister Annabel Elliot, her grandsons Freddy Parker Bowles and Gus and Louis Lopes, as well as her great-nephew Arthur Elliot.
The first set of official Coronation photos showed the King and Queen, but also focused on the "working royals", highlighting those who will be at the centre of royal duties during the King's reign.
There are expected to be more official photographs released as part of a Cabinet Office initiative to provide public buildings with a photographic portrait of the King.
Anti-monarchy campaigners have complained about the budget of £8m for the project, calling it a "shameful waste", with no details released so far of how the funds might be spent.
Read the latest from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan - sign up here.
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When Prince Harry walked into a London courtroom Monday morning, it was a surprise to the journalists with their cameras trained on the door. Though Harry signed onto legal action against Associated Newspapers, the parent company of the Daily Mail, last October, the court convened a preliminary hearing this week, meaning that Harry did not need to be in the courtroom. But Harry flew in from California and took a seat next to his coplaintiffs in the case, a group of public figures including Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, to hear his lawyers present evidence, and he returned to court on Tuesday and Thursday. Though a source told Vanity Fair that the prince had no plans to see his brother, Prince William, or father, King Charles III, during his time in the UK, his presence is proof of his determination to take on his home country’s tabloid media.
For more than three years, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have waged multiple legal battles with various British newspapers over their tactics. So far the couple has seen some success. In 2021, Meghan won a case against Associated Newspapers over a letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle. The company apologized to the duchess, who was awarded symbolic damages of £1. The outlet also paid an unspecified sum for infringing on Meghan’s copyright by publishing parts of the letter.
Though Harry has taken action over recent stories, the suit against Associated Newspapers deals with a much earlier era, from 1993 to 2018, according to a skeleton argument filed by the plaintiffs. When the group’s law firm, Hamlins, filed the case last October, they alleged a wide variety of misconduct, including secret listening devices, the payment of police officials, accessing of bank information, and impersonation to acquire hospital records. In response, Associated Newspaper called the allegations “unsubstantiated and highly defamatory claims,” adding that they were “based on no credible evidence.”
This week’s preliminary hearing was an opportunity for the plaintiffs to present their evidence to a judge, while Associated Newspapers argued that the suit should be thrown out because too much time had elapsed. According to Sky News, their attorney said that the plaintiffs didn’t bring legal action about the stories within the statute of limitations period.
In a witness statement submitted to the court and seen by Vanity Fair, Harry explained why he wanted the case to move forward. “Unfair is not a big enough word to describe the fact that Associated is trying at this early stage to prevent me from bringing my claim,” the statement read. “If the most influential and popular newspaper in the UK, can evade justice without there being a trial of my claims, then what does that say about the industry as a whole and the consequences for our great country.” He also had harsh words for the newspaper company. “I am bringing this claim because I love my country and I remain deeply concerned by the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated.”
In his statement, he also accused the institution of the monarchy of withholding information about the extent of phone hacking. “The institution made it clear that we did not need to know anything about phone hacking and it was made clear to me that the Royal Family did not sit in the witness box because that could open up a can of worms,” he wrote. He added that he did not have his own legal representation “outside of the Institution” until 2019, when Meghan filed her suit against Associated Newspapers.
The suit against Associated Newspapers is just one of a handful of Harry’s pending cases related to phone hacking. His case against Mirror Group Newspapers will go to trial in May. He also has a case pending against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and the now defunct News of the World. He has also filed a libel suit against Associated Newspapers about a February 2022 story pertaining to his security arrangements.
While Harry was promoting his memoir, Spare, earlier this year, he mentioned the legal actions he was taking related to phone hacking, and why he thought they might still be affecting his press coverage. “I put in my claims over three years ago and I’m still waiting,” he told ITV’s Tom Bradby. “So one might assume that a lot of this, from their perspective, is retaliation, and trying to intimidate me to settle, rather than take it to court and potentially may have to shut down.”
During the same interview, he said his experience waging legal battles with the press had broadened his understanding of the value of taking on the press. “One of the reasons why I am moving the mission of changing the media landscape within the UK from being personal to my life’s work—a large part of that is down to the ongoing legal battles.”
When Prince Harry walked into a London courtroom Monday morning, it was a surprise to the journalists with their cameras trained on the door. Though Harry signed onto legal action against Associated Newspapers, the parent company of the Daily Mail, last October, the court convened a preliminary hearing this week, meaning that Harry did not need to be in the courtroom. But Harry flew in from California and took a seat next to his coplaintiffs in the case, a group of public figures including Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, to hear his lawyers present evidence, and he returned to court on Tuesday and Thursday. Though a source told Vanity Fair that the prince had no plans to see his brother, Prince William, or father, King Charles III, during his time in the UK, his presence is proof of his determination to take on his home country’s tabloid media.
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On Thursday morning, King Charles III put on his black morning coat to celebrate Maundy Thursday, the Easter weekend celebration where the monarch gives special gifts to elderly members of the community. He and Queen Consort Camilla traveled to the York Minster, the cathedral in the Northern England city, to honor 74 people with the traditional maundy purses.
Like monarchs before him, the king upheld tradition by honoring a number of people equal to his current age with a red and white purse, but according to the palace, the gifts included one departure from tradition that reflects his passion for honoring Britain’s diversity. “The red purse will contain two commemorative coins, symbolizing the Sovereign's historic gift of food and clothing,” a statement read. “This year, one will celebrate His Majesty’s forthcoming 75th birthday and the other will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generation.” The Windrush, a ship that brought Jamaicans to the UK in 1948, is hailed as the symbol for a generation of immigration that reshaped the diversity and culture of the nation.
The event came one day after the palace sent out invitations to the May 6 coronation ceremony, which referenced “Queen Camilla.” Royal sources confirmed to Tatler that they would now be referring to her as the queen to match the status of previous consorts. During the Maundy Thursday event, Camilla wore a navy dress and hat, which she paired with a Chanel handbag and an Art Deco crystal brooch that once belonged to the Queen Mother, the UK’s last queen consort.
Though this is the first Maundy Thursday ceremony of Charles’s reign, he attended the 2022 mass at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor in Queen Elizabeth II’s stead, after she canceled due to illness. The late queen once wrote that the task was one of her “most rewarding duties,” and during her 70-year reign, she visited every cathedral in England to distribute the gifts. Her last Maundy Thursday event, when she was accompanied by Prince Eugenie, took place at St. George’s Chapel in 2019. The 2020 and 2021 ceremonies were canceled due to the pandemic, and the maundy money was sent through the mail instead.
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With less than a month to go until King Charles III's coronation, we are starting to get a clearer picture of who is on the guest list - and who isn't.
On 6 May the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, at Westminster Abbey in London.
The King has opted for a smaller, shorter and more diverse ceremony than the previous coronation held for his mother in 1953.
Invitations have been sent to about 2,000 people - here is what we know so far about the guest list.
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, formally known as 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.
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is expected to go - but the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, will not attend.
It's likely their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will attend as ninth and 11th in line to the throne - as well as Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall.
Both King Charles and Camilla's grandchildren will be there, with some of them taking part in the ceremony.
Prince George, the son of Prince William and Catherine and second-in-line to the throne, will be one of several "pages of honour".
Three of the Queen Consort's grandsons, Gus and Louis Lopes, Freddy Parker Bowles and her great-nephew Arthur Elliot will take the same role, and be part of the procession through Westminster Abbey.
Politicians, world leaders and foreign royalty
Key political figures and world leaders will also be among the 2,000 attendees - and it is worth noting that, as a state occasion, the government controls the guest list.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to attend, alongside cabinet ministers and peers from the House of Lords.
And according to reports, former UK prime ministers such as Liz Truss and Tony Blair will be there, as well as the new first minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf.
French President Emmanuel Macron will be there. It comes after King Charles's state visit to France was postponed in March due to protests, but a source told the Times Mr Macron would attend to show his "friendship, respect and esteem" for the UK.
US President Joe Biden told King Charles he would not be attending during a phone call in April, but confirmed First Lady Jill Biden would take his place.
Polish President Andrzej Duda and Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, have both said they are planning to attend - and local news reports say Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos will be there.
It is also understood that religious leaders and representatives from across the Commonwealth will attend.
In a break with tradition, members of foreign royal families are reported to be travelling to London for the ceremony.
This includes Monaco's Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko and Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, who will be accompanied by his daughter Crown Princess Victoria.
It is also understood that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who met the King for tea at Windsor Castle in February, will be there.
Volunteers, armed forces and charity workers
King Charles and Camilla have also invited 850 community representatives to the ceremony in recognition of their charity work.
This includes 450 British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients and 400 young people from groups selected by the Royal Family.
Retired firefighter John Anderson, who has been awarded a BEM, said he felt "privileged" to be invited.
Another invitee will be teenager Max Woosey, known as the Boy in the Tent, who raised money for his local hospice by sleeping in a tent for three years.
Elsewhere, more than 6,000 members of the armed forces will be taking part in the coronation - making it the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years.
Thousands of veterans and NHS workers have also been invited to watch the coronation, including the processions and flypast, from a special viewing platform in front of Buckingham Palace.
Speculation over celebrity appearances
There has been speculation over whether any of the King and Queen Consort's famous friends will be invited to the coronation.
Sky News has reported that Dame Joanna Lumley will be attending, before joining the broadcaster's coverage of the day.
While no other high-profile figures have announced they will be going, celebrities with close connections to the Royal Family could be among those attending.
The then Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding blessing at St George's Chapel in 2005 had plenty of famous faces in the congregation, including the Absolutely Fabulous actress, alongside comics Stephen Fry and Rowan Atkinson and actors Richard E Grant and Prunella Scales.
Rumours have also been circulating that David and Victoria Beckham could be on the guest list. They both attended Prince William and Catherine's wedding, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan's - and the former England footballer queued for 12 hours to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.
And for anyone who was not lucky enough to secure an invitation, the ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio.
It will also be available via BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and here on the BBC News website.
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19m ago Committal service for Queen Elizabeth II begins at St. George's chapel Britain's King Charles III and Prince William arrive for Queen Elizabeth II Committal Service at Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, September 19, 2022. Gregorio Borgia/AP The committal service for Queen Elizabeth II got underway Monday afternoon at St. George's Chapel on the royal family's Windsor estate.The service will include singing by the choir of St. George's Chapel, including Psalm 121 with music composed by Sir Henry Walford Davies.The service will be led by the Dean of Windsor, David Connor. Pallbearers carry the coffin of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in to St George's Chapel for a committal service at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, September 19, 2022. Joe Giddens/AP The choir will also sing the Russian Contakion of the Departed, which was sung at the funeral of the queen's late husband, Prince Philip.The committal service will be the last part of Monday's historic events viewed by the public. Later Monday evening, a private service for royal family members only was to be held at St. George's Chapel. The queen's coffin will then be lowered into the family burial vault, below the chapel. 31m ago Senior royals rejoin funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor King Charles III and other members of the royal family rejoined the funeral procession for Queen Elizabeth II, after it made its way from London to Windsor Castle on Monday afternoon.The king, his siblings Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, as well as the king's sons Princes William and Harry, walked with the queen's coffin for the distance between Windsor Castle and St. George's Chapel, where the queen was to be laid to rest in the family crypt.The senior royals followed the queen's coffin, carried by soldiers, up the steps into St. George's Chapel. Pall bearers carry Queen Elizabeth II's coffin into St. George's Chapel on the grounds of the royal Windsor Castle estate in England, September 19, 2022. CBS News 51m ago Queen's funeral procession enters Windsor Castle grounds Emma, the monarch's fell pony, stands as the Ceremonial Procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George's Chapel, in Windsor, England, September 19, 2022. Aaron Chown/AP The procession of the hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin entered the grounds of her home, Windsor Castle, on Monday afternoon. 10:14 AM Queen's coffin arrives in Windsor ahead of Committal Service The hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin stopped briefly as it arrived in the town of Windsor, west of London, on Monday afternoon, so troops from the British Army's Grenadier Guards could take their places flanking the vehicle for it's slow, final push to Windsor Castle. The state hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin arrives in the town of Windsor, England, September 19, 2022, ahead of her committal service at Windsor Castle. CBS News Once the procession reaches the grounds of Windsor Castle, it will be joined by King Charles III and the other senior members of the royal family. 10:05 AM Royal Standard raised over Windsor Castle as king arrives for his mother's committal service The Royal Standard, a flag representing the Sovereign and the United Kingdom, was raised over Windsor Castle on Monday as the hearse carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin made its way through west London toward Windsor. The standard always flies above any royal castle or palace when the sovereign is there, so it being raised on Monday was a sign that the late queen's son, King Charles III, had arrived at the royal residence ahead of the committal service for his mother.Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest at the family's cemetery at St. George's Chapel, on the Windsor Castle grounds. 26m ago What the regalia on the queen's coffin represents Queen Elizabeth II made her final procession through London on Monday after the state funeral service was held for her at Westminster Abbey. Throughout the process, her coffin was heavily decorated in regalia, all representing various aspects of the queen's life and legacy. Royal contributor Tina Brown told CBS News that the items that draped and sat on top of the queen's coffin added historic symbolism to this "moving moment." "It's really the last time we get to wrap Elizabeth in the splendor of the nation's pageantry," she said. "You know, this is the last time. It's a thousand years of British history — its whole weight — on the move." Tina Brown on the historic significance of Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral 05:42 Click here to learn more about the items that decorated the queen's coffin, and what their significance to the throne is. 8:02 AM Queen's funeral service ends - What happens next? After the conclusion of the official state funeral service at Westminster Abbey, the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is being processed through central London to Wellington Arch. Big Ben is tolling every minute during the procession, and guns are being fired in Hyde Park. Watch: Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral service at Westminster Abbey 01:07:52 At 1 p.m. (8 a.m. Eastern): The queen's coffin will be transferred to the state hearse from the gun carriage on which it is being processed through London to the state hearse. There will then be a royal salute, and the national anthem will be played. The queen's coffin will then be driven from London to Windsor.At approximately 3 p.m. (10 a.m. Eastern): The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is expected to reach Shaw Farm Gate in Windsor. There, it will join a funeral procession that will go to Windsor Castle.At 3:40 p.m. (10:40 a.m. Eastern): In the castle grounds, King Charles III and other members of the royal family will join the funeral procession. Members of the royal household will be positioned behind the coffin.At 3:53 p.m. (10:53 a.m. Eastern): The procession is expected to reach the steps of St. George's chapel at Windsor Castle. The queen's coffin will be taken from the state hearse and carried in procession into the chapel for the committal service.At 4:00 p.m. (11:00 a.m. Eastern): A committal service will take place, with about 800 people attending. Guests will include members of the queen's household. The choir of St. George's chapel will sing before the queen's coffin is lowered into the royal vault.7:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. Eastern): A private ceremony for the queen's family will take place in the King George VI memorial chapel. She will be laid to rest alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Britain lays Queen Elizabeth II to rest 63 photos 9:33 AM Ukraine's first lady attends queen's funeral as war rages in her country The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday to pay her respects to the late monarch, "on behalf of all Ukrainians.""It is very important for us to know that such a world leader of an epoch, a leader with an impeccable reputation and morals, was with us," Zelenska told CBS News partner network BBC News on Sunday. A great honor for me to be present at the farewell to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of all Ukrainians. Her attention to 🇺🇦 was an important signal of support. She wished us better times and shared our desire for freedom. We will always remember it with deep gratitude. pic.twitter.com/4DJqhLbIUn— Олена Зеленська (@ZelenskaUA) September 19, 2022 Ukrainians "know that the Queen shared the values that Ukraine stands for today: freedom, the right to one's own home, language, culture and country," she said. "We have repeatedly heard words of support from her."Zelenska was in London without her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who remained in at home to continue leading his country's fight against Russia's invasion. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also attended the funeral, Reuters reported. The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, views the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, London, September 18, 2022. Jacob King/AP 10:45 AM Why was the actress Sandra Oh part of Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral? Among the heads of state and members of royal families to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday was Canadian actress Sandra Oh.Known for her roles in the shows Killing Eve and Grey's Anatomy, Oh was able to attend the funeral because she had been appointed to the Order of Canada earlier this summer.The Order of Canada is the second highest civilian honor in Canada, and Oh was honored for her "artistic career filled with memorable stage, television and film roles in Canada and abroad."Oh was part of the Canadian delegation at the queen's funeral, which was led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and she processed with of the holders of The Victoria Cross, The George Cross and the Orders of Chivalry. 8:38 AM Queen's coffin transferred to hearse for her final trip to Windsor The queen's coffin is being transferred to the state hearse from the gun carriage on which it was processed through central London. As the late monarch begins her final journey from the British capital to her home in Windsor, about an hour west of London by car, there was to be a royal salute by a military brass band, followed by another playing of the national anthem. The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is transferred into a state hearse for the trip from central London to Windsor, following her state funeral on September 19, 2022. CBS News 8:25 AM King Charles III leaves handwritten note on the queen's coffin A handwritten note from King Charles III was placed on top of the coffin carrying his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, for her state funeral on Monday.Nestled in a wreath of flowers which included a sprig from Queen Elizabeth's wedding to her husband, Prince Phillip, Charles' note said, "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R."The R is short for the word "Rex," which is Latin for king. Britain's King Charles III, left, and Camilla, the Queen Consort follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. A note placed in flowers on top of the coffin from Charles reads, "In loving and devoted memory. Charles R". AP Photo/Frank Augstein/Pool 7:44 AM New Zealand leader shares the "best" advice she got from the queen New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the late Queen Elizabeth II gave her some of the best advice on leading a country while being a new mother. Ardern, who had a baby while in office, met the queen in 2018, while she was pregnant."One of the things on my mind, alongside being a new prime minister, was being a prime minister and a mom, and when you think about leaders who have been in that position, there was Benazir Bhutto. There was myself. Before that, there was the queen. There were so few to look to," Ardern told CBS News partner network BBC News on Sunday."So I said to [Queen Elizabeth II], 'How did you manage?' And I remember she just said, 'Well, you just get on with it.' And that was actually probably the best and most factual advice I could have," Ardern said. Queen Elizabeth II greets Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand at The Queen's Dinner during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2018. WPA Pool/Getty 7:20 AM Queen's coffin taken out of abbey for procession to Hyde Park The pallbearers raised Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from the catafalque in the center of Westminster Abbey and began processing with it through the center aisle of the great nave, to bring it outside and place it back on the State Gun Carriage. Members of the Royal family follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her State Funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Frank Augstein/AP The coffin will be followed in procession on the carriage by King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, along with other members of the family. The entire procession was to take about 45 minutes to reach Wellington Arch, at Hyde Park Corner.From there, the queen's coffin was to be placed in a hearse for the drive west from central London to Windsor, where the queen will be laid to rest in her family chapel next to her late husband Prince Philip. Britain's King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princess Anne, and her husband Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince William, and Kate, Princess of Wales with their children Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey during her funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Frank Augstein/AP 6:59 AM A commendation, a blessing, trumpets and a silence for the queen. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave the commendation over the queen's coffin as the funeral service neared its end on Monday. The commendation, essentially a prayer for the late queen to be welcomed into heaven, included the traditional line: "Go forth, O Christian soul, from this world," which is often included in funeral services.The commendation was followed by a new song composed specifically for the service, the words for which were taken from Romans 8 in the Bible, which includes the line, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, is placed in Westminster Abbey in central London, for the funeral service, September 19, 2022. Ben Stansall/AP The dean of the abbey then delivered a blessing, and asked those in the ancient church to remain standing for the "Last Post," a trumpet peel by the royal Household Cavalry.Finally, all fell silent. A two-minute national silence was held at 11:55 a.m. local time, or 6:55 a.m. Eastern, to honor the queen. Watch: "God Save the King" is sung at the end of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral 02:20 6:43 AM Unseen portrait of Queen Elizabeth II released on the eve of her funeral A never-before-seen portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was released by the royal family on the eve of the late monarch's state funeral, for which thousands flocked to the British capital, London, on Monday.The photo was taken to mark the queen's Platinum Jubilee, the celebration of her 70 years on the throne, the royal family said. Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to ever reach that milestone, which she celebrated three months before her death. Ahead of Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral, a new photograph has been released.The photo was taken to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee - the first British Monarch to reach this milestone.Tomorrow, millions will come together to commemorate her remarkable life. pic.twitter.com/UyVfjVvJgw— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 18, 2022 The photo was taken by photographer Ranald Mackechnie, who also took the commemoration photo for her Platinum Jubilee. 6:25 AM British Commonwealth official gives first reading as funeral begins As the queen's coffin entered the abbey, the Choir of Westminster Abbey sang The Sentences, a song which has been used since the mid-1500s, according to Buckingham Palace, including at every state funeral since the early 18th century.The "First Lesson" was then read by Baroness Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, in tribute to the late monarch's life "of dedication and service to the family of nations," the palace said. The queen's death and passage of the throne to her son King Charles III comes at a time when several members of that "family of nations" are fiercely debating their future within it, with referendums planned in a couple Caribbean countries in particular on becoming fully independent republics. Queen Elizabeth II's death revives criticism of the monarchy's colonial past and role in the slave trade 05:10 6:08 AM Prince George and Princess Charlotte processing behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II The queen's great grandchildren, nine-year-old Prince Goerge and seven-year-old Princess Charlotte, will participate in the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, according to the order of service provided by Buckingham Palace. The children of William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, joined the funeral procession along with other members of the royal family as their grandmother's coffin entered Westminster Abbey. Britain's King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Kate, Princess of Wales, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at the Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, in London, September 19, 2022. Phil Noble/Pool/AP Their younger brother, four-year-old Prince Louis, did not join in the procession, nor did the children of William's brother Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 5:47 AM Royal family members processing with queen's coffin to Westminster Abbey Members of Britain's royal family, led by King Charles III, have begun the solemn procession with the late Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from Westminster Hall, where she lied in state for four days, to Westminster Abbey, where her funeral will take place. Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is seen atop the State Gun Carriage outside Westminster Hall, flanked by members of the U.K. Royal Navy, with senior members of the royal family behind the coffin, ahead of the late monarch's state funeral on September 19, 2022, in London, England. CBS News The king and his sons, William the Prince of Wales, and Harry the Duke of Sussex, and other family members followed the queen's coffin out of Westminster Hall and watched as it was placed on the ceremonial State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy. The same carriage was used for the funerals of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, and Winston Churchill. Prince William and Prince Harry follow a gun carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during her funeral service in Westminster Abbey in central London, September 19, 2022. Emilio Morenatti/AP The short route between the hall and the abbey was lined by members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.The queen's coffin was to be taken off the gun carriage and carried into the abbey for the funeral service just before 11 a.m. local time, or 6 a.m. Eastern. 5:43 AM U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived at London's Westminster Hall on Monday for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. Biden is one of a number of heads of state who is attending the funeral, along with members of other royal families and dignitaries from around the world. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among dozens of other world leaders attending the funeral. U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill arrive at Westminster Abbey before the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried inside for her funeral in central London, September 19, 2022. Bernat Armangue/AP 5:26 AM U.K. Air Force member was last member of public to file past queen's coffin A British Royal Air Force service member was the last member of the public to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at the U.K. Parliament's Westminster Hall on Monday. Chrissy Heerey was at the very end of the behemoth, five-mile-long line that quickly became known simply as "The Queue."She got the last spot after joining the line for a second time early Monday, having already filed past the queen's sealed coffin on Sunday evening.The public viewing period ended just before 6:30 a.m. in London, or about 1:30 a.m. Eastern on Monday. Heerey was the last of the hundreds of thousands of people who waited for hours, sometimes a full day or and night, to pay their respects. Christina (Chrissy) Heerey, the last member of the public to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state, walks through Westminster Hall in London, England on September 19, 2022. Lorena Sopena/Anadolu Agency/Getty "I was the last person to pay my respects to the queen and it felt like a real privilege to do that," Heerey told Britain's PA news agency. "I'd already been round once, I went in at 1:15 this morning… It's one of the highlights of my life, and I feel very privileged to be here.""The Queue" officially opened at 5 p.m. (noon Eastern) on Wednesday. The well-planned and orchestrated process was expected to allow some 750,000 people snake their way along the Thames River for four days, around the clock, to file past the queen's coffin. 1:59 AM Queen's lying-in-state ends ahead of her funeral A day packed with funeral events in London and Windsor began early on Monday when the doors of 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had filed in front of Queen Elizabeth II's coffin since Sept. 14. Many had spent cold nights on line outdoors to pay their respects at the foot of the flag-draped coffin in a moving outpouring of national grief. The closing of the hall marked the end of four full days of the coffin lying in state. Monday has been declared a public holiday in honor of Elizabeth. Her funeral will be broadcast live to over 200 countries and territories worldwide and screened to crowds in parks and public spaces across the country. Police officers from around the country will be on duty as part of the biggest one-day policing operation in London's history. Updated 9:30 AM / September 18, 2022 The extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth II Born in 1926, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was not originally destined to be queen. But that changed in 1936, when she was 10 years old, because her uncle Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, and Elizabeth's father, George VI, took his place.Princess Elizabeth rapidly became a public favorite. During World War II, she not only worked to raise the country's morale, appealing to her fellow Britons on public radio to "make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place," she also served as a volunteer in the war effort, training as a mechanic in the women's auxiliary service. Queen Elizabeth II through the years 76 photos Her marriage to Philip Mountbatten in 1947 gave a war-weary country something to celebrate. Their children — Charles, then Anne, Andrew and Edward — re-established the royal line. Her marriage to Philip lasted 73 years, until his death on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99.Elizabeth was just 25 years old when she inherited the throne in February 1952, following the death of her father, George VI. Her coronation in June of the following year was the first ever to be televised. Duty was the royal family's ethos under Elizabeth's reign."I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service," she once told the nation. It was a promise she kept longer than any other British monarch in history, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — just months before her passing. Queen Elizabeth honored with grand procession through London 03:58 Her reign, however, was not without controversy. Some protesters question the value of monarchical traditions in modern times and the concentration of inherited wealth in the family's hands. In lands once ruled by the British Empire, a painful history of subjugation and the brutality of the slave trade still resonate in current events. Queen Elizabeth II's unlikely path to the throne and the legacy she leaves behind 05:35 Updated 9:20 AM / September 18, 2022 Royal family's new roles A series of changes rippled through Britain's royal family following the death of its longtime matriarch. Elizabeth's eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, was immediately elevated to sovereign and became King Charles III. His wife, Camilla, took on the title queen consort.Among Charles' first official acts was to announce that his older son, Prince William, who is now next in line to the throne, has been granted the title Prince of Wales, the role Charles himself held for over 50 years. William's wife Catherine is now Princess of Wales — a title last held by William and Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — who gave up working as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California — did not receive new titles. But their children, 3-year-old Archie and 1-year-old Lilibet, gained the right to be known as prince and princess, as grandchildren of the monarch. Britain's royal line of succession 32 photos Updated 9:15 AM / September 18, 2022 Significance of Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, where the funeral is being held, has a long and storied history. In addition to being the site of Britain's monarchical coronations since 1066, the abbey was also a special place to the late queen herself during her 96-plus years. In 1947, at the age of 21, then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey's altar. Five years later, her coronation was held here. The flag flies at half mast at Westminster Abbey in London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images Family joy would follow with the marriage of her grandson Prince William to Kate Middleton here in 2011. Family sorrow would come, too, with the funeral of the queen's mother in 2002, and then the funeral of her husband in 2021.The last time a monarch's funeral was held in Westminster Abbey itself was 262 years ago, for King George II."This is Westminster Abbey. This is her majesty the queen. I think you can assume that you're going to see tradition in action — great, living tradition in action," said the Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle, who was appointed by the queen as the 39th Dean of Westminster Abbey, and who is tasked with leading the service. "I think the job of the abbey and the job of people like me, to some extent, is to keep stitching the story together — to say it's possible in pretty divided and volatile times to say, all this can be gathered in, reconciled, redeemed, celebrated. So, her majesty's reign, which started in the abbey, comes to an end in the abbey. It's a bit more of stitching the story together."Read more here.
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King Charles III's highly anticipated coronation will take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
Charles will be the 40th monarch to be crowned at the church; William the Conqueror was the first on Christmas Day in 1066. The most recent was Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953. The Windsors are the only royal family in Europe that still holds coronations.
Although Charles immediately became king by law because of the death of his mother, the coronation is a "ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power," according to the royal family's website.
"The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry," Buckingham Palace said in a statement earlier this year.
The palace has yet to release any detailed information on the coronation service or who will be invited. Speculation has been growing if Charles' son, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will be invited or attend after the release of Harry's bombshell memoir, "Spare."
What can we expect to see on Coronation Day? This is your guide to all of the traditions that take place.
What we can expect to see on Coronation Day
Like every coronation since 1066, it will be held in Westminster Abbey and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury – the Church of England's most senior cleric.
The palace describes it as "a solemn religious service" and it acknowledges the king's role as both the head of state and head of the Church of England. The king is the Church's Supreme Governor.
Charles' wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will also be crowned. "The ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort," according to the palace.
While the king and the coronation committee may be adapting the ceremony to suit modern times, there are some parts of the service that are expected to remain. Since the late 14th century, coronations have followed the instructions laid out in the Liber Regalis or "royal book," a medieval Latin manuscript that describes the order of service.
Alastair Bruce, an ABC News royalty consultant and one of the U.K.'s leading experts on coronations, said there are five key stages to a coronation: the recognition, the coronation oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning) and the homage.
The Recognition
During the recognition, the monarch is presented to his or her people. The archbishop of Canterbury is expected to proclaim King Charles "the undoubted King" and call on the attendees to support him. For the queen's coronation in 1953, the archbishop presented the queen to the east, south, west and north and each time people shouted "God Save Queen Elizabeth!" with trumpets sounding after each recognition.
The Coronation Oath
For this part of the service the archbishop of Canterbury asks three questions to the monarch. King Charles will place his hand on the Holy Bible and say, "The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God." The king will then sign an oath, pledging to serve the people and rule according to law.
"This is the only time that a monarch signs a written obligation to his or her people," Bruce said.
The Anointing
Of all the coronation moments, Bruce said the anointing, or unction, is the most important.
"This is where the Archbishop of Canterbury makes a cross with holy oil on the royal forehead and elsewhere on the body to show that the monarch has been chosen by God," according to the Westminster Abbey website.
"This signals the conferment of God's grace upon a ruler," according to David Torrance, who wrote a paper on coronations for the House of Commons' Library.
For Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, the archbishop anointed her with these words: "Be thy head anointed with holy oil: as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, so be you anointed, blessed and consecrated Queen over the Peoples, whom the Lord thy God hath given thee to rule and govern."
This sacred moment was barred from the cameras. The queen was covered with a canopy so people couldn't see as the archbishop dabbed oil on her face, chest and hands.
Torrance noted that, according to a former dean of Westminster, "At its heart, the anointing of the Sovereign, and clothing with priestly garments that precede the coronation itself, resemble the ordination of a priest or the consecration of a bishop."
The anointing oil contains a mixture of orange flowers, roses, jasmine, cinnamon, musk, civet and ambergris.
London pharmacy John Bell and Croyden holds the "recipe and a sample of the famous anointing oil used when a new sovereign is crowned," according to its website. It displays a replica of the bottle of oil in its London shop. The actual oil is under lock and key.
"Richard II is given the words by Shakespeare that describe why an anointing is so important: 'Not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the balm off from an anointed king,'" Bruce noted.
The Investiture
The monarch now puts on ceremonial clothing known as the Colobium Sindonis and the Supertunica, a full-length coat made of gold silk cloth.
Coronation regalia is presented to the king or queen and he or she will be invested with the coronation bracelets, known as armills, representing sincerity and wisdom, followed by the stole, the robe royal and the orb. The monarch is also presented with the coronation ring and the sceptre with the cross and the rod with the dove.
The Crowning
"The real key moment is the anointing but the visual moment is the crowning," said Bruce.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will slowly place the more than 400-year-old St Edward's Crown on the king's head. The St Edward's Crown weighs 4 pounds and 12 ounces and is made of solid gold. It is the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels. This is the only time the king will ever wear the St Edward's Crown.
It is being sized to fit King Charles' head after it had "been removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work" late last year, according to a palace statement.
At previous coronations it was at this moment, Bruce said, that the king's peers put on their coronets and the congregation shouts "God Save the King!" or "God Save the Queen!" and the guns at the Tower of London are fired.
Why do kings and queens wear crowns?
"It is to adorn the head that has been anointed with an earthly halo," said Bruce. "That's the concept of a crown."
And where they are crowned also has symbolism, according to Bruce. "We crown them on a tumulus, an old Saxon and Teutonic tradition where you raise the new king on the burial chamber of a previous king. The tumulus in Westminster Abbey is made up of principally of Edward the Confessor's Tomb," he explained.
The Homage
The king is then expected to move from the coronation chair up some steps to the throne for the final part of the ceremony, which is the homage. This is when the sovereign's subjects swear their allegiance. The homage is traditionally begun by the archbishop of Canterbury.
It remains to be seen who will pay homage to King Charles III at his coronation, or whether the traditional way of kneeling, kissing and touching the crown will take place.
The Queen Consort
The last time a Queen Consort was crowned was in 1937. If King Charles intends to replicate that ceremony, then Camilla will be crowned after the homage. "The queen is crowned at the will of the king," explained Bruce.
The king is expected to give a nod and then the queen will be crowned.
"It's traditional that the queen is anointed too," Bruce added, but the entire ceremony is much simpler and shorter than for a monarch.
Ending the service
Traditionally the king is expected to take Holy Communion and go into the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor, which is behind the high altar. He will put on the Imperial State Crown and purple velvet robe and emerge for the final procession through the Abbey carrying the orb and sceptre. The congregation will sing the National Anthem – "God Save the King."
The king will leave Westminster Abbey and start the procession back to Buckingham Palace. He is expected to travel in the Gold State Coach and he will have the orb and sceptre with him. After returning to Buckingham Palace, the newly crowned king and queen will appear on the balcony to greet the crowds.
The coronation service on Saturday, May 6, will be the focal point of a weekend of celebrations. There will also be a concert at Windsor Castle on the Sunday with the palace encouraging people to come together for a big lunch that same day and to volunteer in their communities on Monday, a holiday in the U.K.
"Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort hope the Coronation Weekend will provide an opportunity to spend time and celebrate with friends, families and communities across the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth," the palace announced in a statement.
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King Charles was presented with the Scottish crown jewels in a historic Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication in Edinburgh on Wednesday to celebrate his coronation.
Wearing the Order of the Thistle mantles, King Charles and Queen Camilla, dressed in a white Bruce Oldfield dress, were honored with a 21-gun salute and an RAF Flypast. During the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, where Queen Elizabeth’s body lay in rest following her death in September, the king received the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre and the Sword of State of the Honours of Scotland symbolizing his commitment to the nation while the service itself focused heavily on Scotland’s diversity and climate change.
While the highlight of the day included a royal procession and a dramatic flypast, perhaps the most iconic image was a photograph taken in the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse of King Charles and Queen Camilla alongside Prince William and Princess Kate. It is an image the King hopes will send out a clear message to the Scottish people about the future of the monarchy.
“For Charles, it was very important that during today’s service he had his son and heir by his side,” a royal source told Vanity Fair. “While the coronation focused on the crowning of the king and the queen, this was a moment to project the future of the monarchy to Scotland. The Waleses shared center stage and this was very deliberate.”
The Princes and Princess of Wales, dressed in an eye-catching blue Catherine Walker coat dress, are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland and their prominence at Wednesday’s service was strategic. The late Queen was keen for William to have an active role in Scotland and the prince accompanied his grandmother to Scotland for Royal Week in 2021. She also approved that William be appointed Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland that same year.
The source added, “Queen Elizabeth took William to Scotland on various occasions during her reign because she wanted William to have a connection to the country she held dear, and the King is doing the same.”
As Vanity Fair previously reported, Charles and Camilla will be taking up residence at Balmoral this summer and it is expected that they will be joined by the Waleses. William and Kate have a close connection with Scotland – they met as students at University of St Andrews – and are keen to foster close links with the country.
While Wednesday’s ceremony was packed with royal supporters, the royal procession (which began at Edinburgh Castle and ended at the cathedral) was also marred by some 200 activists booing “Not my King” and holding anti-monarchy placards along the Royal Mile. Two people were arrested for breaching the peace.
According to recent polls, Scottish support for the crown is around 10 to 15 percentage points lower than in England. Sources close to the king say the potential break-up of Great Britain and a referendum on Scottish independence is one of the issues that concerns Charles the most. On Wednesday, however, he had the backing of the majority and seemed most thrilled with the crowds that did turn out to support him.
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A BBC film is to feature exclusive footage of the King and Queen in the first year of King Charles's reign.
Camera crews were given access to King Charles III and Queen Camilla after the death of the Queen, leading up to the coronation and the months following.
The 90-minute documentary is narrated by actress Helena Bonham Carter, who played the late Queen's sister Princess Margaret in The Crown.
It is due to air in December, as part of the BBC's Christmas programming.
Charles III: The Coronation Year follows the King and Queen as they took on their new roles as sovereign and consort, and as Buckingham Palace planned the first coronation in 70 years.
A previously unseen image released from the documentary shows the King in a suit and tie, sitting in the Coronation Chair during one of the dress rehearsals in Westminster Abbey ahead of his crowning.
The BBC said the programme features "moments of great poignancy and humour" and offers a "unique perspective on the inner workings behind a defining moment which marks a new era in the history of the monarchy."
Simon Young, the BBC's head of history, factual commissioning, said: "At the heart of this story is a man who is taking on the job that has always awaited him. Everyone wants to know how he takes on that challenge."
The King's first 12 months as monarch were filled with events including Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph, a state visit by the South African president, his first Christmas broadcast, Royal Ascot, Trooping the Colour and an overseas visit to Germany.
The King and Queen were crowned in May in a deeply religious ceremony, followed by a week of celebrations.
It is not known if there is any mention in the film of the more personal aspects of the King's life, such as his relationship with the Duke of Sussex whose memoir Spare and Netflix documentary were also released during his first year of reign.
Kate Phillips, who is responsible for the commissioning of unscripted content at the BBC, described the access given to the documentary crew as "extraordinary".
"It's a real privilege to be given such extraordinary behind-the-scenes access to the first year of King Charles's reign," she said.
"It is a remarkable time in history and this documentary will offer a unique insight into King Charles and Queen Camilla, and the preparation and planning leading to their coronation, a momentous ceremony watched by millions around the world."
It is not the first time the Royal Family has given TV cameras close access to their day to day lives - Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip allowed the BBC and ITV to film behind the scenes for a documentary in 1969.
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Image source, Getty ImagesThe Queen's funeral on Monday is set to be one of the biggest gatherings of royalty and politicians hosted in the UK for decades.Invitations went out over the weekend, with some 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries expected to attend.The majority of leaders have been asked to arrive on commercial flights and told they will be bussed en masse from a site in west London. The ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey, which has the capacity for around 2,200 people. Here's what we known so far about who will and won't be in attendance. European Royal familiesImage source, ReutersImage caption, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands will be among the European royals at the funeralMembers of royal families from across Europe, many of whom were blood relatives of the Queen, are expected.Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have confirmed they will be there, as have King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Maxima, along with his mother, former Dutch queen Princess Beatrix.King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain have also accepted an invitation, as have the royal families of Norway, Sweden, and Demark. US presidentsImage source, EPAImage caption, President Joe Biden, seen signing a book of condolences to the Queen, will attend along with First Lady Jill BidenThe White House has confirmed that President Joe Biden will attend along with First Lady Jill Biden, although they are understood not to be travelling by bus. Much discussion had focused on whether President Biden would invite his predecessor, Donald Trump, to form part of the US delegation, but the limits to the delegation sizes mean former presidents will not necessarily be able to attend. There has been speculation that some former president and first ladies - particularly the Obamas - might receive private invites. Jimmy Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, has not received an invitation, his office told Politico. Commonwealth leadersImage source, ReutersImage caption, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not confirmed whether he will attendLeaders from across the Commonwealth, of which the Queen served as head for the entirety of her reign, are expected to attend. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accepted an invitation, as have New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.A number of governor-generals who serve as the representative of the monarch in a Commonwealth realm are expected to attend with their countries' leaders. Long-serving Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe have also reportedly accepted invitations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to confirm whether he will be there.Other world leadersImage source, CHRISTOF STACHEImage caption, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian President Sergio Mattarell will both attend the funeralOther world leaders said to have accepted invitations include Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella as well European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have also confirmed their attendance. Also expected to make the trip are Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron.It is not known whether Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week will mark the first time he has left China since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, will receive an invite or would accept it. The Islamic Republic of Iran, long the subject of international sanctions over its nuclear programme, will be represented only at ambassadorial level, Whitehall sources said. Not invitedImage source, ReutersImage caption, Russian President Vladimir Putin is among the world leaders not to have been invitedNo representative from Russia, Belarus, or Myanmar have been invited, says the BBC's James Landale.Diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia have all but collapsed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week he was "not considering" attending the funeral. The invasion was launched partially from the territory of Belarus, whose president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is a close ally of President Putin's. The UK has also significantly scaled back its diplomatic presence in Myanmar since a military coup in the country in February 2021.
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Buckingham Palace on Sunday revealed further details ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, which will take place in London in less than a month’s time.
The new British sovereign will be crowned alongside his wife, Camilla, in a deeply religious service at Westminster Abbey that will take place on the morning of May 6.
There will be two processions through the streets of the British capital on coronation day – one taking the King to be crowned and a larger parade back to Buckingham Palace after the historic service, where the monarch and members of the royal family will make a balcony appearance.
In addition to the new details on processional routes, carriages and coronation regalia, a new emoji has even been designed to mark the celebrations. Based on St Edward’s Crown, it will appear on Twitter when coronation hashtags are used over the holiday weekend.
Journey to Westminster
For the drive to the service, King Charles has opted to ride in the Diamond Jubilee State coach. One of the newer carriages in the Royal Collection, it was built in Australia and delivered to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2014, when it was used for the first time at the State Opening of Parliament that year.
“Inside is beautifully upholstered in primrose yellow silk, and also fitted into the interior, our particular specimen woods. It’s a real microcosm of British and world history. There’re woods from the royal residences, from explorations and from other countries and nations as well,” says Sally Goodsir, the Royal Collection Trust’s curator of decorative arts.
She says one thing well-wishers might be surprised by is how large the vehicle is. “It’s significantly taller than any car on the road today, and it has this huge gold crown on the top – amazingly carved with oak from HMS Victory, one of the Royal Navy’s 18th-century flagships,” Goodsir explains.
“It’s incredibly exciting – this gold coach carrying the sovereign beautifully lit inside so that they can be seen by the crowds on coronation day.”
The procession will leave Buckingham Palace and head down the Mall accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry. It will pass through Admiralty Arch before turning on to Whitehall and traveling along Parliament Street and on to Westminster Abbey where the service will start at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET).
Royal procession
Following the service, the coronation procession – which will be much larger in scale – will take the same route back to the palace. It will feature “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,” according to the palace.
This time, Charles and Camilla will be conveyed in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every coronation since William IV in 1831.
“It is nearly four meters tall. It’s over seven meters long. It weighs four tons. Because of that it can only be used at a walking pace, which really adds to the majesty and stateliness of this great royal procession,” Goodsir says. “There are very few monarchies which have retained coaches working of this age, and therefore it’s an incredibly special thing to see.”
She adds that it’s covered in painted panels “that exemplify” what George III, who was monarch when the coach was built in 1762, believed he would bring to the nation.
“Protecting the arts such as architecture and sculpture; protecting peace in this nation, there’s figures of Mars and Minerva, the classical gods of war, but they’re not at war, they’re actually holding the British Crown aloft. So, there’s lots of messages and symbolism,” she continues.
Once back at Buckingham Palace, the armed forces in the parade will offer a royal salute to the royal couple followed by three cheers from assembled service personnel.
The holiday weekend will also see a massive music concert take place at Windsor Castle, similar to the star-studded show during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last summer as well as nationwide street parties and a day of volunteering.
Symbols of the monarch
The palace has also outlined the coronation regalia which are “sacred and secular objects” symbolic of the “responsibilities of the monarch” that will be featured in the Westminster service.
The regalia – which is held in trust by the monarch on the nation’s behalf – have played a principal role in coronation services for centuries.
Among the treasures to be used, which are usually on public display at the Tower of London, will be the Imperial State Crown which is only used at ceremonial events and was made for the King George VI’s 1937 coronation. Charles will exchange it for St Edward’s Crown at the end of the service. Made of solid gold and trimmed with ermine and velvet, it is famously heavy – weighing more than five pounds (2.23kg).
As previously announced, Camilla is reusing Queen Mary’s Crown rather than commission a new one to be made.
Two heavy maces made of silver gilt over oak and several ceremonial swords – The Sword of State, the Sword of Temporal Justice, the Sword of Spiritual Justice and the Sword of Mercy – will also be used. Additionally, several instruments of state will feature including the Sovereign’s orb and two scepters, which represent the monarch’s temporal power and spiritual role.
On the guestlist
It was also revealed over the weekend that more than 850 community representatives and key workers are being invited to the festivities in acknowledgment of their philanthropic work.
The list of invitees includes 450 recipients of British Empire medals, who will make up some of the 2,000-strong congregation, as well as 400 young people from organizations selected by Charles and Camilla, who will have a special private viewing of the coronation from nearby St Margaret’s Church.
The elaborately-designed coronation invitation reflecting the King’s love of nature was unveiled last week, with royal-watchers quickly zeroing in on the use of the title “Queen Camilla” for the first time.
A royal source told CNN it had “made sense” to refer to Camilla as Queen Consort in the early months of the new King’s reign so as “to distinguish from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
The source added that the coronation is “an appropriate time” to transition titling and that that “all former Queen Consorts have been known as ‘Queen’ plus their first name.”
Sign up for CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.
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After a busy three-day tour of France last week, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who are still in residence at Balmoral Castle, have not been making any appearances on the Court Circular. Since the beginning of the king’s “slimmed-down” reign, there has been some concern about whether the family has enough working members in order to fulfill national and international obligations. Still, a flurry of royal events has proven that even if the number of senior royals has shrunk dramatically since 2019, there are still enough Windsors to keep up appearances. In addition to Princess Kate’s lengthy slate of engagements, Princess Anne held court at Windsor, Prince Edward carried on a family legacy on a trip to Turkey, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, served as the king’s representative at an Italian state funeral.
The week’s headline event was Prince Edward’s trip to Turkey to attend an award ceremony for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the outdoor achievement prize founded by his father in 1956. During a celebration at the British Consulate in Istanbul, Edward gave gold awards to 38 participants from the country and celebrated the winners with a garden party afterward. The prince also traveled to Ankara, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the nation’s modern founder.
On Monday, Sophie boarded a plane at Heathrow headed for Rome to serve as the king’s representative at the state funeral for Giorgio Napolitano, the former president who died last week at age 98. During Tuesday’s funeral, which took place at the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, she was photographed wearing a set of headphones so she could follow along with a translation of the service. The trip was short, and by Wednesday, she was back in the UK, where she made a visit to Collingwood College in Surrey and sat for a meeting with Hala Al-Tuwaijri, the president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission.
Meanwhile, back at Windsor Castle, Anne led a slate of investitures on behalf of her brother, including a series of gallantry awards that the late queen signed off on one week before her death, according to the BBC. The awards went to Lukasz Koczocik and Steven Gallant, two bystanders who intervened during a 2019 stabbing attack on the London Bridge that left two Cambridge University students dead.
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An explanation of the events that will take place and when on the day of King Charles’s coronation. The coronation of King Charles is scheduled on Saturday, May 6, and millions of people are anticipated to watch.
Here is a detailed hour-by-hour schedule of events for King Charles’s coronation day.
The procession of the King’s coronation
At 10.20 am, “The King’s Procession” will lead off the big day through central London.
The Diamond Jubilee State Coach carrying King Charles and Queen Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace and go to Westminster Abbey via The Mall, Admiralty Arch, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, up Parliament Street, and around Parliament Square.
The two will be transported back to the palace in the Gold State Coach, which was infamously derided for being unpleasant by several monarchs, including the late Queen.
The coach, which is more than 260 years old and only intended for usage by the sovereign and their consort, will be their first ride on it.
When viewing spots along the route open to the public at 6 am, thousands of people are anticipated to throng the streets.
A week before the coronation, several fervent royal enthusiasts began camped out in front of Buckingham Palace to get a good place.
The King’s coronation is unquestionably the most significant royal occasion this year and probably for some time to come.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation route is only 1.3 miles long, which is about a fifth of the length of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s five-mile journey in 1953, so it will be a scaled-back, slimmed-down ceremony compared to the late Queen’s.
The coronation gathering
On Saturday, May 6, starting at 11 a.m., the real coronation ceremony where King Charles and Queen Camilla are crowned will take place.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will preside over it, and according to Buckingham Palace, it will “reflect the Monarch’s role today and look toward the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry.”
The King will swear under oath at a “solemn, religious service” to rule faithfully with justice and mercy, to uphold the Gospel, and to protect the beliefs and practices of the Church of England.
The King will be anointed with holy oil behind a screen after the sermon.
Later in the event, the King will be seated in the coronation chair and be holding two scepters when the Archbishop will place the St. Edward’s crown on his head.
The Archbishop will instruct him to “stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth” during the enthronement, which takes place after the King is crowned and moves to his throne.
Following the Homage of the People, which invites those present to swear loyalty to the King, the Queen will be anointed, invested, and crowned.
In a departure from custom, the anointing of Queen Camilla will take place without a screen or canopy to obscure her from the public’s gaze.
The newly crowned King and Queen will return to Buckingham Palace at 1:33 p.m. after leaving the abbey.
When will the coronation start?
|Timing||Event|
|6:00am||Viewing areas open along the procession route|
|7:15-8:30am||Guests to Westminster Abbey arrive at security checkpoints in Victoria Tower Gardens|
|9:00am||Congregation seated inside Westminster Abbey|
|9:30-10:45am||Heads of state, overseas government representatives, Government ministers, First Ministers, former PMs, foreign royals, and members of the Royal Family arrive|
|9:45am||Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry begin to gather for the procession from Buckingham Palace|
|10:20am||King and Queen’s procession sets off from Buckingham Palace|
|10:53am||King and Queen arrive at Westminster Abbey|
|11:00am||Charles and Camilla enter the abbey through the Great West Door and the service begins|
|12:01pm||King is crowned. Archbishop of Canterbury places the St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head. Trumpets will sound and gun salutes will be fired across the UK|
|1:00pm||Service ends and newly crowned King and Queen begin their coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach|
|1:30pm||Charles and Camilla expected to enter Buckingham Palace through the center gate|
|1:45pm||King and Queen receive a royal salute from the military in the palace gardens|
|Around 2:15pm||King, Queen, and members of the Royal Family appear on the Palace balcony for the flypast by aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force, including the Red Arrows|
Right after the coronation
Over the course of the weekend, tens of thousands of street celebrations are planned to honor the King’s crowning.
Everyone is encouraged to attend a “coronation big lunch” on Sunday.
The Big Lunch, an initiative centered at the Eden Project that brings neighbors and communities together to celebrate friendship, food, and fun, has organized the national event. Queen Camilla is a patron of the Big Lunch.
The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle is expected to draw roughly 20,000 spectators in the evening.
Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, seasoned rock guitarist Steve Winwood, and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls will all play on the Hugh Bonneville-hosted program.
Starting at 8 p.m., BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds will all air the Coronation Concert.
Additionally making video messages will be actor and explorer Bear Grylls, singer Sir Tom Jones, and Dynasty actress Dame Joan Collins.
Choreographed lasers, projections, and drone displays will be broadcast across old bridges and structures at ten different places across the nation as part of the Coronation Concert.
On Monday, May 8, there will be a bank holiday in the UK two days after the King and Queen are crowned.
It will take place in conjunction with the Big Help Out, a campaign to inspire and enlist a new generation of volunteers, which is being organized by the Together Coalition and a wide range of partners, including the Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service, and faith organizations from around the UK.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will not be physically attending any of the events, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace on Monday. However, they are “wholly supportive” of the Big Help Out efforts.
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Royal families from around the world will today turn out in force for the Queen's funeral. The Kings and Queens of the Netherlands, Spain and Norway will be among the 2,000 mourners at Westminster Abbey, alongside representatives from Lichtenstein, Bhutan and Monaco. They will come together to pay tribute to the Queen, who was the world's longest-reigning monarch at the time of her death aged 96. Thanks to family ties that date back generations, many European royals have a particularly close relationship to the Queen. Spain's reigning King Felipe even knew her as his 'dear Aunt Lilibet'. Among the most anticipated attendees is the Emperor of Japan, who rarely makes overseas visits. King Jigme & Queen Jetsun of Bhutan and the Sultan of Brunei will also attend. Here, ahead of the funeral, FEMAIL reveals the royal and imperial families that will be represented, and explains how the European houses are related to the Queen... Revealed: How the monarchies of Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg are related to the Queen. All the major royal houses of Europe will be represented at the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey todayKing Philippe and Queen Mathilde of BelgiumKing Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, pictured in 2020, were among the first royal families to confirm their attendance The monarchs share several common ancestors, including Franz, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and the father of King Leopold I of the BelgiansThe Queen's distant cousin King Philippe of Belgium will attend the funeral with his wife, Queen Mathilde. The monarchs share several common ancestors, including Franz, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was the grandfather of Queen Victoria and the father of King Leopold I of the Belgians.They are also related via King Christian IX of Denmark, known as the 'grandfather of Europe' due to his far-reaching family tree. The Queen is King Christian IX's great-great granddaughter. Philippe is his great-great-great-grandson. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde will attend the service without their four children.Their daughter Princess Elisabeth, who will one day ascend the throne, last week represented her parents when she signed a book of condolence to the Queen in Brussels. In a statement released shortly after the Queen's death, the couple said: '[The Queen] was an extraordinary personality. We will always keep fond memories of this great Lady who throughout her reign showed dignity, courage and dedication. 'Each of our meetings will remain forever etched in our memories. We extend our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the British people. Rest in peace, Your Majesty, with your beloved husband.' King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were among the first to RSVP for the monarch's final farewell Willem-Alexander's mother Princess Beatrix, the country's former Sovereign, will also be in attendance (pictured in August)King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who was the first to RSVP to the Queen's funeral, is the Queen's fifth cousin once removed thanks to an ancient connection in their family tree. Willem-Alexander is a descendant of Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, who was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, and his wife Anne, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort Caroline of Ansbach.The Queen is descendant from Princess Carolina through her paternal grandmother Queen Mary, wife of King George V.King Willem-Alexander will attend with his wife, Maxima, and his mother, Princess Beatrix, who abdicated in 2013. The Dutch royals were also among the first to pay tribute to Her Majesty.The official account for the Dutch Royal Family posted photos of the Queen, the new King Charles III and the new Queen Consort Camilla hosting Willem-Alexander and Máxima at Buckingham Palace on a state visit in October 2018.The statement read: 'We remember Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection.'Steadfast and wise, she dedicated her long life to serving the British people. We feel a strong bond with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their sorrow at this time. 'We are very grateful for our countries' close friendship, to which Queen Elizabeth made such an unforgettable contribution.'King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of SpainKing Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, pictured leaving the Spanish Embassy in London today, were amongst the first to send their sympathies to King Charles IIIFormer Spanish King Juan Carlos (pictured arriving at Buckingham Palace today) and his wife Queen Sofia will also attend the ceremony with Felipe and Letizia The Spanish King, who ascended the throne in 2014, will also be among the mourners at Westminster Abbey on Monday. He will be joined by his wife Queen Letizia. He is related to the Queen on both sides of his family and referred to the monarch as 'aunt Lilibet'. His mother, Queen Sofia, was a third cousin of the Queen and a first cousin once removed of the Duke of Edinburgh.Felipe's father, Juan Carlos, is a descendant of Queen Victoria. His grandmother, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.Juan Carlos, 83, who abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe VI, 53, has been living in Abu Dhabi since summer 2020 after becoming the target of several probes in Spain over his financial dealings. There were questions over whether he would attend the funeral but he looks set to be among the mourners at Westminster Abbey. He will be in attendance at the funeral with his wife Queen Sofia. Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik Following Elizabeth II's death, Margrethe II of Denmark has become the only living Queen in the world. She is pictured paying respect to the Queen yesterday Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (right) and Crown Prince Frederik (left) arrive to pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, Lying in State inside Westminster HalThe Queen of Denmark celebrated her Golden Jubilee at the weekend, but modified the event's proceedings after the death of the Queen was announced. Following Elizabeth II's death, Margrethe II of Denmark has become the only living Queen in the world.The 82-year-old is also now the second longest reigning monarch in the world, second only to Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei. She is also the world's longest serving current head of state. While the Sultan of Brunei has been a monarch since 1967, he only became head of state in 1984 - when Brunei gained independence from the UK. Game of thrones! How Queen Victoria sat at the centre of a spider's web of European royal connections With nine children of her own and 42 grandchildren, Queen Victoria sat at the centre of a spider's web of royal connections across Europe.Her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha had dreamt of a Europe held together by family connections, and Victoria was determined to carry out his wishes.They married their offspring into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the nickname 'the grandmother of Europe'.Eight of their children married into royal houses, starting with Vicky, who wed the Crown Prince of Prussia.But after Albert's death in 1861, Victoria retreated from public appearances and became known for wearing black and living in mourning.Both Queens are great-great granddaughters of Queen Victoria - making them third cousins - with Margrethe often looking up to Elizabeth like a big sister.In May, Margrethe told the UK's ITV news that Elizabeth, 14 years her senior, was a 'huge inspiration' to her as the only other living Queen.'[Queen Elizabeth] was 26 when she became Queen. When I was growing up, I hoped I wouldn't be as young as that when my father died. It made an enormous impression on me. The fact that she was dedicating her life. I understood what that meant. This is for life. That is the whole point of my life. And I know she sees that too,' she said.'When I was growing up, my mother and father said to me, "look at what they do in England" and I could see that it could be done and it was worthwhile and you could live a very full life with it, even with a heavy schedule and demanding job.'She is also the first cousin of Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf through Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Margaret of Connaught. Margaret of Connaught was the daughter of Queen Victoria's third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. She was also Queen Margrethe' and Carl Gustav's great-aunt. In a statement she wished the new King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla her 'deepest thoughts and prayers' after Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral.Speaking on behalf of the Danish family she was 'deeply moved' by the sad news of her 'beloved mother's death'.'I send you and Camilla my warmest thoughts and prayers,' she said.'She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly.'Her 70 years of reign and service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth are an unprecedented and remarkable achievement.'We shall always remember her important contributions to their development and prosperity.' Queen Margrethe will be joined by her son and heir Crown Prince Frederik. It was initially believed his wife Australian-born Princess Mary would be joining, but local media in Denmark has since reported she is no longer attending due to a UK Foreign Office error meaning only two royals from each state can attend. King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden and Queen Sonja, left, will also both be present for the ceremony Monday Carl paid his condolences to his 'dear relative' following the Queen's death. 'The Queen served Her countries and the Commonwealth with an outstanding devotion and sense of duty'At the age of 75 Carl is the longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, having took to the throne in 1973. He and his wife Queen Silvia, 77, a German-Brazilian former flight attendant will be in attendance.King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden is one of the European royals with the closest ties to the Queen. He is a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria and was a third cousin of the late Monarch. That is because the Swedish King is the great-grandson of Queen Victoria's son Prince Arthur, and is also related, on her mother's side to Victoria's eighth son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. Carl paid his condolences to his 'dear relative' following the Queen's death.'The Queen served Her countries and the Commonwealth with an outstanding devotion and sense of duty. She has been a constant presence, not only in British society but internationally. In addition, she has always been a good friend to my family and a link to our shared family history,' he said in a statement. King Harald & Queen Sonja of NorwayThe Queen's second cousin, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja, pictured paying his respects, also made the journey to London Harald V and the Queen shared the same great-grandparents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The Queen's grandfather King George V was the brother of Harald's grandmother Princess Maude, who married King Haakon VIIKing Harald of Norway is a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth and 78th in line to the British throne. Harald V has ruled the Scandinavian country since January 1991, succeeding his father, Olav V. He will likely be in attendance alongside his wife Queen Sonja.Harald V and the Queen shared the same great-grandparents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The Queen's grandfather King George V was the brother of Harald's grandmother Princess Maude, who married King Haakon VII.Paying tribute to Her Majesty, the King said: 'Our thoughts are with His Majesty The King and the members of the Royal Family on the loss of Queen Elizabeth. 'For nearly a century, Her Majesty devoted her life to the service of the Commonwealth, following the British people through good days and bad, in times of happiness and sorrow. We also send our condolences to the British people.' Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of LuxembourgThe Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa will also attend today's ceremony. Henri, who came to power in 2000, is a relative of the Monarch via Leopold I, Prince Albert's uncle The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa will also attend today's ceremony. They are pictured paying their respects last night Posting on Twitter after Her Majesty's death, the Luxembourg royal family wrote: 'Their Royal Highnesses are deeply moved and saddened by the news of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, a monarch deeply attached to the friendship between our two countries.'The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa will also attend today's ceremony. Henri, who came to power in 2000, is a relative of the Monarch via Leopold I, Prince Albert's uncle. Posting on Twitter after Her Majesty's death, the Luxembourg royal family wrote: 'Their Royal Highnesses are deeply moved and saddened by the news of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, a monarch deeply attached to the friendship between our two countries. 'HRH the Grand Duke will send a message of condolence on behalf of the people of Luxembourg to the British Royal Family.' Hereditary Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein The Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie will also attend Alois, the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein was the last European royal to confirm he would attend the Monarch's ceremony. Aged 54, he has been regent of his country since 2004 ands has been raising his four children with his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, who will also be in attendance. His father, Hans-Adam II, is the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein and an eighth cousin of Queen Elizabeth - making them one of the most distantly related royals in Europe.They are both descendants of Ludwig, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.Prince Albert & Princess Charlene of Monaco Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, pictured in July, who attended a memorial service for the Queen over the weekend, will also attend Albert is married to Charlene, a South-African Olympic swimmer, but their marriage has been plagued by controversy over the past year with Albert admitting to two illegitimate children and Charlene spending a significant amount of time outside of MonacoPrince Albert of Monaco - who competed in bobsledding at the Winter Olympics five times from 1988 to 2002 -ascended to the Monaco throne after the death of his father, Prince Rainier III, on 6th April 2005. He is married to Charlene, a South-African Olympic swimmer, but their marriage has been plagued by controversy over the past year with Albert admitting to two illegitimate children and Charlene spending a significant amount of time outside of Monaco.The pair share seven-year-old twins Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès.Albert, who is the son of Grace Kelly, and Charlene will no doubt put on a united front to pay tribute to Her Majesty at the service.Through his father, Prince Rainer, Albert is 7th cousin twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II. Their common ancestor is Johann Wilhelm Friso, Prince of Orange-Nassau.ASIAN ROYAL FAMILIES Sultan Hassanal of Brunei The Sultan of Brunei, who met the Queen several times throughout his reign, hsa also confirmed he will attend her funeral (pictured in 2019)The Sultan of Brunei, who met the Queen several times throughout his reign, has also confirmed he will attend her funeral. He has travelled to the UK many a time and has met with both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister David Cameron. Aged 74, he has been ruling over Brunei since since 1967, making him the longest running monarch in the world.In addition to being the country's Sultan and absolute monarch, 76-year-old Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III has also been the Prime Minister of Brunei since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.His reign has also been mired in controversy. He has faced criticism of his country's human rights record, and questions have been raised over business dealings.Despite this, Bolkiah has appeared to have enjoyed a close relationship with The Queen. Like his father before him, he was knighted by Her Majesty, and the pair met on several occasions during their reigns - in both London and Bandar Seri Begawan. King Jigme & Queen Jetsun of BhutanThe Bhutanese Monarchs will also travel to London for the Sovereign's funeral, but will leave their sons. They are pictured paying their respect to the Queen King Jigme has been in power in Bhutan since 2011, and married his wife Jetsun Pema that same year. They are pictured yesterday in LondonThe Bhutanese Monarchs will also travel to London for the Sovereign's funeral. King Jigme has been in power in Bhutan since 2011, and married his wife Jetsun Pema that same year. They share two sons, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, who will not travel to London with them. Their oldest son, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, is the heir to the Bhutanese throne. King Jigme, the hugely popular fifth Druk Gyalpo, studied in the UK and the US and ascended the throne in 2006, aged just 26 after his own father abdicated.Unlike his son, who plans to have a monogamous marriage, the former King, who introduced democracy to Bhutan during his reign, has four wives, all sisters who he married on the same day.But despite his own upbringing, the current monarch has made clear that he only plans to have one wife, whom he married on October 13, 2011, when she was still an international relations student at Regent's College in London. Emperor Naruhito & Empress Masako of JapanNahurito, 62, became Emperor of Japan after succeeding to his father Emperor Akihito in 2019 and he will also travel to London on Monday, with his wife Masako The couple, pictured paying their respects to the Queen, flew first class into London before swapping their luxury digs for a shuttle bus alongside other world dignitaries to get to the Queen's funeralNahurito, 62, became Emperor of Japan after succeeding to his father Emperor Akihito in 2019.His wife Empress Masako, will attend the ceremony with him, but their daughter Princess Mako will stay in Japan. The couple flew first class into London before swapping their luxury digs for a shuttle bus alongside other world dignitaries to get to the Queen's funeral.Leaked Government documents revealed plans for world leaders to travel en masse in a bus to Westminster Abbey for Monday's service, rather than using private cars. One of the newer world monarch's he formally proclaimed his ascendancy to the throne in 2019 in a centuries-old ceremony attended by dignitaries from more than 180 countries, pledging to fulfil his duty as a symbol of the state. 'I swear that I will act according to the constitution and fulfil my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,' he declared, his voice slightly hoarse, in front of about 2,000 guests, including Britain's Prince Charles.Sultan Haitham of OmanAt 66, Haitham of Oman has been reigning since 2020, where he was named as successor by Sultan Qaboos before his death. He met the Queen in 2021At 66, Haitham of Oman has been reigning since 2020, where he was named as successor by Sultan Qaboos before his death.Before becoming Sultan, Haitham served in Qaboos cabinet and was Minister of Heritage and Culture from 2002 to 2020. The Sultan met the Queen during his visit to the UK in 2021. The Middle Eastern ruler was joined by his wife, Her Highness The Honourable Lady Sayyida Ahad Bint Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Busaidiyah during the visit.Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, a former culture and heritage minister who studied at Oxford, came to power after the death of his cousin Sultan Qaboos - the Arab world's longest-serving ruler - last year. Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah & Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku of Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah, 63, became the King of Malaysia in 2019. He will attend the ceremony with his wife, Raja Permaisury Agong Tunky, right Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah, 63, became the King of Malaysia in 2019. As a young man, he completed his military training in the UK at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.He will attend the ceremony with his wife, Raja Permaisury Agong Tunky. Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was crowned monarch after Sultan Muhammad V stepped down after the last his reported marriage to a Russian ex-beauty queen, Oksana Voevodina. The ceremony was televised nationally and attended by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and hundreds of guests decked out in Islamic finery.Before being sworn in at the palace, the 63-year-old, who is also the ceremonial ruler of central Pahang state, was given a welcome at the national parliament and inspected a guard of honour. His predecessor, Sultan Muhammad V stepped aside following just two years on the throne after he went on medical leave. Reports then surfaced he had married a former Miss Moscow in November.OTHERS King Tupou of Tonga At 63, King Tupou has been the Monarch of Tonga since 2012, and met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2018. It was not confirmed that his wife, Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, will attend Monday's ceremony with himAt 63, King Tupou has been the Monarch of Tonga since 2012, and met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2018. He is married, however, it was not confirmed that his wife, Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, will attend Monday's ceremony with him. His brother, Oxford-educated King George Tupou V passed away in a Hong Kong Hospital at the age of 63 in 2012, the cause of death believed to be linked to kidney problems.FORMER MONARCHIES Crown Prince Pavlos of GreecePrince Pavlos is the eldest son and second child of Constantine II, the last King of Greece from 1964 to 1973 and his wife, Anne-Marie of Denmark. He is pictured paying respect to the Queen lat night In a statement last week he thanked The Queen 'for the kindness HM gave to my parents and family in times of need.'Prince Pavlos is the eldest son and second child of Constantine II, the last King of Greece from 1964 to 1973 and his wife, Anne-Marie of Denmark. He is married to Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece. In a statement last week he thanked The Queen 'for the kindness HM gave to my parents and family in times of need.' Crown Princess Marie Chantal also said: 'A sad day today on hearing that Her Majesty the Queen passed. May she Rest In Peace and I am sure the heavens have a special place for her. She taught us duty, honor, love and above all else courage. She ruled immaculately and was so loved. Thank you for your service and for showing my in-laws such kindness and love during their darkest days.' Prince Emanuele of Savoy (Italy) Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 47, has also confirmed he will attend the Queen's funeral on Monday (pictured in 2018) Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 47, who is known as the 'Pasta Prince', due to his career running food trucks in LA, announced his plans to run for political office last year. The defunct Italian throne runs a catering business called Prince of Venice and has lead a colourful life in the public eye, claiming to have dated Kate Moss and starring on Italy's version of Strictly Come Dancing.He is the grandson of Umberto II, the last reigning king of Italy, who was deposed in 1946 when the country became a republic.Crown Prince Alexander of SerbiaAlexander was born in exile at London’s Claridge’s hotel, temporarily declared Yugoslavia for a day in 1945. Pictured last night Alexander was born in exile at London’s Claridge’s hotel, which was temporarily declared Yugoslavia for a day in 1945 to get around succession laws requiring future kings to be born on home territory. But in 2001, after the Yugoslav wars, he moved ‘home’.Alexander was born in exile at London’s Claridge’s hotel, which was temporarily declared Yugoslavia for a day in 1945 to get around succession laws requiring future kings to be born on home territory. But in 2001, after the Yugoslav wars, he moved ‘home’. He is a close friend of King Charles who has previously backed his attempts to get palaces from the Serbian government. Charles has visited his school chum and posed for photos at the Royal Palace.Margareta & Prince Radu of RomaniaMargareta & Prince Radu of Romania attended Prince Philip's memorial service in March and will attend the Queen's funeral todayMargareta, who was educated at a boarding school in Hampshire, is the eldest daughter of King Michael I of Romania and his wife Queen Anne. She and her husband Prince Radu, a former actor, will attend the Queen's funeral together. Charles recently joined distant relative Margareta, head of the Romanian royal family, in Bucharest to visit Ukrainian refugees.Tsar Simeon of Bulgaria As a boy, he was His Majesty Tsar Simeon II of the Bulgarians for three years before being deposed by the Soviets in 1946. Half a century later, he ended up serving as prime minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005As a boy, he was His Majesty Tsar Simeon II of the Bulgarians for three years before being deposed by the Soviets in 1946. Half a century later, he ended up serving as prime minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005.Prince Philipp and Princess Saskia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Charles III (R), Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Philipp's wife Saaskia drive in an Alvis car in Langenburg, Germany, 28 May 2013Prince Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and his wife Saskia Binder, a former banker, are also set to attend. The couple also attended Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving earlier this year. Hereditary Prince Bernhard & Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden and The Margravine of Baden Prince Bernhard of Baden, who was born in Germany, and is the eldest son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, was Prince Philip’s great nephew. He will attended with his wife Princess Stephanie (pictured in 2011)Prince Bernhard of Baden, who was born in Germany, and is the eldest son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, was Prince Philip’s great nephew. He will attended with his wife Princess Stephanie. Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, is the elder son of Berthold, Margrave of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. At the age of 89, he is the eldest living nephew of the late Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and is first cousin to King Charles. World leaders including Biden and Macron heading to London - but Putin and Xi likely to miss final farewell Not invitedRussia's Vladimir PutinBelarus’ Aleksandr LukashenkoMin Aung Hlaing of MyanmarSupreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei/President Ebrahim Raisi - but the ambassador to the UK will be askedNot confirmedIndian prime minister Narendra ModiChina's Xi JinpingRuler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumSaudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud or his son, de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al SaudConfirmedJoe Biden and Jill Biden, President and first lady of the United StatesEmmanuel Macron, President of FrancePresident Isaac Herzog of IsraelAlexander Van der Bellen, President of AustriaJacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New ZealandAnthony Albanese, Australian Prime MinisterGitanas Nauseda, President of LithuaniaRanil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan PresidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier, President of GermanyYoon Suk-yeol, South Korean PresidentJair Bolsonaro, President of BrazilTurkey's Recep Tayyip ErdoganKing Philip and Queen Mathilde of BelgiumAndrzej Duda, President of PolandSergio Mattarella, President of ItalyJustin Trudeau, Canadian Prime MinisterCharles Michel, President of the European CouncilEgils Levits, President of LatviaPaula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and TobagoMohammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian Prime MinisterSauli Niinisto, President of FinlandKatalin Novak, Hungarian PresidentMichael D Higgins, Irish President and Micheál Martin, Irish Prime Minister
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King Charles plans to 'light up the nation' with his Coronation concert. Dazzling images will be beamed on to iconic national landmarks across UK as highlight of Windsor showBritish pop and rock legends will perform at King Charles' coronation concert Dazzling images will be beamed onto buildings across the UK that evening Published: 17:30 EST, 21 January 2023 | Updated: 17:31 EST, 21 January 2023 A spectacular concert encapsulating King Charles III’s vision for a 21st Century monarchy lies at the heart of a Coronation that will ‘light up’ Britain, Palace officials revealed last night.British rock and pop icons will perform alongside a choir of refugees, NHS staff and LGBTQ+ singers in a strikingly diverse event at Windsor Castle the day after the Coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6.A dazzling display will shine on iconic national landmarks in a ‘centrepiece’ moment of the concert on May 7. The ‘Lighting Up The Nation’ display will feature ‘projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations’ beamed on to buildings across the UK.Thousands of tickets for the concert, which will be produced by BBC Studios and broadcast on BBC One, will be available via a public ballot as Buckingham Palace this weekend unveiled the first glimpse of plans for a Coronation weekend that is set to grip the nation. Windsor Castle will feature a major concert to celebrate King Charles' coronation on May 6 There are plans to light up buildings across the nation in patriotic colours to celebrate the eventA host of stars – including ‘some of the world’s biggest entertainers’ – will perform with an orchestra and the massed bands of the Household Division. Top Hollywood and theatre actors will also perform spoken-word recitals.It emerged last night that the King’s desire for the Coronation to be ‘inclusive’ will lead to the creation of The Coronation Choir, which will also perform during the concert. It is described as ‘a diverse group created from the nation’s keenest community choirs’ such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs. It will be joined digitally by a ‘virtual choir’ of singers from around the Commonwealth.A Palace source said: ‘The Coronation will be rooted in tradition and pageantry with a solemn religious service as its core, while reflecting the modern, diverse Britain of today.‘The highlights are intended to be as engaging as possible for the widest audience possible . . . With the illuminations spectacle as part of the programme, the hope is that it will help light up Britain after some tough years.’ King Charles, pictured during the Queen's Platinum Party, is said to want a party that celebrates the nation's diverse natureRoyal historian Hugo Vickers said: ‘Windsor Castle has been a bit sad recently because the Queen was there so much from March 2020 . . . It has been a bit forlorn and it’s good to know that it’s going to be coming back into its own.’ Royal author Sally Bedell Smith added: ‘I think it is a perfect reflection of how [King Charles] wants to adapt the Coronation celebration to the 21st Century.’The celebrations begin on May 6 with The King’s Procession, where the King and Queen Consort will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach. After their crowning, they will return to the Palace and appear on the balcony with other working members of the Royal Family.On May 7, as well as the concert, The Big Lunch charity will encourage street parties and picnics around the country. The following day there will be The Big Help Out – celebrating volunteering groups. Historian Lord Roberts of Belgravia said: ‘King Charles has always tried to blend the traditional with the modern.’ Advertisement
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Tributes have begun pouring in following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at age 96.Britain’s longest-reigning sovereign and the world’s second-longest serving monarch, who died after seven decades on the throne, was celebrated as a beloved lifelong public servant.“She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.Sir. Elton John in a statement called the queen “an inspiring presence to be around” and recognized her for leading the country “through some of our greatest, and darkest, moments with grace, decency and a genuine caring warmth.” He added that he “will miss her dearly.”Queen Elizabeth II meets Sir Elton John backstage during the Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in London.AFP via Getty Images“Her Majesty devoted her life to the service of the Commonwealth, following the British people through good days and bad, in times of happiness and [sorrow],” said Norwegian King Harald.Similar sentiments were shared by the royal families in Romania and the Netherlands. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called her a “good friend to the UN & a reassuring presence through decades of change.”“Her unwavering, lifelong dedication will be long remembered,” he said in a statement.American actress Jennifer Garner shared a photo on Instagram of the queen wearing a diamond tiara, taken shortly after she ascended to the throne in 1952. Garner lauded her as an “elegant, incredible woman.”The fictional Paddington Bear, who famously shared tea and toast with the queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebration in June, also posted a tribute, tweeting: “Thank you Ma’am, for everything.”Elizabeth had increasingly handed over her royal duties to her son Charles, who automatically became king with her death, and other members of the royal family in recent months amid increasing health and mobility issues.The king, in his own statement, called the death of his mother “the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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King Charles III revived a royal tradition by riding on horseback in the first Trooping the Colour of his reign, which marks the British sovereign’s official birthday.
The traditional military spectacle on Saturday is a parade like no other with all the pomp and pageantry expected of royal occasions, and draws massive crowds to central London. Charles’ actual birthday is in November and is typically celebrated privately.
He joined 1,500 soldiers, 300 horses and hundreds of musicians as they filed the short distance from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park for the ceremony watched by members of the royal family.
It was a sight not seen for nearly 40 years. The last time a reigning monarch rode in the procession was Queen Elizabeth II in 1986.
King Charles donned a Welsh Guard uniform, with leek emblem on the collar and green and white plum on his bearskin, for the occasion.
He was followed on horseback by several royal colonels including Prince William, also wearing a uniform of the Welsh Guard, the regiment he inherited from his father in December. He rode alongside Princess Anne, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of the Blues and Royals, and Prince Edward, who is Colonel of the London Guards.
Behind them was a horse-drawn carriage carrying the Queen, Catherine, Princess of Wales and the crowd-pleasing trio of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The royal party was accompanied by a Sovereign’s Mounted Escort of soldiers from the Household Cavalry’s Life Guards and Blues and Royals.
Kate appeared to nod to her ceremonial role as Colonel of the Irish Guard through her choice of outfit, a resplendent green ensemble. Meanwhile Queen Camilla was dressed in honor of the Grenadier Guards, the regiment she was named colonel of in January, according to the Palace.
She wore a red silk coat dress “with the rank insignia of a full colonel on the epaulettes. The dress incorporates key details from the uniform including the ‘The Grenade Fired Proper’ embroidered in gold bullion on the collar and the gold bullion back slashes,” it said.
The queen consort completed the look with a hat by London milliner Philip Treacy “which is a nod to the bearskin with a ‘Grenade’ exploding up to a feather plume.”
Well-wishers dressed in fascinators and draped in Union flags had gathered early to claim prime positions along the Mall outside the royal residence in the hours ahead of the parade.
By the time the ceremonial spectacle began, thousands were waiting in the summer sunshine. A cascade of enthusiastic cheering could be heard as the royals processed down the Mall for the short journey to the parade ground. Many held their cell phones aloft to capture the moment family members passed by.
Bidisha Mamata, broadcaster and royal watcher, told CNN there was “a real sense of celebration.”
“The coronation was very serious … there was a lot of medieval pageantry. This is much more military focused. This is so much more about connecting King Charles with his own history in the Marines, the RAF - he has a strong connection to the military,” she said.
The monarch is head of Britain’s armed forces and would traditionally lead an army into war. During the ceremony at Horse Guards, the monarch took the salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division’s seven regiments as the national anthem played. He was then given a chance to review and approve his army.
Queen Camilla joined her husband to watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards troop their color, or regimental flag, in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers. The regiment carried out intricate battlefield drill maneuvers to music, with Kensington Palace previously describing this year’s musical program as having “a distinctly Welsh theme,” with new compositions from the band specially for the occasion.
After the parade, the royal party returned to Buckingham Palace along the same route. There they made a balcony appearance to watch an extended military flypast and greet a sea of royal supporters. A similar display had to be scaled back after the King’s coronation last month because of poor weather.
The King was joined on the balcony by working members of the royal family and their children. William and Kate’s children clearly enjoyed the aerial display, pointing up as the aircraft blazed overhead.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force took to the skies from 15 locations around the UK before converging to fly across the British capital, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The impressive aerial presentation included aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, Typhoon fighter jets and culminated with a display from the famous RAF Red Arrows.
“We are very proud to be able to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion for His Majesty the King,” Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton said ahead of the event.
“We have planned a fitting and appropriate tribute for our monarch, that should be a true spectacle for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”
As smoke plumes of red, white and blue trailed from aerobatic team’s planes, the crowd broke out into cheers and applause before a final rendition of “God Save The King.”
There was also a 41-gun salute in nearby Green Park from The King’s Troop, with a second salute of 62 guns fired at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company, the City of London’s Army Reserves.
Sign up for CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.
CNN’s Max Foster, Anna Stewart and Niamh Kennedy contributed to this report.
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Euro royals will turn out in force for the Queen's funeral: Monarchs from the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium are among the first to confirm as heads of state from around the world prepare to honour Her MajestyKing and Queen of the Netherlands will attend the Queen's funeral next weekPrincess Beatrix of the Netherlands will also attend the event next Monday King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain will also be among the guests Full coverage: Click here to see all our coverage of the Queen’s passing Published: 11:49 EDT, 12 September 2022 | Updated: 11:50 EDT, 12 September 2022 European royals have confirmed their attendance at the Queen's funeral on Monday.King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will be among the 2,000 mourners expected at Westminster Abbey. Representatives from the Swedish, Danish and Monegasque royal families are also expected, according to royal blogger Gert's Royals. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands were the first foreign royals to confirm their attendance at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral next Monday The King's mother, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, has also confirmed that she will be in attendance at Westminster Abbey next MondayUnlike the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in 2021 - which was restricted to just 30 people - it is likely Westminster Abbey's 2,000 capacity will be filled to capacity in honour Britain's longest-reigning monarch.The funeral congregation will be headed by the new King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, while William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, will follow closely.The Queen's other three children, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, and Princess Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will also be among the chief mourners.It is expected all eight of the Queen's grandchildren will be present, including Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her spouse Jack Brooksbank, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia of Spain recently paid tribute to their distant relative with a heartfelt statement. They have also confirmed their attendance to the Queen's funeral King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will also join the congregation at Westminster Abbey next week The Queen's nephew Lord Snowdon and niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto are also anticipated to be there.Other monarchs likely to be in attendance at the Queen's funeral include King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg, and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.Other possible guests are the former King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece - who was deposed in 1973.The confirmation of foreign royals at the Queen's funeral comes shortly after they paid tribute to the monarch online. Princess Anne (right) and her husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence stand solemnly as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland, completes its journey from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse The Queen's funeral service at Westminster Abbey (pictured) may well fill out the abbey's 2,000 capacity for 2,000 peopleFollowing her death King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain paid tribute to their distant relative with a heartfelt statement.The Spanish Royal Family echoed sentiments from the Dutch and Swedish royals in praising the Queen's sense of duty to her country throughout her historic 70-year reign.Posting a letter to King Charles III on the Casa Real Twitter account, King Felipe said he would 'dearly' miss his Aunt Lilibet, a figure he held close. Advertisement
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With a month to go before the crowning ceremony, Buckingham Palace has unveiled the invitation to the highly-anticipated royal event on May 6. As seen in imagery released on April 4, the invite's artwork—which will be printed on recycled card and sent out to 2,000 guests—features gold foil detailing and a nature motif hand-painted in watercolor.
"The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla," the card reads. "By command of the King the Earl Marshal is directed to invite [guest] to be present at the Abbey Church of Westminster on the 6th day of May 2023."
Designed by illustrator Andrew Jamieson, the letter contains subtle nods to Charles and the rest of the royal family. As the Palace notes on its website, plants such as bluebells, cornflowers, rosemary and wild strawberries all appear in groupings of three to signify the 74-year-old becoming the third monarch of his name.
The card is also decorated with lily of the valley—a flower featured in the late Queen Elizabeth II's coronation bouquet back in 1953 and was said to be one of her favorites—and the coat of arms for Charles and Camilla, 75. Meanwhile, a wren and a robin sit atop the letter C, a nod to the couple's shared initial.
In addition to the invite, the Palace also released a portrait of Charles and Camilla taken by Hugo Burnand in honor of the upcoming coronation, as well as details about the courtiers representing the pair at the ceremony.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's oldest child, Prince George, will be one of the eight Pages of Honour to walk the procession inside London's Westminster Abbey. Other boys tapped for the honor include Camilla's grandsons Freddy Parker Bowles, Gus Lopes and Louis Lopes.
So, who else will be invited to the royal gathering? The Palace is keeping the full guest list under lock and key, though a rep for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed in March that the couple received "email correspondence" from the king's office about the coronation.
The spokesperson told Associated Press, "An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time."
Should the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the coronation, which falls on the fourth birthday of their son Prince Archie, it will be their first in-person meeting with Charles since the release of Harry's bombshell memoir, Spare. Harry, who also shares 22-month-old daughter Princess Lilibet with Meghan, said in January that he was undecided on his attendance given "a lot that can happen between now and then."
"But the door is always open," he told ITV. "The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it."
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The King is taking part in the first Trooping the Colour of his reign to mark his inaugural birthday parade.
He is the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the ceremony on horseback.
He will take the royal salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division's seven regiments during the ceremony, staged on Horse Guards Parade, as members of the Royal Family and 8,000 spectators look on.
The colour, or regimental flag, that will be trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the King's Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
The Queen and the Princess of Wales and her children were taken to the ceremony in a carriage with the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Princess Royal also on horseback.
Following the ceremony, the royal family will head back to Buckingham Palace and gather on the balcony to watch an extended military flypast after the display on coronation day had to be scaled down due to bad weather.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part - including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
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He's been Britain's reigning monarch since September last year, butand his Queen Consort, Camilla, will be formally crowned this spring in a coronation ceremony steeped in centuries of tradition — with a few small tweaks expected for the modern age.
Below is a look at what we know so far about the ceremony being planned by Buckingham Palace:
When will King Charles be crowned?
King Charles III will officially be crowned on Saturday, May 6, alongside Camilla. The date was agreed upon by the U.K. government, the Church of England and the royal household.
To celebrate, people in the U.K. will be given a public holiday, though because the coronation will take place on a Saturday, the national holiday will be on Monday, May 8.
Celebratory lunches will be held across the U.K. and other Commonwealth countries that weekend, and on May 7, a concert will be performed at Windsor Castle.
Where will the coronation take place?
The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey, where the ceremony has been held for the last 900 years. It will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
King Charles and Camilla will travel to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace as part of "The King's Procession." After the service, they will return to Buckingham Palace in another procession, this time joined by other members of the royal family, known as "The Coronation Procession."
Once they arrive at Buckingham Palace, the senior members of the royal family will make an appearance on the balcony.
What happens during the coronation?
Coronation ceremonies came out of an historic need to bring stability to European monarchies amid competing claims to their thrones, as well as traditions of church involvement in the state. They do not take place immediately after the death of the previous monarch to allow time for the country to grieve. The ceremony is largely religious, and it does not bring King Charles any further privileges as the monarch, which he has been since the moment his mother died.
British coronations involve an Anglican Church service.
Once inside the Abbey, traditionally the events take place as follows: the Recognition, the Coronation Oath, the Anointing, the Investiture and the Enthronement and Homage.
During the Recognition, the monarch is presented to the people in attendance. During the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles' mother, in 1953, trumpets sounded after she was presented to each side of the abbey, and people exclaimed "God save the Queen."
The only part of the coronation ceremony that is required by law is the Coronation Oath. The exact wording of the oath has varied over the centuries. Queen Elizabeth II swore to rule the U.K. and Commonwealth countries according to law, exercise justice with mercy and maintain the Church of England. It is expected that King Charles' oath will be similar, though he is expected to recognize all faiths.
After the oath, Charles is expected to be anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will pour the oil onto a spoon and anoint Charles' hands, head and breast. Then, Charles will be given the royal robe, the orb, the coronation ring, the sceptre and the rod of his position. St. Edward's Crown will be placed on his head.
After King Charles is crowned, his Queen Consort, Camilla, will be crowned, before the final procession back to Buckingham Palace.
Who pays for the coronation?
The coronation is paid for by the U.K. government because it is a state event.
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Prince Harry laughs as he CONFIRMS he watches The Crown - hinting he's even seen 'more recent' episodes that dramatize Diana's bulimia battle and bitter divorce from Charles (so why did he STILL go ahead with his $100M Netflix deal?)The Duke of Sussex revealed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he has seen 'older' episodes and 'the more recent stuff' Season five of the Netflix show includes a highly-dramatized version of the breakdown of his parents' marriage Harry, 38, has faced bitter criticism for working with Netflix in light of The Crown's portrayal of his mother, father, and other family members The Sussexes released their own documentary with Netflix last monthHarry has previously defended The Crown, saying that it is 'obviously fiction' Published: 22:01 EST, 10 January 2023 | Updated: 22:25 EST, 10 January 2023 Prince Harry has confirmed that he watches Netflix's controversial series The Crown - laughing as he revealed in a new bombshell TV interview that he has watched the 'more recent' episodes that portray 'sensationalized' accounts of his late mother Diana's bulimia battle and her bitter divorce from Charles. The 38-year-old made the admission during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, with a teaser trailer for the pre-taped sit-down capturing Harry laughing uproariously while joking to the TV host that he 'fact checks' the highly-criticized show.'Yes I have actually watched The Crown,' Harry - who has a production deal with Netflix that is reported to be worth $100 million - told Colbert after the late night host asked if he had seen the series.'The older stuff and the more recent stuff.'Harry then burst into fits of laughter and mimed taking notes as Colbert questioned whether he 'fact checks' the show - before admitting: 'Yes, I do actually.' Prince Harry has confirmed that he watches The Crown, revealing during an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he has seen the 'older and more recent stuff' The 38-year-old's admission that he has watched more recent episodes suggests he has seen the show's highly-dramatized portrayal of his parents' bitter divorce He then suggested that The Crown does not offer an entirely factual version of events - before pointing at his bombshell memoir Spare as an apparent example of accuracy, saying: 'Which is why it's so important that history has it right.' Despite his jovial response to the question, the Duke's admission that he's watched multiple episodes of the show will likely prompt furious criticism and questions about why he and wife Meghan Markle have continued to work with streaming giant Netflix, despite its brutal portrayal of the royal family - and Harry's parents in particular.Season five of the series - which is the most recent - drew bitter backlash over its 'malicious' storylines, which included agonizing portrayals of the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage, as well as a fictional scene in which the future King is seen plotting to overthrow the Queen.The latest storylines have been widely bashed for their 'malicious' and 'lurid' content with critics branding Harry a 'hypocrite' for refusing to pull the plug on his Netflix deal in response to the streaming giant's portrayal of his family.To add insult to grievous injury, season five of the show was released just a matter of weeks after the Queen passed away at the age of 96. Meanwhile the previous season included scenes that depicted Diana's bulimia battle - showing her gorging on food before vomiting into a toilet in clips that were deemed to be so graphic they carried on-screen warnings. Although Harry did not confirm which episodes he has and hasn't watched, his revelation that he's seen both the 'older and more recent stuff' suggests that he's been privy to at least a small portion of that content. It is understood that the upcoming season of the show will also feature graphic portrayals of Diana's death, with on-set images revealing the gruesome staging of the Paris car crash that claimed her life, as well as a recreation of her funeral at which Harry and William famously walked behind her coffin. Netflix has insisted the 'exact moment' of the crash will not feature in the controversial drama, however the photos suggest that the series will capture the moments leading up to the fatal collision in horrifying detail. Harry features in the latest episodes of the show (seen center left) - which has been slammed over its 'callous' portrayal of the royal family, including Diana and King Charles Season four of the show depicted Diana's battle with bulimia and featured scenes showing actress Emma Corrin binging and vomiting into a toilet, which were deemed so graphic they carried an on-screen warning Although Netflix has insisted that it will not show the 'exact moment' of Diana's death, on-set images reveal the streaming giant plans to show the lead-up to it in agonizing detail Exclusive images published by the Daily Mail in October showed the filming of a Mercedes-Benz - which is an identical copy of the vehicle in which Diana was traveling when she died - just 100 yards away from the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, where the crash happened in the early hours of August 31, 1997.Netflix has been met with fury over its plans to dramatize the hours leading up to the accident, with reports even suggesting that The Crown's own crew members had been left up in arms over an apparent decision to make actress Elizabeth Debicki lie in an open coffin and pretend to be the dead Princess Diana. Onlookers on set told The Sun that cast members were visibly upset during the filming of the scene. One said: 'They actually made Elizabeth climb into a coffin and play dead as Diana. Viewers will see a French priest administering the last rites for Diana as she is pronounced deceased. 'Prince Charles enters the room and is in floods of tears. In his hysteria he notices that Diana is missing an earring. It is all he can focus on as grief envelops him.'They added: 'Princes William and Harry never saw their mother dead in a coffin and they shouldn't have to watch this. Nor should the British public.' Harry has been branded a 'hypocrite' for continuing to work with Netflix despite the streaming giant's portrayal of his family. The Sussexes signed a deal with the site in 2020 that is reported to be worth $100 million and released their own tell-all docuseries on Netflix last month (seen)The sixth season of the show will also reportedly feature medics covered in blood trying to save Diana, a distraught Prince Charles after seeing the body, and Prince William and Prince Harry at the funeral. Harry did not reveal whether he is aware of this information - or whether he plans to watch the streaming platform's dramatic retelling of his mother's tragic death, and indeed his own struggle to cope with it. However, the Duke of Sussex's laughing admission that he watches the show suggests that he has no plans to join the increasing crowd of critics who have furiously bashed its 'cruel' depiction of the royal family. Indeed the only comment that the father-of-two has made about The Crown in the past came during an interview with another late night host - his close pal James Corden - to whom he actually defended the series. In a 2021 on-air chat with Corden, Harry said of the show: 'It's loosely based on the truth. Of course it's not strictly accurate but it loosely it gives you an idea of that lifestyle and the pressures of putting duty and service above everything else and what can come from that.'Harry added he would like Homeland actor Damian Lewis to play him if his character ever appears on the show as an adult. Advertisement Read more: The Crown's Diana actress made to lie in open coffin and pretend to be dead in shocking Netflix scenes | The Sun
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LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - The historic Stone of Scone, the ancient coronation stone upon which monarchs in Britain have been crowned for centuries, has left Scotland for London under tight security ahead of next week's coronation of King Charles III, officials said on Friday.
Also known as the Stone of Destiny and regarded as a sacred, historic symbol of Scotland's monarchy and nationhood, it is being moved from its permanent home at Edinburgh Castle for the first time in more than 25 years, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said.
HES, which looks after the stone - an oblong block of red sandstone, said it had worked with police and other agencies to ensure it "can be transported safely and securely", saying it was being taken in a special carrier constructed largely from Scottish oak.
It was removed from the castle on Thursday in a ceremonial procession involving Joseph Morrow, the Lord Lyon King of Arms and the monarch’s representative in Scotland, along with Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf, in his role as the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, HES said.
"It is ... a great responsibility to ensure the safe voyage and return of such an important national symbol, and one which has required the care, skill and expertise of a range of different specialist teams across our organisation," said Kathy Richmond, head of collections at HES.
The stone's origins are unknown, but it was believed to have been used in the inauguration of Scottish kings as far back as the early 9th century.
England's King Edward I seized the stone from the Scots in 1296, and it was incorporated into the Coronation Chair he ordered in 1308 for London's Westminster Abbey.
That chair has since been used in the coronation ceremonies of English and British monarchs since Henry IV in 1399.
On Christmas Day in 1950, the stone was taken by Scottish nationalists from Westminster but was recovered a few months later 500 miles (800 km) away on the high altar of Arbroath Abbey in Scotland.
However, it was officially moved to Scotland on a permanent basis in 1996 and will return there after Charles' coronation.
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On Monday morning, military personnel across the United Kingdom honored the 76th birthday of Queen Camilla for the first time during the reign of husband, King Charles III. In London, the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun salute at noon, and members of the Honourable Artillery Company fired a 62-gun Royal Salute on Tower Wharf at 1:00 pm. During the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Irish Guard’s band played “Happy Birthday." Further celebratory gun salutes were fired in Edinburgh, York, Hillsborough, Cardiff, and London.
Westminster Abbey also rang its bells in honor of the queen. It’s the first time the bells have rung for Camilla’s birthday since 2019. In 2020, a policy change meant that only the late Queen Elizabeth II and Charles received birthday honors from the Abbey. In 2023, the policy changed again and both Princess Kate and Prince William were honored.
Other celebrations of the queen’s birthday took place online. The Royal Family social media accounts shared photos of Camilla during various events this summer. Prince William and Princess Kate wished Camilla “a very happy birthday,” along with a cake emoji and a photo of her majesty taking in a tennis match at Wimbledon last week.
Though the king and queen didn’t undertake any public engagements on her birthday, the pair reportedly have more official duties on the calendar for this week before they head to Balmoral Estate to spend the rest of the summer. For the last two decades, Charles and Camilla have lived in the smaller Birkhall house when they travel to the estate in Northern Scotland, but earlier this month, sources told Vanity Fair that the couple was planning to move into the larger castle to host relatives and guests throughout their stay this year.
“The king is keen to follow in his mother’s footsteps by taking up residence at Balmoral,” one source said. “That was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite home and where she loved entertaining every summer. Charles and Camilla are preparing for a busy summer with lots of visits from family.”
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The ceremonial splendour of a state visit was deployed to welcome the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted the president and his wife at Horse Guards Parade in London.
The royal couple and their guests had a carriage procession along the Mall, lined with South Korean flags, before going inside Buckingham Palace.
Also meeting the South Korean leaders were PM Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron, now returned as foreign secretary.
More than 1,000 soldiers were on parade, with gun salutes in the autumn leaves in Green Park, as the South Korean president was given a ceremonial welcome, with Prince William and Catherine part of the procession.
State visits are a "soft power" mix of pageantry and practical politics - and this was a sign of respect to an increasingly important ally and trade partner, in a region with growing tensions with China.
The jingle of the cavalry harnesses on the Mall is linked to the jingle of cash tills, with trade deals to be negotiated.
Mr Yoon will have a state banquet this evening in the Buckingham Palace ballroom, along with 170 guests, who will hear speeches from the King and the president.
These are opulent occasions, with diplomacy fuelled by fine dining, using a 19th Century dinner service with more than 4,000 pieces.
The table settings are as precise and symmetrical as the military parade - each guest getting a place setting of 46cms.
Although there might not be a repeat of Mr Yoon's karaoke-style performance when he visited US President Joe Biden in April, and sang American Pie.
Last week, the King had a taste of Korean culture and K-pop, when he visited New Malden, in south-west London, which is known as "Korea Town", for having the biggest concentration of South Koreans in Europe.
While in London, the president is launching plans for a new trade deal, including technology and green energy, and closer military ties.
A "Downing Street Accord" is being signed at a meeting between the president and Rishi Sunak, which is intended to boost trade and support "global stability".
There are plans for a stronger approach to enforcing sanctions against North Korea, and preventing its "illegal weapons programme", with joint sea patrols between the South Korean navy and the Royal Navy.
"Long term, global partnerships are vital to our prosperity and security," said Mr Sunak, who added that "close ties have already propelled £21bn of investment between our countries".
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Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have received an invite to the coronation of King Charles III – but the couple have yet to confirm if they will attend, the Duke’s spokesperson told CNN on Sunday.
“I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation,” the spokesperson said. “An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.”
King Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
The coronation will see three days of celebrations across the country in which the public will be invited to participate.
Buckingham Palace said the coronation itself will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” that reflects “the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions.”
That line has been interpreted by experts as a hint that Charles’ coronation will be different and more subdued than the one his late mother experienced seven decades ago, with a shorter ceremony and amendments to some of the more feudal elements of the ritual.
At this point, the palace has not specified which members of the family will appear in a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, and on the balcony of the palace at the end of the day alongside the King and Queen Consort.
It follows Prince Andrew’s continued exile from public life as a result of historical sexual abuse allegations and the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir, which railed against his family.
Harry has previously declined to be drawn on whether his family will return for his father’s coronation.
“The door is always open,” he said in a January interview with Britain’s ITV to publicize his book. “The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they’re willing to sit down and talk about it.”
On Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told CNN the couple had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their official UK residence.
Buckingham Palace said Wednesday it would be offering no comment. A royal source told CNN that any such discussions would be a private family matter.
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King Charles Coronation: Date, Time, Guest List, Live Stream And How To Watch On TV
Charles became the King following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 last year.
United Kingdom's King Charles III will be coronated along with his Camilla, the Queen Consort in a grand ceremony on Saturday. The coronation ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey.
Charles became the King following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 last year. At 74, he is the oldest person to ever assume the British throne.
Here is all you need to know about his coronation ceremony
King Charles III’s Coronation Date
The coronation ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, eight months after his automatic appointment as King on September 8, 2022.
What Time Will Coronation Ceremony Start?
The coronation ceremony will begin with King Charles and Queen Camilla travelling from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in a Diamond Jubilee State Coach at 2:50 pm IST (10:20 BST). Once they arrive, the ceremony will start at 3:30 pm IST (11:00 BST).
How To Watch King Charles’ Coronation On TV?
The coronation will be broadcast live on the BBC and other international TV channels like CNN, Fox News among others.
How To Watch King Charles' Coronation Online?
King Charles III's coronation ceremony will be live streamed Royal Family YouTube channel. Viewers can also check Royal Family's Facebook and Twitter handles for more details.
King Charles III Coronation Guest List
According to a Guardian report, more than 100 heads of state have accepted invitations to the king’s coronation. The 2,300-strong guest list includes UK parliamentarians, celebrities and a large number of community and charity representatives.
US President Joe Biden will not attend the event, but his wife Jill Biden will go on his behalf. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will attend the Coronation ceremony on behalf of the Government of India.
Meanwhile, Sourabh Phadke, a Pune-born architect and teacher has been named among the selected charity champions invited to attend the Coronation ceremony.
As per PTI, the 38-year-old was chosen for his association and great success through the causes supported by the Prince’s Foundation, the charity founded by Charles when he was the Prince of Wales.
What Does A 'Slimmed-Down' Coronation Mean?
The coronation for the next monarch of England, Prince Charles, is set to be a significantly scaled-down version of the traditional occasion. Instead of taking three hours as his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation did back in 1953, Charles’ ceremony will last just over an hour.
In addition to these changes, certain segments of ritualistic proceedings will not be included in Charles’ coronation day festivities in order to save time. Elements such as the anointing of the monarch and oath-swearing will remain; however, some practices are being omitted entirely.
The dress code is even expected to change from luxurious pieces made with velvet and ermine fur to more relaxed attire like lounge suits or morning suits instead.
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On July 14, the Prince and Princess of Wales brought Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, on a visit to Royal International Air Tattoo, the world's largest military air show, at the Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire, England. This marked the first public outing for the kids since King Charles III's Trooping the Colour birthday parade in June.
The Wales children stole the show during the visit to the RAF base, where they were given a private tour of the facility's various aircraft.
According to HELLO! magazine, the group first went on board a C-17 transporter aircraft, which was used to carry the late Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in the days leading up to her funeral last September—and George, who turns 10 later this month, helped raise the ramp with the push of a button. Louis, meanwhile, adorably chilled out in a small military vehicle.
George, now the second-in-line to the throne, wore a blue polo shirt and blue pants, paired with brown suede boots that matched his dad. Charlotte sported a navy and white striped, sleeveless dress with a Peter Pan collar, paired with a white cardigan, while Louis arrived in a blue polo top with khaki shorts. The two youngest kids also wore matching navy and white slip-on sneakers.
Kate wore a beige pinstripe Blazé Milano blazer over a white top and navy pants, while William opted for a navy suit with no tie.
The event and venue holds a special place in William's heart, as he used to work as an air ambulance pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance in England and a helicopter pilot for the RAF Search and Rescue Force before announcing plans to concentrate on his royal duties in 2017. He is currently an Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Coningsby, while Kate bear the title of Honorary Air Commodore of the Air Cadets.
See photos from the Prince and Princess of Wales' family visit to the base and air show below:
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World leaders including Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern will be joined at the Queen's funeral by Europe's royals, Japan's emperor and a cast of controversial statesmen including Jair Bolsonaro and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.The presence of Brazil's right-wing populist President and Turkey's authoritarian leader in London could spark protests that could widen if Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum are invited to Britain.As the world mourns Her Majesty's death at the age of 96, the globe's most powerful men and women are scrambling for seats on Monday amid limits on who can join the congregation of 2,000 VIPs.Hundreds of world leaders and heads of state including Mr Biden, Mr Macron and Emperor Naruhito will be at the historic service honouring Britain's longest-reigning monarch - the first full State Funeral that Britain has hosted since Winston Churchill died in 1965. But Vladimir Putin has been snubbed along with his ally, Belarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko. Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar will also not be asked with no official stance yet on Syria's Bashar al-Assad or North Korea's Kim Jong-un - although they are highly unlikely to make the guest list. Iran's Ayatollah and President won't be asked - but an ambassador will be invited. Major world leaders from the G7 will NOT have to take a bus to Queen's funeral Major world leaders will not be forced to take a bus to the Queen's funeral on Monday, it has been revealed.Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, and Japanese Emperor Naruhito are among those expected to be granted exemptions from the coach ride for 'security reasons'.German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian president Sergio Matarella, Canada's Justin Trudeau and Israel's Isaac Herzog may also be exempted.It comes after a leaked document suggested all foreign leaders would be forced to take coaches from a secret location in west London to Westminster Abbey due to 'tight security and road restrictions.'But a government source has since clarified the situation to The Times, saying it clearly would not be appropriate to ask G7 leaders to 'take a bus'.Dignitaries are being asked to be as flexible as possible, the source added. It is not thought the trip will be made by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, who took time out from organising his country's fightback against Putin's forces to sign a book of condolence for the Queen. China's President Xi and India's Narendra Modi are yet to confirm. Xi is considered unlikely to accept given he has not left the country for more than three years.The octogenarian King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud will have received an invite but would be highly unlikely to attend due to his age and health. His son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the nation's de facto leader who mixed with world leaders at the G20, could head to Britain in his place - a decision that would likely spark protests.MBS is accused of ordering the murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. He vehemently denies the claims and said recently that that the journalist would not be among his top 1,000 targets to kill, 'if that was how we did things'.But US intelligence agencies concluded in a declassified intelligence report that the Saudi crown prince had approved the 2018 murder.Her Majesty's close friend Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the billionaire ruler of Dubai, is yet to confirm if he will attend.Before her death, Her Majesty was under pressure to ditch him after the High Court found he was responsible for illegal UK phone hacking.A senior judge concluded that Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the horse race-loving friend of the Royal Family and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, committed a 'total abuse of trust and indeed an abuse of power'.He previously orchestrated the armed kidnap of his runaway daughter Princess Shamsa from Cambridgeshire in 2000, persuading Tony Blair's government to hush it up, the High Court heard. He also allegedly abducted her sister Princess Latifa when she too tried to flee.But with the limit on numbers, it could be he is not asked because he is not technically a head of state - Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is leader of the United Arab Emirates and Sheikh Mohammed is his deputy.Brazilian right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted an invitation to attend the funeral, the country's foreign ministry said, as has Turkey's controversial president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Heads of state and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey. Leading figures in Britain's public life are set to attend her funeral next week, including Liz Truss and all her living predecessors. But with so many people wanting to go, invites are limited to one per VIP plus their spouse if they have one, but there is an ongoing row after the Government urged them to fly commercially and pool jets to get to the UK. There is also upset that many will be asked to jump on shuttle buses to the abbey rather than use state limousines or carriages. All of Europe's kings and queens, as well as minor royals from the continent related to Her Majesty and Prince Philip, will be there, including King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.Outside of Europe, Japan's Emperor Naruhito will travel to London alongside Empress Masako and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. US President Joe Biden has confirmed he will attend the Queen's funeral alongside First Lady Jill Biden in Britain's first state funeral since Sir Winston Churchill's death Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to the funeral. Chinese President Xi Jinping has been invited, but is not likely to leave China for the first time in two yearsBelarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko is not invited. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and The President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, will fly to LondonPictured: The Queen attends an unveiling of a design For the Shiekh Zayed National Museum accompanied By Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during a state visit to Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Mohammed was slammed by a High Court ruling recently. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the G20 Leaders' Summit for Saudi Arabia and could be asked to the funeral French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron will be in LondonPrincess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco will be in London King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands were the first foreign royals to confirm their attendance at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral next MondayKing Felipe VI, Queen Letizia of Spain recently paid tribute to their distant relative with a heartfelt statement. They have also confirmed their attendance to the Queen's funeral Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako pictured in Tokyo shortly after his enthronement in November 2019 may also attend New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern (pictured) has been confirmed as one of the attendees of The Queen's funeral next week. Australian PM, Anthony Albanese, pictured with his partner Jodie Haydon, will come to Britain from Down Under. Australia and New Zealand are also offering to share flights to allow Pacific leaders to travel together to London. World leaders including Biden and Macron heading to London - but Putin and Xi likely to miss final farewell Not invitedRussia's Vladimir PutinBelarus’ Aleksandr LukashenkoMin Aung Hlaing of MyanmarSupreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei/President Ebrahim Raisi - but the ambassador to the UK will be askedNot confirmedIndian prime minister Narendra ModiChina's Xi JinpingRuler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumSaudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud or his son, de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al SaudConfirmedJoe Biden and Jill Biden, President and first lady of the United StatesEmmanuel Macron, President of FranceAlexander Van der Bellen, President of AustriaJacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New ZealandAnthony Albanese, Australian Prime MinisterGitanas Nauseda, President of LithuaniaRanil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan PresidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier, President of GermanyYoon Suk-yeol, South Korean PresidentJair Bolsonaro, President of BrazilTurkey's Recep Tayyip ErdoganKing Philip and Queen Mathilde of BelgiumAndrzej Duda, President of PolandSergio Mattarella, President of ItalyJustin Trudeau, Canadian Prime MinisterCharles Michel, President of the European CouncilEgils Levits, President of LatviaPaula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and TobagoMohammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian Prime MinisterSauli Niinisto, President of FinlandKatalin Novak, Hungarian PresidentMichael D Higgins, Irish President and Micheál Martin, Irish Prime Minister Royals to attend the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey Confirmed King Charles IIIAnne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew Prince EdwardCamilla, the Queen ConsortSophie, the Countess of Wessex,Prince William Prince HarryPeter PhillipsZara and Mike TindallPrincesses Beatrice and Jack Brooksbank Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.The Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.King Philip and Queen Mathilde of BelgiumKing Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the NetherlandsKing Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of SpainKing Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of SwedenKing Harald V and Queen Sonja of NorwayGrand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of LuxembourgPrince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of GreeceJapan's Emperor Naruhito Joe Biden was the first to confirm his attendance yesterday - and the majority of world leaders from the King's realms and the Commonwealth will be there. Russian President Vladimir Putin is certain not to be there. Invites to the Queen’s funeral have not been sent to Moscow, Belarus and Myanmar, while Iran will only be represented at an ambassadorial level, Whitehall sources said.Invitations to other leaders, including former heads of state, will be at the discretion of Buckingham Palace. This means that the Obamas and Donald Trump may miss out.The Queen's state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey in central London at 11am on Monday. Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind - just like they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.The military will line the streets and also join the procession. The service will be televised in the UK and around the globe.It came as the Government, which is in charge of travel arrangements for the funeral, was forced to clarify its security arrangements for visiting world leaders.Leaked documents suggested world leaders would be asked to travel to the funeral by bus for security reasons. The President usually travels in a limo nicknamed 'the Beast', which is bulletproof, bomb-proof and resistant to chemical attacks.Yesterday Number 10 said that its directions were guidance, adding: 'The arrangements for leaders and how they travel will vary depending on individual circumstances. Arrangements for different leaders will vary depending on things like security risks.'The Foreign Office also encouraged leaders to use commercial flights, warning that Heathrow is 'not available for private flight arrangements or aircraft parking'.Those that insist on travelling by private jet should head for 'less busy airports' around London, it said. Helicopters have also been banned 'due to the number of flights operating at this time'. After the funeral, the Queen's coffin will be taken to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service.Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.The Queen's final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annexe to the main chapel - where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip's coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen's.But there is a backlash over foreign leaders being ordered to travel to the ceremony by bus.Invitations will be issued to heads of state and their wives - but invitations to other leaders, including former heads of state, will be at the discretion of Buckingham Palace.Yesterday Number 10 said that the Government is taking the lead on travel arrangements, while the guest list is a matter for Buckingham Palace.When asked if there was space for former heads of state such as Mr Trump, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said 'space will be limited'.The funeral is being held in Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday, which has also been designated a bank holiday.Leaders who have already confirmed their attendance include the prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the heads of state of Japan and South Korea.US President Joe Biden said he will attend with his wife Jill, catching his White House staff off-guard as his predecessors declined to attend the last two state funerals in the UK - Winston Churchill's in 1965 and George VI's in 1952.His attendance is expected to create an awkward decision for the Palace, who may wish to invite Mr Trump's predecessors Michelle and Barack Obama.Mrs Obama and the Queen developed a strong bond, despite the former president's wife breaking royal protocol by placing her arm on the monarch's back during their first meeting in 2009.In a touching tribute to the Queen, the Obamas said her reign was 'defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic', adding she meant 'a great deal' to them, and remembered how she 'welcomed them to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity'.Former Tory leader Lord Hague said 'of course' there will be diplomacy at the Queen's funeral.But he said world leaders are coming to pay their respects to an 'extraordinary head of state' - and that is what '90% of it will be about'.Asked if there will be politics at the funeral, he told Times Radio: 'Of course there is some diplomacy - you can't have that number of people together from around the world without them starting to say, 'well, what do you think is happening in Ukraine?' - of course there is going to be some of that.'Nevertheless, they're coming because they want to pay their respects to this extraordinary head of state. And that is what 90% of it will be about.'Yesterday Irish premier Micheal Martin confirmed he will travel to attend the Queen's funeral, as well as a memorial service for the Queen in Belfast today.The leaders of most Commonwealth countries are expected to attend, including New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern - whose journey across the world will take almost 24 hours - and her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese.Australia and New Zealand are also offering to share flights to allow Pacific leaders to travel together to London.European royal families are expected to be present, including King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia.Emperor Naruhito, the Oxford-educated leader of Japan, is expected to make the trip to the UK despite not usually attending funerals.President Yoon of South Korea, President Steinmeier of Germany, President Bolsonaro, the right-wing leader of Brazil, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, have also confirmed their attendance.Other likely attendees will include President Macron of France and President Erdogan of Turkey.Number 10 said there will be no bi-lateral meetings granted to visiting dignitaries, but King Charles III will host a reception for overseas leaders at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening.After the state funeral service the following day, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will host a reception for political leaders in Dean's Yard, in the grounds of the abbey.King Charles III, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward each stood on one of the four corners of the coffin in a ceremony known as the Vigil of the Princes last night. They will lead the mourning at the state funeral Sophie, Countess of Wessex, guest the Duke of Buccleuch and Camilla, Queen Consort, will support their spouses Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle on SaturdayPeter Phillips (left) and Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall (right) are expected to be attending the service Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank (left) and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (right) will all be at the funeralJames Viscount Severn (left) and Lady Louise Windsor (right), the Earl and Countess of Wessex's children, will both be going The Queen and Prince Philip with their great-grandchildren, from left, George, Louis, Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Lena Tindall and Mia Tindall. This picture was taken by the Princess of Wales in 2018European royals have confirmed their attendance at the Queen's funeral on Monday.King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will be among the 2,000 mourners expected at Westminster Abbey. Representatives from the Swedish, Danish and Monegasque royal families are also expected, according to royal blogger Gert's Royals. Unlike the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in 2021 - which was restricted to just 30 people - it is likely Westminster Abbey's 2,000 capacity will be filled to capacity in honour Britain's longest-reigning monarch.The funeral congregation will be headed by the new King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, while William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, will follow closely.The Queen's other three children, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, and Princess Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will also be among the chief mourners. The King's mother, Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, has also confirmed that she will be in attendance at Westminster Abbey next Monday King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will also join the congregation at Westminster Abbey next week Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, 81, described as a close friend of the late Queen and now Europe's longest-reigning monarch celebrating her 50th Jubilee - will almost certainly be prominent among the European heads of stateKing Harald V of Norway (right) is pictured with Queen Sonja (left) at a museum in Oslo on June 16, 2022 King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden are highly likely to be among the mourners at the Queen's funeral Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of LuxembourgIt is expected all eight of the Queen's grandchildren will be present, including Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her spouse Jack Brooksbank, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.The Queen's nephew Lord Snowdon and niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto are also anticipated to be there.Other monarchs likely to be in attendance at the Queen's funeral include King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg, and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.Other possible guests are the former King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece - who was deposed in 1973.The confirmation of foreign royals at the Queen's funeral comes shortly after they paid tribute to the monarch online. Following her death King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain paid tribute to their distant relative with a heartfelt statement.The Spanish Royal Family echoed sentiments from the Dutch and Swedish royals in praising the Queen's sense of duty to her country throughout her historic 70-year reign.Posting a letter to King Charles III on the Casa Real Twitter account, King Felipe said he would 'dearly' miss his Aunt Lilibet, a figure he held close.
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Prince William and Princess Kate are planning to celebrate their first Easter without Queen Elizabeth by upholding one of the late monarch's holiday traditions.
Kensington Palace confirmed to People that the Prince and Princess of Wales will be attending the royal family's traditional Easter Sunday church service this weekend held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. This marks the first time they will be attending those services under their new titles. Last year, the royal couple brought along their two eldest children, 9-year-old Prince George and 7-year-old Princess Charlotte, for the occasion, the first time either had attended. While their youngest, 4-year-old Prince Louis, did not attend that Easter service, he did make his first walk to church later that year at Sandringham on Christmas day. William and Kate have not yet confirmed if they will be joined by their three children this year.
St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle also holds special significance to the royal family as it's likely the last time they were gathered there was to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022. Following the state funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal service at St. George's Chapel, the monarch was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. She was laid to rest alongside her husband, Prince Philip, her younger sister Princess Margaret, her mother Queen Elizabeth I, and her father, King George VI.
In the midst of these sad milestones, the royal family is also gearing up for the coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla next month. On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace released new details about the event, as well as a new portrait of Charles and Camilla, and a first look at the official invitation. They also confirmed the role Prince George will play in the service. The palace revealed that the second in line to the throne will perform the duties of Page of Honor along with Camilla's grandsons, Freddy Parker Bowles, Gus Lopes, and Louis Lopes. In a statement, Buckingham Palace announced, “Throughout the coronation service on 6th May, their majesties will each be attended by four Pages of Honor. The Pages will form part of the procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey.” They went on to explain that “The King's Pages of Honour will be His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Master Nicholas Barclay and Master Ralph Tollemache,” while, "The Queen Consort's Pages of Honor will be Her Majesty's grandsons, Master Gus and Master Louis Lopes and Master Freddy Parker Bowles, and Her Majesty's great-nephew, Master Arthur Elliot."
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Britain’s King Charles III has enlisted the help of acclaimed British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to write the flagship anthem for his upcoming coronation.
Charles’s coronation will take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London, and will see Camilla, Queen Consort crowned alongside her husband.
The King has personally selected the musical program for the service, which will see “a range of musical styles and performers blend tradition, heritage and ceremony with new musical voices of today,” according to Buckingham Palace.
Twelve new pieces of music have been prepared for the occasion – including six orchestral works, five choral pieces and one organ commission – by several world-renowned composers whose styles include classical, sacred, film, television and musical theater.
Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose hit musicals “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera” have been performed around the world, said he was “incredibly honoured” to be involved.
“My anthem includes words slightly adapted from Psalm 98. I have scored it for the Westminster Abbey choir and organ, the ceremonial brass and orchestra,” Lloyd Webber said. “I hope my anthem reflects this joyful occasion.”
A Coronation March has been written by Patrick Doyle, an award-winning Scottish composer best known for his work on films like “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Gosford Park” and “Carlito’s Way.”
One of the more sentimental inclusions from the King is his choice to have Greek Orthodox music played during the service, performed by the Byzantine Chant Ensemble, in tribute to his father, the late Prince Philip, who died two years ago.
Meanwhile, musical themes from countries across the Commonwealth will feature in Iain Farrington’s new solo organ commission. The other new works have been created by Sarah Class, Nigel Hess, Paul Mealor, Tarik O’Regan, Roxanna Panufnik, Shirley J. Thompson, Judith Weir, Roderick Williams, and Debbie Wiseman.
A handpicked gospel choir – The Ascension Choir – is also set to perform as part of the service, in addition to the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace. They will be joined by girl choristers from the Chapel Choir of Methodist College, Belfast and from Truro Cathedral Choir. The traditional “Vivat” acclamations will be proclaimed by the King’s Scholars of Westminster School.
Andrew Nethsingha, organist and master of the choristers at Westminster Abbey, said all coronation services are a blend of “deeply-rooted tradition and contemporary innovation” and praised the new British monarch for “choosing fine musicians and accessible, communicative music for this great occasion.”
The ceremony will also include historic music featured in coronation services over the past four centuries by the likes of William Byrd, George Frideric Handel, Edward Elgar, Henry Walford Davies, William Walton, Hubert Parry and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Antonio Pappano, musical director of the Royal Opera House and conductor of the Coronation Orchestra, said: “His Majesty has chosen a most beautiful and varied programme that I believe will enhance the splendour of this very special celebration.”
Buckingham Palace previously revealed the coronation will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
The three-day weekend at the beginning of May is set to include grand processions through central London, a star-studded concert at Windsor Castle in addition to celebrations across the country. Britons have been given an extra bank holiday and members of the public are being invited to join “The Big Help Out” by volunteering in their communities.
“Everyone is invited to join in, on any day,” Michelle Donelan, UK culture secretary, said in a statement. “Whether that is by hosting a special street party, watching the Coronation ceremony or spectacular concert on TV, or stepping forward during The Big Help Out to help causes that matter to them.”
To get updates on the British Royal Family sent to your inbox, sign up for CNN’s Royal News newsletter.
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The first glimpse of the coronation invitation shows the official use of "Queen Camilla", marking the transition from the title of "Queen Consort".
The ornately illustrated invitation, sent to about 2,000 guests, is from "King Charles III and Queen Camilla".
Her grandchildren will be among the pages at Westminster Abbey, alongside the King's grandson, Prince George.
With a month to go before the coronation, a new official photo of the royal couple has also been released.
The invite for the 6 May coronation, printed on recycled paper, shows the coronation will mark a change in how Camilla is titled.
A royal source suggested that in the initial part of the new reign it made sense to use "Queen Consort" as a way of distinguishing her from the late Queen Elizabeth. But from the coronation it would be an "appropriate time" to officially change to "Queen Camilla".
At the coronation service next month, Camilla will be crowned alongside the King, 18 years after the couple married.
And it is not much more than a year since the late Queen Elizabeth had addressed what was still the unresolved question of Camilla's future title.
The late Queen had given a public endorsement for Camilla, saying she should be called Queen Consort, at a time when there were still suggestions that she would be known as a Princess Consort.
Reflecting the King's many years of environmental campaigning, the artwork for the coronation invitation uses the folklore figure of the "green man", with features made from ivy, hawthorn and oak leaves.
According to Buckingham Palace it is a symbol of spring and rebirth which celebrates a new reign.
The design by illustrator Andrew Jamieson also includes images of the natural world, including wildflowers, birds and insects, as well as national and heraldic emblems.
But with the coronation approaching, it is still not clear whether the invitation for Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is going to be accepted.
A spokesperson for the California-based couple said this week there was no update on whether they were attending.
Last week the King completed his first state visit, receiving a warm welcome in Germany. But the focus is now on preparations for the coronation.
Roles have been given to children of friends and relations, with eight "pages of honour" announced to take part in the ceremony.
This includes Prince George, the nine-year-old son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and three of the Queen Consort's grandchildren, Gus and Louis Lopes, Freddy Parker Bowles and her great-nephew Arthur Elliot.
The new official photograph of the King and Queen Consort was taken last month in the Blue Drawing Room in Buckingham Palace.
It follows an announcement by the Cabinet Office of another photo of the King, with public places such as council offices, courts, police stations and schools being invited to apply for a framed photograph of King Charles.
But anti-monarchy campaigners criticised the £8m budget for the new pictures, saying that it was a waste of public money at a time of funding pressures.
The Cabinet Office would not give a breakdown of the contract for the framed photos, but said details would be "announced in due course".
It is also understood that there will be no overall figure for government spending on the coronation until after the event.
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A former top aide to Queen Elizabeth II is to lead a new committee looking at ways to commemorate the life and service of Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
Lord Robin Janvrin, who served as private secretary to the sovereign from 1999 to 2007, will chair the newly established Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee.
The committee will put forward proposals for a permanent memorial for the former monarch, as well as a national legacy programme.
The ideas will centre around Queen Elizabeth II's public service across her 70-year reign, as well as the causes she supported.
The committee will also engage with the public to bring in ideas and suggestions from across the UK.
Previous royal memorials include the statue of King George V opposite the Houses of Parliament and the memorial statue of King George VI on The Mall.
National legacy programmes for previous monarchs include the creation and protection of 506 parks, playing fields and green spaces in honour of King George V, and a bursary for youth leadership training to mark the life of King George VI.
The plans will be unveiled to coincide with what would have been Her Late Majesty's hundredth birthday year in 2026.
Read more:
The Queen through the years - a life of service in pictures
Tributes to Elizabeth II as King attends Braemar Gathering
The committee will be jointly supported by the Royal Household and the UK government - which will consider funding options as proposals develop.
A range of senior figures and experts will be appointed to develop ideas and bring recommendations to The King and the prime minister.
Lord Janvrin said: "It is an honour to be asked to chair the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee.
"It will be a unique challenge to try to capture for future generations Her Late Majesty's extraordinary contribution to our national life throughout her very long reign"
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: "Queen Elizabeth II was our longest reigning monarch and greatest public servant.
"Lord Janvrin will now begin the important work of designing a fitting tribute to her legacy of service to our nation and the Commonwealth."
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Hundreds of military personnel paraded through the quiet streets of London as the first rehearsal for the King’s Coronation took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Around midnight, mounted troops departed Buckingham Palace and followed the procession route in preparation for the coronation on 6 May.
The ultimate guide to the King's coronation
The King and Queen Consort, Camilla, will travel to and from Westminster Abbey via Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall to Buckingham Palace.
The procession route stretches to just 1.3 miles, a quarter of the length of the Queen's five-mile celebratory journey which went through Piccadilly, Oxford Street and Regent Street in 1953.
The new King and Queen will travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach on their way to the ceremony and use the 260-year-old Gold State Coach for the return journey - although there was no sight of either coach at the rehearsal.
More than 6,000 members of the UK's armed forces and nearly 400 armed forces personnel from at least 35 Commonwealth countries will take part in the historic celebration, making it the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years.
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King Charles has paid a moving tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth on the first anniversary of her death.
In a break from tradition, the king released a heartfelt message saying how he has been touched by the nation’s “love and support” for the late monarch and recalling his mother's “long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.” Buckingham Palace also released a previously unseen photograph of the Queen taken on October 16, 1968, as part of an official sitting granted to royal photographer Cecil Beaton.
“In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,” read the statement in full. “I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”
While the King was expected to mark the day privately at Balmoral, where the late Queen died a year ago Friday, Charles attended a church service at 10 a.m. Joined by Queen Camilla and several members of the royal family, along with staff from the Balmoral estate, Charles looked emotional following the private memorial service at Crathie Kirk, a small Church of Scotland parish, where the Queen worshipped regularly while at Balmoral.
After the service Charles and Camilla met with well-wishers and accepted bouquets of flowers and words of condolence. The Queen was well known to the congregation of Crathie Kirk and the locals of the surrounding area.
On the day Her Majesty’s coffin was taken from Balmoral to Edinburgh, hundreds of thousands of Scots lined the route to pay their last respects to the monarch. Palace aides told Vanity Fair that the King and Queen carried out a brief walkabout so that they could “express their gratitude” to those who had gathered.
Charles and Camilla will remain at Balmoral Friday before returning to their Birkhall estate following the same tradition of her late Majesty who would always spend her Ascension Day at Sandringham where her father King George VI died.
Meanwhile, gun salutes were held around the country and in London crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace to lay floral tributes and mark the anniversary. Prince William and Princess Kate are on public duty in Wales where they attended a service of remembrance at St Davids Cathedral in St Davids.
Palace aides have said that the King will not be making any further public appearances on Friday and will be spending the rest of the day in private reflection at the castle. Prince William and Princess Kate will carry out further engagements in Wales including a visit to the Câr-y-Môr seaweed farm, the first regenerative ocean farm in Wales and a key partner with 2022 Earthshot Prize winners Notpla. The couple will be taken out to the farm by boat where they will be shown seaweed lines and shellfish.
Following this, Their Royal Highnesses will visit the St David’s RNLI lifeboat station where they will meet local volunteers and staff. The Late Queen was Patron of the RNLI from 1952 until her death and the organisation has held royal patronage since 1824.
Prince Harry, who is in the UK ahead of traveling to Germany for the Invictus Games also paid his own touching tribute to the Queen at Thursday’s WellChild awards saying, “one year on, she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we're together continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.”
There has been no family reunion between Harry and his family, however it is understood that Harry visited St George’s Chapel along with other family members to pay his respects at the private chapel where the Queen is buried alongside Prince Philip and her parents.
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Time is passing by in the blink of an eye for the Swedish royal court.
The family marked the occasion with photographs outside the Solliden Castle on July 14, where Victoria was also serenaded by the Borgholm's cultural school's children's choir.
In the snapshots, Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel were all smiles as they posed next to their children for a group portrait. While Victoria—the heir to the Swedish throne—and her mini-me Estelle donned off-white dresses, Daniel and Oscar stepped out in tuxedos.
Other images from the day show the family of four riding in a horse-drawn carriage and waving to a crowd of supporters outside the castle grounds. Victoria was also joined by her parents King Carl Gustaf, 77, and Queen Silvia, 79, for photos.
During the evening, Victoria and other members of the royal family were treated to a birthday concert—aptly called the Victoria Concert—at the Borgholm's castle ruins, the Swedish royal court said in an Instagram post.
Victoria capped off the concert by awarding the "Victoria Prize" to San Jose Sharks hockey player Erik Karlsson.
The heir's birthday is recognized as public flag day in Sweden, as well one of the Armed Forces' official salute days. According to the Swedish royal court, "salutes will therefore be fired from the country's salute stations to mark the day."
Keep scrolling to see more moments from Victoria's big day.
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The coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla sets off a weekend of royal festivities and celebration.
Their majesties will be formally crowned Saturday at London’s Westminster Abbey — the first coronation Britain has had since the late Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on June 2, 1953.
Here’s a play-by-play for the historic event.
What we can expect to see on coronation day?
King Charles III will become the 40th monarch to be crowned at the church, with William the Conqueror kicking off the centuries-old tradition on Christmas Day in 1066.
The British royal family is the only one in Europe that still holds coronations.
While coronations are typically grandiose events, Buckingham Palace has announced the King’s crowning will be a simpler, shorter affair.
“The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,” the palace said in a statement.
The ceremony will be conducted by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury — a role assigned to the Archbishop from its 1066 start.
The ceremony is expected to begin at 6 a.m. ET (11 a.m. in the UK) at the iconic Westminster Abbey in London.
Later Saturday, military personnel will perform a flypast of more than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.
The recognition
During the first element of the coronation — known as the recognition — King Charles will be presented and announced to the people.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to proclaim the monarch “the undoubted King.” and tell those in attendance to support their new sovereign.
During Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation, the archbishop presented the late royal to all four corners of the church — symbolizing the east, south, west, and north — as people shouted “God Save Queen Elizabeth!”
A similar protocol is expected at Charles’ ceremony.
The coronation oath
The coronation oath will involve the King being asked three questions by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The King will place his hand on the Holy Bible and say, “The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God.”
He will then sign an oath pledging his service to the people.
The anointing
The Archbishop of Canterbury will make a cross with holy oil on the King’s “forehead and elsewhere on the body to show that the monarch has been chosen by God,” according to the Westminster Abbey website.
For the late queen’s coronation, the archbishop anointed her, saying: “Be thy head anointed with holy oil: as kings and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was anointed king by Zadok the priest and Nathan the Prophet, so be you anointed, blessed and consecrated King/Queen over the Peoples, whom the Lord thy God hath given thee to rule and govern.”
The sacred vow was not filmed on camera and was not seen by attendees at the time — the queen and archbishop were covered with a canopy so no one would see him dabbing oil on her face, chest, and hands.
According to Exchequer, accounts kept in the National Archives, the anointing oil is “a very large composition” of essential oils, balsams, and spirits.
The investiture
Traditionally, the monarch dons a ceremonial robe adorned with scarlet velvet.
Charles will reportedly don his military uniform for the big day in a bid to represent the “modern 21st-century monarchy.”
Du’ring the investiture, the King is expected to be presented with coronation bracelets, known as armills, that he’ll wear at the ceremony.
The bracelets, which have played a significant part in coronations for centuries, represent sincerity and wisdom.
His Majesty will then receive the orb, his coronation ring, and a scepter before being blessed by the Archbishop.
The crowning
The Archbishop of Canterbury will place St Edward’s Crown, which is over 400 years old, on the His Majesty’s head — the first, and only, time the monarch will don the St. Edward’s crown, which is made of solid gold and weighs five pounds.
Last year, the crown was l”removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work” to fit the King’s measurements, the palace said in a statement.
His Majesty will also wear the Imperial State Crown during the coronation service.
The diadem, which contains 444 gemstones consisting of rubies, sapphires, garnets, and tourmalines, was last worn by Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
She famously described it as “unwieldy,” telling the BBC in 2018, “You can’t look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did, your neck would break — it would fall off.”
“So there are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they’re quite important things,” she added.
The crown was originally made for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 and is stored safely in the Tower of London.
The homage
The King is expected to follow in the footsteps of previous monarchs by sitting in the coronation chair, also known as King Edward’s Chair.
The famous piece of furniture was made by the order of Edward I in the 14th century to enclose the famous Stone of Scone.
He will then move from the chair to the throne for the final part of the ceremony, known as the homage.
The King will swear his allegiance before the archbishop delivers some final words.
It’s not yet known whether the King will opt for the traditional way of kneeling, kissing, and touching the crown, or if he will sway from tradition.
The crowning of the Queen Consort
Camilla, 75, will be crowned Queen alongside her husband, much like the late Queen Elizabeth’s mother was in 1937.
The King is expected to give a nod before Camilla is anointed with holy oil. She will then have a crown placed on her head.
Camilla was originally meant to inherit the title of princess following the Queen’s death, however, the late monarch had voiced her request for Camilla to be named Queen Consort.
Following the coronation, “Consort” will be dropped from her title and she’ll will be called Queen Camilla or simply, the Queen.
Ending the service
After the King and Queen are crowned, His Majesty is expected to take Holy Communion before going behind the high altar into the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor.
He will then put on the Imperial State Crown and make his way through Westminster Abbey carrying the orb and scepter.
The National Anthem “God Save the King” will be performed by the congregation as the King makes his way out of the Abbey — the official beginning of his reign that will kickstart a procession.
What is the procession route?
After the coronation ceremony, the King and Queen will travel back to Buckingham Palace in “The Coronation Procession.”
Charles and Camilla will leave the Abbey and pass Parliament Street, located next to the famous No. 10 Downing Street address where the prime minister lives.
They will then travel along the south side of Trafalgar Square, passing through Admiralty Arch and proceeding down The Mall directly opposite Buckingham Palace, the official royal residence.
Finally, their carriage will pass through the Centre Gate of the palace.
The King and Queen will travel in the Gold State Coach for the occasion. Created for Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 60th anniversary of her reign, the coach has only ever been used by the late Queen.
Upon return, Charles and Camilla will receive a Royal Salute and three cheers from military service personnel.
According to royal.co.uk, more than 6,000 men and women of the UK’s Armed Forces will participate in the historic event.
Described as the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years, the spectacle will include sailors, soldiers, and aviators from across the country and the Commonwealth taking part.
After arriving at the palace, the King and Queen will be joined by other members of the royal family for an appearance on the palace balcony.
Later Saturday, military personnel will perform a flypast of more than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.
“I am incredibly proud of our brilliant military personnel who are preparing to honor centuries of military tradition by taking to the streets, skies, and seas to pay tribute to our new King and Queen and mark the Coronation…” UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said in a statement.
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Royal Families
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To celebrate the 73rd birthday of Princess Anne on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace has shared two photos illustrating her bond with King Charles III on their social media channels. One unseen image was taken by the family’s occasional personal photographer Chris Jackson after the coronation on May 6, and it shows the king in his robes and smiling at Anne in military regalia. The second photo shows Charles, then 2 years old, holding the hand of Anne, then 11 months old, as they sit side-by-side in prams at Clarence House in July 1951.
The photos emphasize the central role that Anne has played over the last year as Charles has begun his reign. She has served as his proxy at engagements across the world since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and during the coronation procession, she was given the role of Gold-Stick-in-Waiting, which traditionally goes to the monarch’s closest protector. Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence were standing next to the king in the official portraits from the day.
Anne is expected to join Charles and Queen Camilla on the Balmoral Estate for a summer vacation later this month. The princess’s last official engagement on the court circular took place on August 3, when she visited a dress rehearsal as patron of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an annual series of military band performances.
She also made an appearance at the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing, an equestrian event organized by her son Peter Phillips and taking place at Gatcombe Park, the estate where Anne and Tim both live. According to People, Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall were spotted chatting in their riding gear, and Zara later rode dressage on her gray gelding, Classicals Euro Star.
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Royal Families
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