King Charles III, England's first new monarch in 70 years, will be crowned Saturday in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London. Those hoping to see the king and queen on their way to and from the services lined the procession routes in central London, while others would watch the broadcast on screens in city parks, at street parties or in their homes, including on a live stream on nytimes. com.
Here's what to expect for the day. (All times are local UK time.)
09:10 (04:10 Eastern) Troops will begin marching on the ceremonial route, which will start from Buckingham Palace, along the central route known as The Mall, past Trafalgar Square and the Whitehall government offices, to Westminster Abbey.
The day's event is expected to involve 7,000 troops parading — the largest procession at a state event since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
10:20 Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, will leave Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn stagecoach and arrive at Westminster Abbey, a journey scheduled to take 33 minutes.
11am The couple will be seated in ceremonial chairs for the service, which will be conducted before more than 2,000 invited guests. The service will display several stages:
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Confession, in which the king is presented to the congregation at each cardinal point of the compass.
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Charles will then take the oath of investiture and a declaration of accession to the Bible presented by a Church of Scotland leader, before going to pray. This will be followed by a reading from the prime minister, the dean of the royal chapeland a sermon by the archbishop of Canterbury.
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The king will be anointed with holy oil on his hands, chest and head, wear the dress and sword belt worn by kings in previous coronations, and be presented with sacred items.
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The archbishop of Canterbury will crown the new king, after which the congregation will be invited to shout “God save the king!”, abbey bells will ring and gun salutes will be shot across London and other parts of England.
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After the king ascends the throne, the congregation and the public will be invited to pay “public respect” to him. Camilla will also be anointed and crowned, and will ascend the throne as queen.
1 p.m The king and queen will leave Westminster Abbey in a mile-long procession with 4,000 soldiers and 19 military bands. Members of the royal family, including Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, will travel in the carriage behind the king as part of the procession.
1:30 p.m The procession will reach Buckingham Palace, and the armed forces will pay royal respects to Charles from the gardens. The king and queen would then appear on the palace balcony with other members of the royal family to greet the public.
2:30 p.m A six-minute ceremonial flight of 60 aircraft, including the Royal Air Force's aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows, will fly overhead, past Buckingham Palace.
That would put an end to the official agenda, and King Charles III would retire to take coronation portraits and a family lunch. People wishing to continue the festivities can attend street parties and other live events throughout the day throughout London.