The countdown is on for King Charles III's coronation, which will see him officially crowned as monarch.
The ceremony, in which Camilla will also be crowned Queen Consort, will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey. Taking place on Saturday May 6, a bank holiday has been declared on Monday May 8.
Tens of thousands of street parties are expected to be staged during the weekend, with people urged to come together across the nation for the Coronation Big Lunch on Sunday May 7. On the same day, musicians and stars will descend on Windsor Castle for the Coronation concert which will be broadcast live on the BBC.
Meanwhile, bars, pubs and clubs will serve customers for an extra two hours between Friday May 5 and Sunday May 7. Home Secretary Suella Braverman will extend licensing hours from the normal 11pm to 1am to let the public 'enjoy an extra pint or two.'
She said it was 'a momentous occasion deserving of special celebration.' The move was backed by a leading body in the hospitality sector as well as 77% of the public who took part in a month-long consultation.
Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows Ms Braverman to lay the order before Parliament on Monday (March 6) to give permission for premises to stay open longer to mark occasions of exceptional significance.
Charles' coronation will be Britain's first in 70 years. He ascended the throne following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September.
The Queen herself was just 25 years old when she was crowned at a ceremony in Westminster Abbey on 2 June, 1953. When his coronation takes this spring, King Charles will be 74, making him the oldest person to be crowned in British history.
The coronation falls on the birthday of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son Archie. Charles’ grandson will be turning four on the day of the ceremony next year.
Charles’s coronation is expected to be on a smaller scale and shorter than traditional crownings. There are suggestions that it could last just one hour rather than more than three.
It is expected to be more inclusive of multi-faith Britain than past coronations but will be an Anglican service. Guest numbers will be reduced from 8,000 to around 2,000, with peers expected to wear suits and dresses instead of ceremonial robes, and a number of rituals, such as the presentation of gold ingots, axed.
Coronations have not traditionally been held on a weekend, with the late Queen’s taking place on a Tuesday. The Palace said the ceremony will be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry” but also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”.
What will happen during the coronation?
The King will be anointed with vegan-friendly holy oil during the ceremony. It was made with olives and perfumed with sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, benzoin and amber as well as orange blossom, and will not use any ingredients from animals.
Some of the ingredients used in the holy oil to anoint Charles’ mother, the late Queen, in 1953, came from a musk deer, a civet cat and a sperm whale, Dr John Hall, a retired priest of the Church of England, said in a BBC documentary in 2018. Sesame seed and olive oil, perfume with roses, orange flowers and jasmine were also used. The holy oil was consecrated in Jerusalem on Friday (March 3).
A ceremony to make the oil sacred took place in The Church of the Holy Sepulchre and was led by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, The Most Reverend Hosam Naoum. Camilla will also be anointed with holy oil and crowned, just like the Queen Mother was when she was crowned Queen in 1937.
The King will also receive the orb, coronation ring and sceptre, and will be crowned with the majestic St Edward’s Crown and blessed during the historic ceremony. However, the controversial Koh-i-noor diamond will not feature in the crown.
The famous gem was first set in a cross at the front of Queen Mary’s crown when it was worn at her coronation in 1911 but it was replaced by a replica in 1937 when the original was moved to the Queen Mother’s crown for her and George VI’s coronation.
Neither the original nor the replica will be used in the Coronation of the King and Camilla, with diamonds from the late Queen’s personal collection used instead, a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said. The Koh-i-noor was seized by the East India Company after its victory in the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849.
It was given to Queen Victoria and has remained in the Crown Jewels ever since. The governing party of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is reported to have expressed concern that the famous gem would provide an unwelcome reminder of the British Empire.
Camilla is set to become the first consort since the 18th century to reuse a crown at a Coronation.
Who will be performing at the concert?
Buckingham Palace has not yet confirmed who will be performing at the concert on Sunday May 7. However Lionel Richie is rumoured to be opening the gig, with Take That thought to be joining the line-up, reports LBC.
Kylie Minogue, Adele, Ed Sheeran and The Spice Girls are among the stars who have reportedly turned down the opportunity to perform at the concert, while Sir Elton John ruled himself out as he is touring.
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