The Coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6, and events are being held up and down the country to mark the occasion. Thousands are also expected to travel to London to catch a glimpse of the actual Coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Huge crowds are expected to converge on London to become a part of the special day. And it'll certainly be one for the history books - last time Britain having held a coronation ceremony was 70 years ago when Queen Elizabeth II, then 27-years-old, was crowned on June 2, 1953.
The coronation will begin at 11.15am on Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. Charles, who turned 74 years old in November last year, will be the oldest person in British history to be crowned.
Read more: Everything we know so far about King Charles' coronation
Just 2,000 guests are expected, a stark contrast to the 8,000 plus present at the Queen’s coronation in 1953. This is because Charles has reportedly elected to have a cheaper, shorter 'slimmed-down' ceremony due to the fact he's "very aware" of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in the UK.
At 1.3 miles it'll be a a fraction of the length of his late mother's five-mile coronation route back in '53. The procession will then double back on itself, rather than travelling around central London. The shorter route probably means there'll be a far larger crowd lining it as many well-wishers will want to ensure they don't miss their chance to see the newly crowned king go by.
And for those people from Wales travelling to try and see a glimpse of the coronation, they'll be able to see a small glimpse of their homeland with many Welsh touches added to the procession.
The King's coronation procession will be led by a cross that includes religious relics gifted to the monarch by the Pope. Two shards of the True Cross - which is said to be the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ - were given to Charles by Pope Francis to mark the royal occasion.
The small fragments have then been incorporated into the Cross of Wales. The Cross of Wales, which is a gift from the King to the Church in Wales to celebrate its centenary, will be blessed by the Archbishop of Wales Andrew John in a service at Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno, north Wales on Wednesday before it heads to London.
Upon its return, the cross will be shared between the Anglican and Catholic churches in Wales. Crafted from recycled silver bullion, provided by the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, south Wales, the cross also includes a shaft of Welsh windfall timber and a stand of Welsh slate.
Words from the last sermon of St David are inscribed on the back of the cross in Welsh, which read: "Byddwch lawen. Cadwch y ffydd. Gwnewch y Pethau Bychain", translated as: "Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do the little things."
The silver elements of the cross bear a full hallmark including the Royal Mark - a leopard's head, which was applied by the King himself in November 2022 when visiting The Goldsmiths' Centre in London.
Archbishop Andrew said: "We are honoured that His Majesty has chosen to mark our centenary with a cross that is both beautiful and symbolic. Its design speaks to our Christian faith, our heritage, our resources and our commitment to sustainability. We are delighted too that its first use will be to guide Their Majesties into Westminster Abbey at the Coronation Service."
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff and Bishop of Menevia, Mark O'Toole, said: "With a sense of deep joy we embrace this cross, kindly given by King Charles, and containing a relic of the True Cross, generously gifted by the Holy See.
"It is not only a sign of the deep Christian roots of our nation but will, I am sure, encourage us all to model our lives on the love given by our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We look forward to honouring it, not only in the various celebrations that are planned, but also in the dignified setting in which it will find a permanent home."
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