Spectators flocked to Buckingham Palace today as the clock ticked down towards tomorrow’s coronation of King Charles III.
As barricades are erected in anticipation of large crowds, the police are out in full force, busily patrolling every road leading up to the royal residence.
Nearby, trailing along The Mall, an army of enthusiastic royalists have pitched their tents, eager to secure a front-row seat for the coronation.
Londoner Minerva Halil, 60, one of the many coronation campers adorned with the Union Jack, said: “I think it’s fantastic that people have come together to support the King.
I’m proud of my country and I want to support it too – especially since being here is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
This sentiment was shared by other coronation campers, many of whom brought a variety of
Alison Hamilton, 49, from the Wirral, pictured with a life-size cut-out of King Charles III, said: “The sense of camaraderie is fantastic. Sure, there’s a bit of rain, but that doesn’t stop us.
When you’ve got a front-and-centre view of a historic moment, it’s all worth it in the end.”
Directly outside the palace, queues and congregations of visitors align the pavements and settle on the green, occasionally moved along by crowd control and stopped for interviews by camera crews.
Max Global, an actor and producer, said: “I think it’s a good thing because it’s great for the capital and Britain as a whole; it makes us the centre of attention, it’s where people want to be.”
The royal standard was flying at full-mast over Buckingham Palace, signifying the monarch is in residence.
Public viewing areas for the coronation will open at 6am, with the royal procession at Buckingham Palace scheduled to being at 10:20am, and Charles’ crowning set to take place around midday at Westminster Abbey.
At 1pm, a second procession will take place at Buckingham Palace, followed by the royal family gathering on the Buckingham Palace balcony at 2.15pm to witness the coronation flypast, an event featuring more than 60 aircraft.
