For the first time in 70 years, the public will witness a coronation in Great Britain.
This morning, King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, will be crowned Westminster Abbey in a tradition dating back more than 1,000 years.
Although Charles became Britain’s head of state upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September, the ceremony and celebrations follow royal customs.
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ABC News shared the Coronation schedule of events:
Approximately 5:30 a.m. ET: Charles and Camilla depart Buckingham Palace and travel to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was created for Elizabeth in 2012. The procession will take Charles and Camilla down The Mall and around the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary and, finally, to the sanctuary of Westminster Abbey.
6 a.m. ET: The May 6 coronation service will begin at 11 a.m. local time, 6 a.m. ET, and is expected to last around 90 minutes. During the ceremony, Charles will sign an oath pledging to serve the people and will be crowned with the St. Edward’s Crown, marking the only time the king will ever wear that specific crown. Camilla will be crowned with the Queen Mary’s Crown. At the end of the service, Charles will exchange his crown for the Imperial State Crown, or Crown of State.
Approximately 7:30 a.m. ET: Charles and Camilla will depart Westminster Abbey in a procession back to Buckingham Palace. This procession, known as the Coronation Procession, will follow the same route as they took earlier in the day, but will be larger in scale and will include Armed Forces from the U.K. and across the Commonwealth.
Charles and Camilla will travel in this procession in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every coronation since 1831. The coach was last used at the Platinum Jubilee for Elizabeth in 2022 .
Approximately 8 a.m. ET: At the end of the procession, Charles and Camilla will receive a royal salute and three cheers from members of the Armed Forces. They will then appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they will give their first balcony waves to the public as king and queen.
The rest of the coronation weekend — which includes a bank holiday in the U.K. on Monday, May 8 — will include celebrations across the country.
Buckingham Palace is encouraging people to host Coronation Big Lunches to celebrate together throughout the weekend.
On Sunday night, a coronation concert featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli and others will be held on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
