King Charles will be formally crowned Saturday.
The former Prince of Wales ascended the throne in September after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died September 2022 after serving her country 70 years. She was the longest-serving monarch in British history, making Charles the longest-serving heir apparent.
Although he has been acting as king for a few months already, he will officially be crowned Saturday during the first coronation since Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953.
Here is what to expect on the historic day.
King Charles’ coronation will be the first since his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1952. (Hugo Burnand/Buckingham Palace via Getty Images)
PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON MAKE FIRST OFFICIAL CORONATION WEEK APPEARANCE AS THEY RIDE THE TUBE TO A PUB
Procession
5:20 AM EDT
The king and queen will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in a procession starting at 5:20 a.m. EDT. (Historic England Archive/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
The big day will start with King Charles and Queen Camilla making the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The procession will consist of close to 200 members of the armed forces and other members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal, and will travel 1.5 miles to the Abbey.
The procession is expected to take around 30 minutes with the king and queen arriving to Westminster Abbey at about 5:53 a.m. EDT.
Coronation service
6:00 AM EDT
Once the king and queen arrive at Westminster Abbey, they will enter with the song “I Was Glad,” playing, a tradition that started in 1626. Their entrance will be followed by a greeting with the king and a young member of the choir, who Charles will tell, “I come not to be served but to serve.”
After a silent prayer and a greeting from the archbishop, the coronation will begin.
Recognition
7:00 AM EDT
The coronation ceremony will start with King Charles being recognized as the next…
