The Coronation in brief

7:15 AM: (all times are Britain time) guests start to arrive at Westminster Abbey after passing through airport-style security checkpoints. 

9 AM: The congregation will take their seats. World leaders, British politicians, and international royals, will also start to arrive at the Abbey.

10:20 AM: Charles will travel with Queen Camilla from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. The royal couple will be traveling in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, a carriage with surprisingly up to date modifications such as air conditioning and electric windows.  The procession will include just under 200 members of the Armed Forces.

10:53 AM: The King and Queen Consort will arrive seven minutes before they are due inside the Abbey.

11 AM : The Coronation ceremony will last just over an hour, compared to the three hour duration of Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 event. Charles will be seated in the Coronation Chair, and he will be holding the sovereign’s scepter —a gold rod with amethyst, diamonds, rubies, spinels, and emeralds — which represents control over the nation. He will also have the orb, a golden globe with a cross on top. The first thing that will happen in the Abbey is the recognition of the monarch, which is led by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Charles will stand beside the chair and be shown to attendees before the Archbishop calls on them to recognize the monarch by saying, “Sirs, I here present unto you King Charles, your undoubted King. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service, are you willing to do the same? The congregation will respond: “God Save The King.” 

                         King Charles 24-carat gold coin designed by Raphael Maklouf

Charles will be asked during the ceremony if he will govern the U.K. and the Commonwealth with law and justice and if he will maintain Christianity in the nation.  But the monarch is also taking steps to act as a defender of all faiths and include other religious groups in the event. Charles will then proceed to the altar to make his oath by resting his hand on the Bible and proclaiming: “The things which I have here before promised. I will perform and keep. So help me God.” He will then kiss the Bible before signing the Oath. During the ceremony, Charles will be anointed with chrism oil that was made in Jerusalem in March using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives, at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene and the Monastery of the Ascension. Using the coronation spoon, the Archbishop will pour oil on Charles’ hands, chest, and head. The tradition is performed to reinforce the divine right of the monarch. Charles will be anointed out of sight and behind a screen rather than a canopy like the one used by Queen Elizabeth in 1953. 

Charles will clothe himself in the Colobium Sindonis, a pure white garment worn during his anointing, and the supertunica, a full-length and gold silk coat. He will then be presented with various regalia to symbolize different virtues and blessings. St Edward’s Crown - a solid gold headpiece adorned by over 400 gemstones, including rubies and sapphires—will be placed on Charles’ head. The crown dates back to the coronation of Charles II in 1661. At the moment of crowning, gun salutes will be fired from military bases across the U.K. to mark the historic moment. Once he has been crowned, Charles will be moved from the coronation chair to the throne and the Archbishop will deliver a prayer. At this point in the ceremony, the British public will be invited to make their own path of loyalty to the monarch. Willing observers will declare the words “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.” The oath is known as the Homage of the People. 

Camilla will then be anointed, invested, and crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown, which has been reset with the diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewelry collection. She will do this in full view with no canopy to shield her, marking a break from royal tradition. King and Queen will then receive communion.

1 PM: Following the ceremony, Charles and Camilla will depart Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach and undertake ‘The Coronation Procession,’ a 1.3 mile journey back to Buckingham palace. Members of the public are likely to line the streets of the procession route to catch a glimpse of the newly crowned monarch. The second procession will feature almost 4,000 military personnel including Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all Services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.

1:45 PM - Charles and Camilla will receive a royal salute and three cheers on the West Terrace of the Buckingham Palace garden.

2:15 PM - Members of the royal family are then expected to appear on the palace balcony and wave to spectators as they observe the fly-past display performed by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and British Army using over 60 aircraft.