Buckingham Palace Reveals the Final Details for the Coronation of King Charles III

During Saturday’s coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, a spectacular military procession six months in the making will contain the “key lessons and best bits” from recent events, such as the Platinum Jubilee and the September funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

“The big change from recent ceremonial events is the number of troops involved,” he added. “For the coronation there will be 7,000 ceremonial troops taking part—the most seen at any state occasion since the 1953 coronation.”

It is the first time Britain—and indeed the world—will see the coronation of a king and queen since 1953, and though some elements of the day will be much smaller than in previous coronations, the Mall will still be filled with troops during the procession. 

“It will be an iconic image of the day,” the spokesman said. “In Buckingham Palace Gardens, there will be 4,000 troops stood in front of Their Majesties showing their support, confirming the inseparable bond between the Armed Forces and the sovereign.”

Buckingham Palace has also released further information about the procession, including the roles of various members and the king’s and queen’s schedules for the big day. The initial procession will leave Buckingham Palace at 10:20 a.m., taking about 33 minutes. The king and queen will travel in the horse-drawn Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The gilded black carriage, built in 2011 to honor the late queen’s 60th anniversary, has heat, air conditioning, power windows, and a suspension system. 

Their Majesties will be escorted to Westminster Abbey by the Sovereign’s Escort, who have carried out this task since 1660. The procession will be led by the Household Cavalry Mounted Band, a group of 48 horses and musicians—with two distinctive drum horses, Atlas and Apollo—playing eight marches along the route. In total, 200 personnel and horses are involved.

When the king and queen arrive at the Abbey, they will be seated in the Chairs of Estate. The chairs were originally made for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1953, but they have been conserved and reupholstered to feature the king’s and queen’s new cyphers. After the king moves to the coronation chair and is anointed with oil behind the screen, he will be presented with the traditional regalia (the Spurs, the Armills, the Orb, the Ring, the Glove, the Rod, and the Sceptre) by a combination of members of the British peerage and officials of the Anglican church from across the UK. When the king and queen are enthroned, they will sit on the same coronation chairs used by King George VI and the Queen Mother in 1937, reupholstered with new cyphers.

The Prince of Wales will play a large role in the ceremony, first by assisting the king during his investment with the Imperial Mantle, a robe of gilded thread made for George IV, and the Stole Royal, a new scarf commissioned as the traditional gift of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers, and then by leading an homage later in the ceremony.

On the return procession, the king and queen, traveling in the traditional Gold State Coach, will be followed by the working members of the royal family and their children. Princess Anne, colonel of the Blues and Royals, will ride as the Gold Stick in Waiting with the regiment to the rear of the state coach. 

The next carriage will carry the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, and the Earl of Wessex will travel in another carriage, while the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence will travel in a third. The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra will follow by car. 

The royals will return to Buckingham Palace for a military flypast on the east balcony. The official program will end with a historymaking moment, when photographer Hugo Burnand takes the coronation portrait. After the pomp and circumstance concludes, the king and queen will host an informal family lunch at the palace.

Listen to Vanity Fair’s DYNASTY podcast now.