THE COURSE OF THE CORONATION OF CHARLES III

The Charles III coronation will take place this Saturday May 6 in London, 70 years after Elizabeth II was crowned on June 2, 1953. Unlike his late mother, who was crowned at the age of 26, King Charles III becomes monarch at age 74.

The celebrations will last three days, until Monday.

Schedules not to be missed

Hours are local.

11.20 King's Parade: The King and Queen proceed from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation.

12.00 Coronation service (estimated duration: 90 minutes). Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby leads the service at Westminster Abbey.

14.00 Coronation Procession: The King and Queen Consort return to Buckingham Palace with other members of the Royal Family.

15.00 Balcony appearance: The King and Queen Consort appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with other members of the Royal Family

The royal procession will go to Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey is one of the most important religious sites in the country. The tradition began with William the Conqueror who was anointed king in 1066 in this location, Charles III would become the 40th monarch to be crowned in the abbey.

Some 7,000 troops will take part in the events, which had a major dress rehearsal last weekend. The country may not have seen a military operation of such magnitude for 70 years and everything must work to the millimeter.

Event security

Initially, just under 200 members of the armed forces - mainly from the Sovereign's Escort of the Royal Household Cavalry - will take part in the procession to Westminster Abbey. Soldiers will begin assembling from 10:45 a.m. Central European Time).

A thousand other members of the armed forces will follow the route, but the procession as a whole will be much smaller than that of 1953, which was attended by other royal families and Commonwealth prime ministers.

The procession will descend the Mall to Trafalgar Square, then along Whitehall and Parliament Street before taking Parliament Square and Broad Sanctuary to reach the Great West Gate of Westminster Abbey.

Breaking with tradition, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, rather than the older and more cumbersome Golden State Coach, which will only be used for the journey back.

At Westminster Abbey.

The recognition of the king.

The first thing that will happen at the abbey will be recognition from the king. Next to the 700-year-old throne, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will turn to either side of the abbey and proclaim Charles "indisputable king" before asking those gathered to pay their respects and serve. The trumpets will sound at each recognition.

Charles III will then take the oath. He will lay his hand on the Holy Gospel and meet that legal requirement. King Charles could add a few words to acknowledge the many faiths seen in the country.

The king will then sit on the coronation chair where he will be anointed with sacred oil, consecrated in Jerusalem by the Archbishop of Canterbury, as a sign of the grace granted by God to the sovereign. This moment highlights the spiritual role of the sovereign, who is also the head of the Anglican Church. The vial was made for the coronation of Charles II. The coronation spoon is much older, having survived the destruction of the regalia by Oliver Cromwell after the English Civil War. For the coronation, oil was made from olives harvested from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Investiture

Will follow the stage of the investiture during which Charles III will receive all the jewels: orbs, swords and rings. Finally, the Archbishop will lay the heavy crown of Saint Edward on his head. This crown will only be worn on this day. The crown owes its name to a much older version made for the Anglo-Saxon king and saint Edward the Confessor. It would have been used at coronations after 1220, until Cromwell had it melted down.

After the investiture, the enthronement .

Charles III will take the throne. The throne was originally created by order of King Edward I of England to guard the Stone of Destiny, which was stolen near Scone (Scotland). The stone, a former symbol of the Scottish monarchy, was returned to Scotland in 1996 but is due to return to London for use in the ceremony. During the coronation, the oak chair is placed in the center of the historical medieval mosaic floor, known as the "Cosmati pavement", in front of and facing the high altar, in order to emphasize the religious character of the ceremony.

At the start of the ceremony, the king will likely wear a military uniform instead of the more traditional baggy trousers and silk stockings worn by the kings who preceded him. The king will also wear the ceremonial robe, which he will remove before receiving the anointing.

The UK is the only European country that continues to use the symbols of royalty, such as the crown, orb and scepters, at coronations. These items symbolize different aspects of the monarch's service and responsibilities.

Coronation of Queen Camilla,

Charles' wife, Queen Camilla, will also be crowned, but in a shorter format and without as much protocol. She won't have to take an oath, but she will be anointed, crowned and enthroned. At the coronation, Camilla will receive the Queen Consort's Rod with the Dove and the Queen Consort's Scepter with the Cross. She will be crowned with Queen Mary's crown, originally made for Queen Mary's coronation with George V. It has been modified to remove some of the protrusions and has been set with diamonds.

At the end of this ceremony, Prince William will kneel before the King as the eldest son of Charles and the next heir to the Crown. This moment will replace the traditional tribute of peers, during which a group of the high nobility took an oath of allegiance in person to the king. In his place, and for the first time in history, the archbishop will invite all Britons to swear allegiance in a loud voice to the monarch and his heirs, a call that has sparked controversy.

The music played during the coronation

The ceremony inside the Abbey will be enlivened by music chosen by the King, with 12 newly commissioned pieces, including one by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Greek Orthodox music in memory of the King's father, the Prince Philip.

Part of the ceremony will be sung in Welsh. The famous Welsh opera singer Sir Bryn Terfel will be among the soloists.

The celebrations will be very varied since there will be music in many corners of the country. The idea is to try to include all kinds of styles so that citizens don't feel disconnected.

Guests at the coronation of Charles III

Among the 2,000 guests will also be the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, as well as the King and Queen of Spain, among other representatives. We are far from the 8,000 people who attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Perhaps the most anticipated guest is Prince Harry, after the controversial publication of his memoir. He will be present without his wife Meghan Markle and their children who will remain in California.

Prince George will be one of the King's Four Pages of Honor. Camilla's four pages will be her three grandchildren and her great-nephew.

Some of the participants in the procession inside the abbey will wear the king's regalia, and most items will be placed on the altar until they are used in the ceremony.

The king on the balcony of honor

The King and Queen will descend from their thrones and will likely enter St Edward's Chapel, where Charles will don the Imperial Crown of State before joining the procession that will exit the Abbey to the sound of the national anthem.

The royal couple will then return to Buckingham Palace by the reverse route from their arrival, this time in the 260-year-old 'Gold State Coach', which has been used for every coronation since that of William IV in 1831.

If you want to take part in the salute that the king and his family will give from the balcony at around 3 p.m. (2 p.m. in London), you will need to plan ahead enough to get to Buckingham Palace. The King will appear and greet all participants. This salute will mark the end of the official coronation day ceremonies.

Celebrations will be held across the country

On Sunday, a coronation concert will take place at Windsor Castle, with a full orchestra accompanied by an eclectic selection of musical stars: from Andrea Bocelli to Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That and classical pianist Lang Lang.

Landmarks across the UK will also be illuminated with projections and drone shows.

The festivities will continue the same day with the Big Lunch, during which neighbors and communities will be encouraged to share meals and have fun in their neighborhood.

To top off the celebrations, on Monday, May 8, declared a public holiday, citizens will be encouraged to participate in "The Big Help Out", an initiative to collaborate with local volunteer work.