The countdown is on for the King’s coronation on 6 May, with more foreign royals confirming their attendance at Westminster Abbey for the ceremony this week.
It comes after Buckingham Palace shared the full rundown of the ceremonial regalia that will be used during the coronation service, including the two crowns Charles will wear – the Imperial State Crown and St Edward’s Crown.
The Imperial State Crown weighs more than 1kg (2.3lbs) and is adorned with 2,901 precious stones, including the Cullinan II diamond, while St Edward’s Crown is even heavier at 2.23kg (4.9lbs).
Joe Little believes that Charles has been practicing wearing the jewels, just like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Thousands of spectators are set to line the streets to view the pomp and ceremony next month, with Charles’s coronation procession stretching to just 1.3 miles – around a quarter of the length of the late Queen’s five-mile celebratory journey.
A newly crowned Charles and Queen Consort will make their way back from Westminster Abbey via the tried and tested route of Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall back to Buckingham Palace.
It will be the reverse of their route to the Abbey but much shorter than Elizabeth II’s five-mile return expedition around central London which saw the 27-year-old monarch waving to crowds along Piccadilly, Oxford Street and Regent Street.
Charles and Camilla will make their way to the Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which includes air conditioning and shock absorbers, but their journey back to the palace will be a little less comfortable.
The couple will travel back in the Gold State Coach, famously criticized by many monarchs for being uncomfortable, including Elizabeth II.
