Gun salutes and church bells will ring out and street partiers hope to dodge the rain as Coronation celebrations launch across the UK
- People across the country are set to gather and hail Charles III as their monarch
- Celebrators will gather for public screenings of the King and Queen’s coronation
As Charles III prepares to be crowned King at Westminster Abbey today, people right across the country will gather to hail their new monarch and unite in the pomp and ceremony.
In all corners of the United Kingdom, families will huddle around their televisions, church bells will ring out in celebration, and neighbours will join together for street parties for the historic first coronation of a UK monarch in 70 years.
From Edinburgh and Belfast, to Cardiff, Birmingham and Manchester, royal fanatics will come together, hoping the expected rain doesn’t dampen their celebrations.
In Northern Ireland, the celebratory events will include a gun salute at Hillsborough Castle, while the ceremony at Westminster Abbey will be beamed into Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens, and Glasgow Cathedral.
A crown created by a local couple has been placed in front of Oliver Cromwell’s statue in St Ives to celebrate King Charles III coronation
A Royal Mail postbox on St. John Street, decorated in blue, white and red to mark the coronation of King Charles III
A gun salute for the coronation of King Charles III is set to take place in in Edinburgh, Scotland
In the Welsh capital, celebrators are set to gather for a public screening of the King and Queen’s coronation.
Up to 2,000 people will mark the occasion at Cardiff Castle, where visitors will watch the coronation service and processions to and from Westminster Abbey.
The event is free to enter but spaces will be offered on a first come first served basis when gates open at 9.30am.
A royal gun salute will be carried out by the 104 Regiment Royal Artillery, while regimental mascots from the Royal Welsh and The 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards with a quarter guard, Welsh Guards and the Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Welsh will be in attendance, along with representatives from the Royal Navy and the RAF.
Lord Mayor of Cardiff Graham Hinchey said: ‘The coronation of a new monarch is an event of great national significance, and one that will undoubtedly be remembered long into the future.
‘As the capital city of Wales, a country that is close to King Charles III’s heart, Cardiff is proud to host this series of wonderful events to mark the occasion.’
The Church in Wales called it a ‘significant and happy’ occasion.
The bells at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff will ring for two hours before the ceremony at Westminster Abbey begins at 11am.
At St David’s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire, the bells will ring for the ceremony.
The Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, and the bishops of Swansea and Brecon, St Asaph, Monmouth and Llandaff sent their ‘warmest congratulations’ to the royal couple.
A gun salute at Hillsborough Castle, Belfast, will to mark the coronation of King Charles III
Ceremonies are set to take place across the country to mark the coronation of King Charles. Pictured: Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland
Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade is adorned with Union Jack bunting for the King’s Coronation today
Reams of Union Jack bunting filled Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade ahead of today’s celebrations
Members of the public walk underneath the Union flag bunting in the centre of Larne, north of Belfast, Northern Ireland, ahead of the build up to the coronation
Mr John will present Charles with the Sceptre with Dove during the ceremony. The Cross of Wales will also be carried before the King at the head of the coronation procession.
In a statement the bishops said: ‘The coronation of their majesties the King and the Queen is a significant and happy occasion for our nation and for the Commonwealth, and we know people from across the world will be joining us in praying for our new King and Queen.’
Organisers of street parties and town events will be hope the rain, which is forecast for most of the day, does not make their events a washout.
One event will be a beach party in Barmouth, Gwynedd, where a Big Lunch is due to be held on the seafront followed by DJs.
Events are also being held across Scotland. The coronation ceremony will be beamed from Westminster Abbey on to a big screen in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens, and Glasgow Cathedral will also show proceedings live.
Gun salutes will take place at Edinburgh and Stirling castles to mark the occasion, along with community events up and down the country.
At Balmoral, where Queen Elizabeth II died last year, well-wishers will be able to watch the coronation live on screens across the royal estate, and the Ballater Pipe Band will play at periods throughout the day.
The Royal Standard will fly over St Andrew’s House, the Scottish Government’s headquarters, throughout the coronation weekend.
First Minister Humza Yousaf, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC and Permanent Secretary John-Paul Marks will represent the Scottish Government at the ceremony in London.
Mr Yousaf said: ‘I will attend at the coronation ceremony as First Minister, on behalf of the Scottish people – and many people across the country will also take part in the celebrations by watching the ceremony on big screens, hosting street parties or taking part in charity or volunteering.
‘I look forward to participating in the ceremony when His Majesty is presented with the Honours of Scotland at a service at St Giles’ Cathedral later this year.
‘I know many people in Scotland will want to send their best wishes to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on this historic occasion.’
Back in England, celebrations will continue in Birmingham where a massive two day event is taking place to mark the crowning of the monarch.
Big screens have been set up in the Midlands city’s Centenary Square, while street entertainers perform around funfairs and street parties.
The streets of Windsor were decorated with bunting, as preparations continue for the Coronation later today
As the country prepares itself for the Coronation, motorways were empty. Pictured: This morning on the M20 Motorway, usually a busy stretch between Folkestone and Ashford
Motorways were near empty as people appeared to have stayed home to celebrate the coronation on the bank holiday weekend
The big screens will also be lit up in Belfast as locals gather in their communities to see the crowning of the King and Queen.
Authorities warned that the Hillsborough area would be incredibly busy to the celebrations.
Northern Ireland police said in a statement earlier: ‘Road users are advised to anticipate traffic disruption in Hillsborough tomorrow (May 6), due to planned celebrations for the King’s Coronation.
‘It is hoped disruption will be kept to a minimum, however, motorists should be mindful of increased footfall in the village between 9am and 3pm.
‘If you are planning on attending the various family events within Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, please leave extra time for your journey and follow parking advice from officers on the ground.
‘For those who are not travelling to the event, please be aware of large volumes of traffic off the A1 towards Hillsborough Road roundabout and seek an alternative route where possible.’
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