Coronation Live: Updates from the Coronation and associated events as they happen
and live on Freeview channel 276
Including live reporting from Ben Lowry in Westminster Abbey
News Letter Live Blog from the Coronation events
Key Events
- The King has been anointed with holy oil away from public view during his coronation.
In Parliament Square, Garrison Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Vern Stokes, has delivered the order “The Coronation Procession, by the Centre, Quick March,” as the procession set off to return to Buckingham Palace.
After the command was given, the coach, flanked by four royal watermen and four King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, began to move as the bands began to play music.
The procession, formed of eight groups and supported by 19 bands, is being led by the Brigade Major of the Household Division, Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw of the Grenadier Guards, who is accompanied by four Corporal Majors of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
The Household Cavalry Mounted Band and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery are leading the procession, followed by around 400 service personnel from the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth, who are flanked by 114 Guardsmen of the Household Division carrying Realm and Commonwealth flags.
They are being followed by the Royal Air Force marching detachment, with three marching detachments from the British Army behind them, and the Royal Navy detachment stationed at the rear, as it is the senior service and therefore closer to the gold state coach.
The final group is the Household Procession, made up of close to 1,000 Household Cavalry Troopers who form the Sovereign’s Escort, and Guardsmen of the Household Division.
The King and Queen have departed Westminster Abbey via the West Gate door.
King Charles and Queen Camilla passed the Chief Marshal, who ordered procession groups and street liners to come to attention.
The Chief Marshal also ordered for ceremonial signal flags to go up and ceremonial batons carried by the procession marshals to be raised as the King and Queen boarded the gold state coach.
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were among those seen singing God Save The King as their grandfather led the royal procession from Westminster Abbey.
Behind Charles, his grandson Prince George, one of the pages of honour, was again holding a corner of his trailing robe.
A sea of umbrellas popped up as onlookers tried to gain a good vantage spot to see the return procession from The Mall.
Many royal fans climbed on each others shoulders and stood on stalls to try and see over the umbrellas.
Earlier crowds broke into cheers as King Charles was crowned.
A canon was then fired catching those watching off guard before celebrations continued.
The King and Queen have changed into their purple Robes of Estate, with the King putting on the Imperial State Crown.
While Te Deum by Sir William Walton was sung, King Charles and Queen Camilla moved into St Edward’s Chapel behind the High Altar.
The Gold State Coach to carry the King and Queen back to Buckingham Palace has arrived outside Westminster Abbey.
As the rain poured down, military personnel gathered along a road from the church ahead of the coronation procession.
The Guard of Honour have taken their position on the west side of the Queen Victoria Memorial after departing Buckingham Palace Gardens.
A number of groups, including the senior officer cohort, defence attaches and the massed standards, guidons, and colours and truncheon of the British Army, formed up at Wellington Barracks.
The senior officer cohort and defence attachés will march to Buckingham Palace Garden and the Massed Standards and Colours will march to the East Side of the Queen Victoria Memorial.
Both groups will be led by the Massed Pipes and Drums and the Irish Guards mascot Seamus, an Irish Wolfhound.