By Tony O’Reilly-
The first coronation in 70 years is to take place on Saturday morning, with King Charles III and the Queen Consort preparing for their historic carriage ride to Westminster Abbey.
A huge security operation is expected in central London, with 100 heads of state set to attend.
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The King’s coronation will bring together royals, foreign dignitaries and crowd and thousands, req from across the globe. Authorities have been working around the clock to secure the event, with officers drafted in from all corners of the UK and foreign security teams engaged in secretive negotiations.
Preparations for the greatest event in decades – codenamed Operation Golden Orb – got under way immediately after the Queen’s death, but the plans would have been in place for decades and reviewed regularly.
His ascendance to the throne follows the passing of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
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Protests promised by by opponents of the monarchy have been promised, but there will be ample security to keep them in check to ensure they don’t exceeds permitted boundaries.
The Coronation service, which will last almost two hours, will be seen first-hand by 2,300 guests, including Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who arrived from the United States on Friday on a commercial flight.
Prince Harry will be in the Uk for a flash, due to fly back to the US a matter of hours after the ceremony to rejoin his wife Meghan.
On the eve of the Coronation, the King looked relaxed as he went on a walkabout on the Mall, flanked by the Prince and Princess of Wales and a heavy security detail.
With the Coronation hours away, hundreds of campers have descended on the Mall
Katie Gordon, from Wiltshire, was painting faces with her two daughters on Friday. She thinks the new King and Queen are “going to be great”.
“We’re camping out tonight ready for the Coronation, and they’re painting everyone’s faces as they walk by,” Ms Gordon said.
“We’re doing it for free, it’s just something we’re doing. We bought the facepaints for ourselves and thought, why not do it for other people too?
As the sun set on Friday, hundreds of tents had appeared along the Coronation route, with those gathered hoping to witness the historic event.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will preside over the service, with guests ranging from US First Lady Jill Biden to President Macron of France and entertainers Ant and Dec.
Olena Zelenska, wife of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, met Catherine, Princess of Wales at a pre-Coronation reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
Charles was photographed sharing warm words with the First Lady of Ukraine, and greeting Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek.
The Queen Consort, at an event in Parliament this week, will be crowned alongside the King
There has been controversy over whether people at home were being asked to pledge their allegiance to the King.
The Church of England has made clear this is entirely optional and people might instead have a “private moment of reflection”.
The keynote message of the Coronation from King Charles is in his first prayer when he reaches the Abbey reads: “I come not to be served, but to serve.
Camilla will be crowned alongside Charles – and after the couple’s long and often complicated relationship, she will now be officially described as “Queen Camilla”.
The ceremony will embody diversity and inclusion, with more multi-faith elements than any previous coronation, with contributions from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Sikh representatives.
Several heads of state will be attended from over 70 countries.
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