Your full guide to King Charles III's coronation and the key times

Millions of radical crossed the UK and beyond are preparing to observe the coronation of King Charles III - a symbolic ceremonial combining a spiritual work and pageantry.

It is being held astatine Westminster Abbey connected 6 May and the King, who volition beryllium crowned on with the Queen Consort, volition beryllium the 40th reigning monarch crowned determination since 1066.

The time of splendour and formality volition diagnostic customs dating backmost much than 1,000 years. Here is however we expect it to unfold.

The ceremonial celebrations volition statesman with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey with viewing areas on the way opening astatine 06:00 BST.

Public entree to sites on The Mall and Whitehall volition beryllium connected a first-come, first-served basis, with radical directed to authoritative screening sites successful Hyde Park, Green Park and St James's Park erstwhile they are full.

Stands for invited guests, including equipped forces' veterans and NHS and societal attraction staff, person been erected extracurricular Buckingham Palace.

Just nether 200 members of the equipped forces - astir from the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry - who volition beryllium taking portion successful the procession to Westminster Abbey volition commencement to stitchery from 09:45.

Another 1,000 work unit volition enactment the route, but the wide procession volition beryllium overmuch smaller than its equivalent successful 1953 erstwhile different royal families and Commonwealth premier ministers were among those who took part.

The procession volition acceptable disconnected astatine 10:20 BST (04:20 EST), moving on The Mall to Trafalgar Square, past down Whitehall and Parliament Street earlier turning into Parliament Square and Broad Sanctuary to scope the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey.

In a interruption from tradition, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla volition beryllium successful the Diamond Jubilee State Coach alternatively than the older, much uncomfortable, Gold State Coach.

The procession is expected to get astatine the abbey astatine 10:53, with the King apt to deterioration subject azygous alternatively of the much accepted breeches and silk stockings worn by kings earlier him.

King Charles volition participate done the Great West Door and proceed done the nave until helium reaches the cardinal abstraction successful the abbey.

The ceremonial is owed to statesman astatine 11:00 and volition beryllium punctuated with music selected by the King, with 12 recently commissioned pieces, including 1 by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Greek Orthodox euphony successful representation of the King's father, Prince Philip.

The King's grandson, Prince George, volition beryllium among the pages astatine Westminster Abbey, alongside Camilla's grandchildren, Lola, Eliza, Gus, Louis and Freddy. Some of those taking portion successful the procession wrong the abbey volition transportation the regalia up of the King, with astir items placed connected the altar until needed successful the ceremony.

The UK is, according to the Royal Family website, the lone European state that inactive uses regalia - the symbols of royalty similar the crown, orb and sceptres - successful coronations.

The idiosyncratic objects symbolise antithetic aspects of the work and responsibilities of the monarch.

Charles volition beryllium presented with the Sovereign's Orb, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, and the Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove and different items astatine cardinal moments successful the ceremony.

And Camilla volition beryllium presented with the Queen Consort's Rod with Dove and the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross - mirroring the King's sceptres.

There are respective stages to the service, which is expected to past a small nether 2 hours.

King Charles volition beryllium presented to "the people" - a contented dating backmost to Anglo-Saxon times.

Standing beside the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby volition crook to each broadside of the abbey and proclaim Charles the "undoubted King" earlier asking the congregation to amusement their homage and service.

The congregation volition outcry "God Save the King!" and trumpets volition dependable aft each recognition.

The Coronation Chair, besides known arsenic St Edward's Chair oregon King Edward's Chair, is believed to beryllium the oldest portion of furnishings successful the UK inactive utilized for its archetypal purpose. A full of 26 monarchs person been crowned successful it.

It was primitively made by bid of England's King Edward I to enclose the Stone of Destiny, which had been taken from adjacent Scone successful Scotland.

The chromatic - an past awesome of Scotland's monarchy - was returned to Scotland successful 1996 but is owed to beryllium transferred backmost to London for usage successful the service.

During the coronation, the oak seat is placed successful the centre of the historical medieval mosaic level known arsenic the "Cosmati pavement", successful beforehand of and facing the High Altar, to emphasise the spiritual quality of the ceremony.

The Archbishop of Canterbury volition inquire King Charles to corroborate that helium volition uphold the instrumentality and the Church of England during his reign, earlier the King places his manus connected the Holy Gospel and takes the Coronation Oath - a ineligible requirement.

King Charles mightiness adhd immoderate words to admit the aggregate faiths observed successful Britain, though this whitethorn not signifier portion of the oath itself, and has not been confirmed.

He volition besides instrumentality a 2nd oath - the Accession Declaration Oath - stating that helium is simply a "faithful Protestant".

The King's ceremonial robe volition beryllium removed and helium volition beryllium successful the Coronation Chair to beryllium anointed, emphasising the spiritual presumption of the sovereign who is besides the caput of the Church of England.

The archbishop volition determination peculiar lipid from the Ampulla - a golden flask - connected to the Coronation Spoon earlier anointing the King successful the signifier of a transverse connected his head, bosom and hands.

The Ampulla was made for Charles II's coronation, but its signifier harks backmost to an earlier mentation and a fable that the Virgin Mary appeared to St Thomas a Becket successful the 12th Century and gave him a aureate eagle from which aboriginal kings of England would beryllium anointed.

The Coronation Spoon is overmuch older, having survived Oliver Cromwell's demolition of the regalia aft the English Civil War.

A canopy whitethorn beryllium held implicit the chair to conceal the King from view, due to the fact that this is considered to beryllium the astir ineffable portion of the service.

Literally the crowning infinitesimal - erstwhile the King volition deterioration St Edward's Crown for the lone clip successful his life.

The crown is named aft a overmuch earlier mentation made for the Anglo-Saxon king and saint, Edward the Confessor, and said to person been utilized astatine coronations aft 1220 until Cromwell had it melted down.

It was made for King Charles II, who wanted a crown akin to the 1 worn by Edward but adjacent grander.

King Charles III volition beryllium lone the seventh monarch to deterioration it aft Charles II, James II, William III, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II - who past wore it astatine her ain coronation successful 1953.

First the King volition beryllium presented with items including the Sovereign's Orb, the Coronation Ring, the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross and the Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove.

At midday, the archbishop volition spot St Edward's Crown connected the King's caput and trumpets volition dependable and weapon salutes volition beryllium fired crossed the UK.

A 62-round salute volition beryllium fired astatine the Tower of London, with a six-gun salvo astatine Horse Guards Parade. Twenty-one rounds volition beryllium fired astatine a further 11 locations astir the UK, including Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, and connected deployed Royal Navy ships.

The last portion of the ceremonial volition spot the King instrumentality the throne. He whitethorn adjacent beryllium lifted into it by the archbishop, bishops and different peers of the kingdom.

Traditionally, a succession of royals and peers would past person paid homage by kneeling earlier the caller king, swearing allegiance and kissing his close hand.

However, it is thought Prince William volition beryllium the lone Royal Duke to wage homage to King Charles.

After the homage, Queen Camilla volition beryllium anointed, crowned and enthroned successful a simpler ceremonial - though she volition not person to instrumentality an oath.

She volition beryllium crowned with Queen Mary's Crown - primitively made for Queen Mary's coronation alongside George V - but it is being modified to region immoderate of the arches and reset with the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds.

The King and Queen Consort volition descend from their thrones and are apt to participate St Edward's Chapel - present Charles volition region St Edward's Crown and enactment connected the Imperial State Crown earlier joining the procession retired of the abbey arsenic the nationalist anthem is played.

The King and Queen Consort volition past instrumentality to Buckingham Palace on the reverse of the way by which they came, this clip travelling successful the 260-year-old Gold State Coach that has been utilized successful each coronation since William IV's successful 1831.

Reports suggest the Prince of Wales's 3 children, princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, volition articulation the procession with their parents, successful a carriage down the Gold State Coach.

They volition beryllium joined by representatives from Commonwealth countries and the British Overseas Territories.

And the Royal British Legion volition supply a 100-strong defender of honour to enactment the procession way successful Parliament Square.

It volition instrumentality astir 33 minutes to question the 1.42 miles (2.29km) close into the palace grounds, and the procession itself is expected to instrumentality astir 22 minutes to walk a azygous point.

In 1953, the way was much than 4 miles agelong and it took 45 minutes for the full procession to walk a azygous point.

The King and Queen Consort are expected to participate Buckingham Palace done the Centre Arch astatine 13:33 and, aft a abbreviated pause, get astatine the plot terrace, wherever they volition person the royal salute and 3 cheers, astatine 13:45.

It has go customary since the coronation of Edward VII successful 1902 for the caller monarch to greet the crowds successful The Mall from the Buckingham Palace balcony - the Queen was joined by her mother, children and sister among different royals arsenic she watched a fly-past involving hundreds of planes successful 1953.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla volition proceed the contented - though which members of the Royal Family volition beryllium progressive has not yet been confirmed.

Those determination volition witnesser the extremity of the day's nationalist celebrations, with a six-minute fly-past involving members of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force and culminating successful a show by the Red Arrows.

Written and produced by Chris Clayton, plan by Lilly Huynh and Zoe Bartholomew, illustration by Jenny Law

Read the latest from our royal analogous Sean Coughlan - sign up here.