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An evening at the Palace before Charles’ big day
Celebrating Charles’ big day: Foreign royals, world leaders and dignitaries including Queen Letizia of Spain arrive for evening reception at Buckingham Palace on eve of the King’s Coronation
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VIPs including foreign royals, world leaders and other overseas dignitaries have started to arrive at Buckingham Palace tonight for a glittering reception hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla the night before his historic Coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Some 100 heads of state will be in London for the ceremony tomorrow, with international representatives from 203 countries due to attend.
Queen Letizia of Spain, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the Presidents of Germany and Italy, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Sergio Mattarella, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be among those in Westminster Abbey. Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, who presided over a civil liberties crackdown in Hong Kong, is also on the King’s guest list, a move described as ‘outrageous’ by Conservative MPs. Jill Biden is representing her husband, US President Joe Biden.
Earlier, Charles met leaders from the Commonwealth of Nations, the voluntary associations of 56 countries which he also heads, and held a lunch for prime ministers and royal representatives from the 14 other realms where he is head of state, including Australia and Canada.
He later went on a surprise walkabout in The Mall meeting royal fans with the Prince and Princess of Wales, shaking dozens of outstretched hands and laughed when one man asked if he was ‘nervous for tomorrow’, while another royal fan with a strong accent said: ‘Love you, I’m from Italy,’ and a third told the King, ‘Good luck for tomorrow’.
Charles took a break from a busy schedule of meetings and official engagements, including a final coronation rehearsal at Westminster Abbey, to go on the walkabout which lasted more than 20 minutes with his son and daughter-in-law. Charles automatically became king when his mother Queen Elizabeth died aged 96 in September.
Diplomatic cars form a procession on The Mall near to Buckingham Palace in central London
King Charles reacts as he meets well-wishers during a walkabout on the Mall
Queen Letizia of Spain (left) and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (right) arriving at Buckingham Palace
Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mette-Marit (left) and Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (right), arriving at King Charles’ reception at Buckingham Palace
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his wife Susannah Sparks arrive to King Charles’ reception
The leaders of Australia and New Zealand will pledge their allegiance to Charles at the coronation even though both are life-long republicans who do not shy away from making their positions clear.
Preparations for the coronation are nearing their completion with The Mall decorated with huge union flags and others from the Commonwealth and crash barriers and other crowd control measures in place.
During the ceremony itself, the St Edward’s Crown, which weighs about 4lb 12oz and dates back to 1661 and the reign of his namesake King Charles II, will be placed on Charles’ head during the ceremony. Among the other historic items involved will be the golden Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross which holds the 530 carat Cullinan 1 diamond, also known as the Star of Africa and the world’s largest colourless cut diamond.
After the ceremony there will be a mile-long procession involving some 4,000 military personnel, with the newly-crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla returning to Buckingham Palace in the four-tonne Gold State Coach, pulled by eight horses.
Thousands are expected to line the route and millions more will watch on giant screens erected at 30 locations around Britain or at home, with the event set to be broadcast live around the world.
