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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Rachael Burford

Details of King’s Coronation celebrations in central London revealed

Details of the King's coronation celebrations in central London were revealed on Thursday.

King Charles III will be crowned on Saturday May 6, alongside his wife, Camilla, with three-days of festivities planned over the bank holiday weekend.

The Government has laid out its party proposals for Hyde Park, Green Park and St James's Park, as well as the area in front of Buckingham Palace, the Mall, Whitehall and Parliament Square.

London's City Operations Group (COG), which includes officials from the Met Police, City Hall, TfL, Westminster Council, Royal Parks and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, first met on January 10 to begin laying the groundwork for the complex event.

Rehearsals are due to take place on May 2 and 3.

Documents, published on Thursday, show pubs, food stalls and at least three pop up "Pimms bars" will be set up in the parks near Buckingham Palace for the thousands of people expected in the capital to commemorate the occasion.

Giant screens showing the parade, concert and historical films will be placed in sections of Hyde Park.

Here's what's planned:

A new portrait of the King and Queen has been released for the coronation (Hugo Burnand)

Friday, May 5

On the evening before the coronation hot food is expected to be sold in Green Park for the revelers camping overnight in central London in a bid to secure a place on the coronation parade route.

The Government has applied for a licence for refreshments to be sold between 11pm and 5am in the area for those sleeping on the streets

"We anticipate that the provision of late-night refreshment will be limited to hot drinks and bacon sandwiches, or its equivalent," the plans state. "No alcohol will be served."

Saturday, May 6

The coronation itself takes place in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6.

Charles and Camilla will arrive at the church in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as ‘The King’s Procession’ .

A Military procession will then leave the Abbey, ending with a balcony appearance by the newly crowned King and Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Future King Prince George will play an important role in the coronation of his grandfather.

He will be a Page of Honour alongside seven other schoolboys, who are either family friends or close relatives of Charles and Camilla, including three of the Queen’s grandchildren.

Just 2,000 guests have been invited to attend the service in the Abbey.

But screens will be set up in the Royal Parks for the mass crowds of well-wishers and tourists expected to flock into central London to see the event and line the Mall and parade route.

Applications for bars to sell booze in Green Park and Hyde Park from 10am on Saturday, May 6, with "bars closing at 6pm", documents submitted to Westminster Council show.

"There will be provision of catering across several hospitality compounds within the proposed licensed areas, providing a range of food and drink," it states.

"Screens will relay the ceremony, and associated procession to and from Westminster from Buckingham Palace which may also include the showing of historical film footage."

No tickets are needed to attend the screenings and events in the Royal Parks. But a grandstand in front of Buckingham Palace and a small standing area in front of Admiralty Arch will be reserved for about 4,400 key workers, veterans, police and military cadets.

Sunday, May 7

Sunday evening will see the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.

An orchestra will play interpretations of musical favourites fronted by some of the world’s biggest entertainers on the Castle’s East Lawn.

But royal fans unable to secure a ticket to the event through the ballot will be able to enjoy the music at screenings in Hyde Park.

A licence for bars and pop up stalls to serve booze in the area between 4pm and 10pm is expected to be approved by Westminster Council next week.

The concert is due to start at 8pm and last two hours. As a finale, iconic locations across Britain will be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

"DCMS has the experience and partnerships with other key stakeholders to ensure that the Coronation is celebrated safely and securely, and with the national importance and profile it deserves," the Government said in its application.

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