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Looking for the best places to catch proceedings on May 6? Here are our top tips for the big day
Festive bunting? Check. Royal mugs, cushions and M&S-coronation-themed hamper? Check. Questionable Union Jack mani? Check. Sounds like you are ready for all the weekend celebrations marking the official investiture of King Charles III, taking place on Saturday May 6. But where exactly can you watch the actual coronation? Here’s what we know.
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The coronation ceremony itself will take place on the morning of Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey, and is conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Traditionally every Monarch is crowned there; King Charles III will be the fortieth sovereign since 1066. The enthroning itself is for invitees only, with around 2,000 guests expected, so unless your gilt-edged summons is lost in the mail (ahem) you’ll have to join the rest of us hoi polloi.
We’ve picked the best vantage points along the route of the procession to and from Buckingham Palace below, plus the big screens around the capital showing it: read on for more info.
Green Park and Hyde Park Corner are the closest stations. On Saturday May 6, St James’s Park station will be closed and Hyde Park Corner will be exit-only.
You'll also be able to get close to the action from Westminster, Charing Cross, Embankment, Victoria, Knightsbridge, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Temple and Marble Arch. All of these stations are expected to be very busy.
The vibiest place to watch the coronation itself has got to be Hyde Park's massive open air screening, which will no doubt pack out with picnic-carrying, flag-waving royal family fans. It will have multiple large screens where you can watch the action in a festival atmosphere, alongside toilets, accessible viewing spots, first aid facilities, water dispensers, and concessions selling food and drinks.
The viewing area is in the south east corner of Hyde Park, around the Serpentine lake, with four separate screens to choose from. The site opens at 5am, so arrive early to grab a good spot.
There are also significantly smaller open air screenings in Green Park (at the Broad Walk) and St James' Park (near Marlborough Gate), which will offer the same facilities.
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It’s not been announced, but at previous large-scale ceremonies such as the Platty Joobz and the Queen’s state funeral in September, the royal park next to Buckingham Palace had a big screen to watch proceedings live. It’s also likely that some of the other Royal Parks and The Mall itself will have big screens.
Here’s the official line-up of public screens across the country.
King Charles and Camilla the Queen Consort will arrive in a procession from Buckingham Palace known. Here’s the official route.
The religious coronation ceremony itself will then place in Westminster Abbey. It’s expected to take about 90 minutes.
The Mall is the grand road that runs along the north side of St James’s Park from Buckingham Palace through Admiralty Arch down to Trafalgar Square.
If you do want to line The Mall, Horseguards or Parliament Square, be prepared to get there early to get in among a celebratory throng and make the most of being in London for this historic event. The nearest tube stations are Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Charing Cross and St James’s Park, but definitely check travel before as there will likely be station and road closures.
The new King and the Queen Consort will appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace accompanied by (selected) members of the royal family to conclude the day’s events with a royal wave or two.
Here’s our full guide to visiting Buckingham Palace.
One screening location that’s already confirmed is Grosvenor Square in Mayfair. There’s an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme to the whole weekend, with food stalls and an outdoor bar plus cinema screens showing coverage, both of the big day and the celebratory concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday May 7 live in the green square.
There will be a mega street party taking place at the old power station across Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7. The shebang will have everything you’d expect: Union Jack bunting, coronation-themed street food, live entertainment and a big screen where you can watch the action unfold.
Usually home to house DJs and football crowds, Boxpark Croydon will be marking the historic day by screening the coronation of Big Chazza followed by a British-themed sing-along party. Fans will even be treated to an appearance of Boxpark veteran, Shaun Williams (aka Barry from Eastenders), who will lead his iconic ‘Barrioke’ throughout the night.
If you can't face central London but still want to enjoy the action, the big screens at the Big Penny Social in Walthamstow will be showing all the fanfare for free on Saturday, May 6, and they're having a big blowout on the 7th too. Book online.
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