Coronation live updates: King Charles III and Camilla begin procession to Westminster Abbey
get the free appLondon — Coronation day is here. King Charles III and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will be formally crowned Saturday in a historic ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey. The coronation ceremony, steeped in centuries of tradition but with a few small tweaks for the modern age, will play out in front of about 2,000 invited guests and a global audience of millions watching on TV or livestream.
Though Charles officially became king following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022, today's coronation ceremony consecrates and celebrates his ascent.
Follow along below for the latest updates as the ceremony unfolds:
Princes Harry and Andrew arrive for coronation
Both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have arrived at Westminster Abbey. The two are no longer working members of the royal family, and it was initially unclear if Harry would attend at all. His wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, as remained in California with their children.
The princes walked into the abbey with other members of the royal family.
Click here to read the full story on Princes Harry and Andrew having no formal role in the coronation ceremony.
King Charles' coronation procession is much shorter than his mother's
King Charles will take the same 1.3 mile procession route to and from the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The route goes through central London.
The late Queen Elizabeth II took a much longer route for her coronation procession. Her outward journey was 1.6 miles long, but her return procession was five miles and took two hours.
King's procession underway as royals head for Westminster Abbey
The procession has begun. The royal Diamond Jubilee Coach has left the palace, pulled by white horses, and the king and queen are on their way to Westminster Abbey. God Save the King has been played and the crowd is cheering. And it's raining!
Coronation procession about to get underway
Thousands of people have gathered to see the coronation, even though it's raining. Police and soldiers are readying themselves outside Buckingham Palace for the start of the procession of King Charles and Queen Camilla to Westminster Abbey for the formal ceremony. Music is playing and every once in a while the crowds let out a big cheer. The members of the procession are holding their position. Just a few minutes left until show time...
Crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace ahead of coronation ceremony
Despite a cloudy sky and drizzle, hardy souls emerged from tents and others started flocking into central London Saturday morning to witness what they could of King Charles III's coronation ceremony.
Among those already in position were friends Bryant and Alicia, from Mobile, Alabama, who arrived in London on Thursday.
"I've followed the royal family since Will and Kate's wedding, and I was anticipating the coronation one day," Alicia told CBS News.
"We've met some great friends," added Bryant.
"It's lovely, especially all the people from all over the world!" Alicia said.
Denise, from Fall River, Massachusetts, also arrived Thursday and spent the night camping by The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, to reserve a good viewing spot.
"I just like the royal family and have been following them for years and wanted to be part of this history," she told CBS News, adding that she thought King Charles will make a good monarch.
"I think he'll follow closely in his mother's footsteps, with little tweaks. Put his own spin on it, but he's a traditionalist," she told CBS News, adding that she had always felt a connection with Britain's royal family.
"I always said I was born on the wrong side of the pond," she told CBS News.
King Charles heads for Buckingham Palace
King Charles III was seen departing his Clarence House residence in central London early Saturday morning, hours ahead of his coronation ceremony. The king left Clarence House in one of his Bentley State Limousines. He will depart from Buckingham Palace later in the morning in a formal procession, with Queen Consort Camilla, to head for Westminster Abbey, where the coronation ceremony will take place.
Arrests as anti-monarchy protests planned for coronation day
Protests against the British monarchy were planned around the United Kingdom for the day of the coronation by the anti-monarchy group Republic. Early Saturday morning, Republic said its leader was among several people arrested as they showed up to stage a demonstration at London's Trafalgar Square.
"They've arrested six of our organizers and seized hundreds of placards," an activist with the group told the AFP news agency. "They won't tell us why they've arrested them or where they're being held."
London's Metropolitan Police soon confirmed a handful of arrests in several locations in the center of the city, with would-be protesters facing charges including "conspiracy to cause public nuisance" and "possessing articles to cause criminal damage."
The police said they had seized "lock-on devices," referring to items that protesters might use to fix themselves to immovable objects.
Authorities had warned against any attempts to disrupt the day's proceedings. There were reports that some protesters had planned to try to do just that, interfering with the processions, according to U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden. He said the government had received intelligence that some people might try to spook horses on the procession route by sounding rape alarms.
Republic wants Britain's monarch to be replaced as the official head of state by an elected official. Republic is either organizing or promoting peaceful rallies in England and Scotland.
Click here to read a full story on the planned protests.
What's the point, and what happens at a coronation?
Coronation ceremonies came out of an historic need to bring stability to European monarchies amid competing claims to their thrones, as well as traditions of church involvement in the state. They do not take place immediately after the death of the previous monarch to allow time for the country to grieve. The ceremony is largely religious, and it does not bring King Charles any further privileges as the monarch, which he has been since the moment his mother died.
British coronations are carried out by the Anglican Church, otherwise known as the Church of England. The only part of the coronation ceremony required under British law is the Coronation Oath. The exact wording of which has varied over the centuries, and it has been updated for Charles to reflect a more modern Britain.
After the oath, the king will be anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will pour the oil onto a spoon and anoint Charles' hands, head and breast. Then, Charles will be given the royal robe, the orb, the coronation ring, the sceptre and the rod of his position. Finally, at the "moment of coronation," St. Edward's Crown will be placed on his head.
Here's the schedule of events for coronation day
King Charles and Camilla, his queen consort, will begin to travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in a procession at 5:20 a.m. Eastern, 10:20 a.m. local time. The route they will take is 1.3 miles long, directly through central London.
The coronation ceremony will begin at Westminster Abbey at 6:00 a.m. Eastern, 11:00 a.m. local time and is expected to last for about two hours. Afterwards, they will travel in a procession back to Buckingham Palace.
Click here for a full schedule of the coronation events and to learn how to watch the ceremony from wherever you are.
