King Charles III, Britain’s first new monarch in 70 years, will be crowned on Saturday in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London. Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the king and queen on their way to and from the service are lining the procession route in central London, while others will watch the broadcast on screens at the city’s parks, at street parties or in their homes, including on a livestream at nytimes.com.
Here’s what to expect for the day. (All times are local time in Britain.)
9:10 a.m. (4:10 a.m. Eastern) Troops will begin lining the ceremonial route, which will run from Buckingham Palace, along a central route known as The Mall, past Trafalgar Square and the government offices of Whitehall, to Westminster Abbey.
The day’s events are expected to involve 7,000 parading troops — the largest procession at a state event since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
10:20 a.m. Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, will leave Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn stage coach and arrive at Westminster Abbey, a journey that is scheduled to take 33 minutes.
11 a.m. The couple will take their places on ceremonial chairs for the service, which will be carried out before more than 2,000 invited guests. That service will feature several stages:
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The recognition, in which the king is presented to the congregation at each of the cardinal points of the compass.
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Charles will then swear a coronation oath and an accession declaration on a Bible presented by a Church of Scotland leader, before going to pray. This will be followed by readings from the prime minister, the dean of the chapels royal, and a sermon by the archbishop of Canterbury.
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The king will be anointed with holy oil on his hands, breast and head, vested with garments and a sword belt worn by monarchs in previous coronations, and presented with sacred items.
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The archbishop of Canterbury will crown the new monarch, after which the congregation will be invited to cry, “God save the king!”, the bells of the abbey will ring out and gun salutes will be fired across London and other British territories.
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After the king ascends to the throne, the congregation and members of the public will be invited to give a “public homage” to him. Camilla will also be anointed and crowned, and will ascend to the throne as queen.
1 p.m. The king and queen will leave Westminster Abbey via a mile-long procession with 4,000 troops and 19 military bands. Members of the royal family, including Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, will travel in carriages behind the monarch as part of the procession.
1:30 p.m. The procession will reach Buckingham Palace, and the armed forces will give a royal salute to Charles from the garden. The king and queen will then appear on the palace balcony with other members of the royal family to greet the public.
2:30 p.m. A six-minute ceremonial flight of 60 aircraft, including the Royal Air Force aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows, is set to fly overhead, passing by Buckingham Palace.
That will conclude the official agenda, and King Charles III will retire to take a coronation portrait and have a family lunch. Revelers looking to continue the festivities can attend the street parties and other live events throughout the day across London.