…Researched and contributed by Jack Sylva.
The Rehearsal for the King’s Coronation
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the first rehearsal for the King’s Coronation took place in central London, with military personnel parading through the quiet streets.
Although the rehearsal was supposed to start at 10 pm on Monday, it was delayed, and hundreds of military personnel followed the route on horseback to prepare for the coronation on May 6.
The Coronation Route
Prince Charles and the Queen Consort will return to Buckingham Palace from Westminster Abbey via Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch, and down The Mall.
The coronation procession will stretch to just 1.3 miles, which is about a quarter of the length of the late Queen’s five-mile celebratory journey that went through Piccadilly, Oxford Street, and Regent Street.
Coronation Procession
In the 1953 coronation, the grand procession took two hours and featured tens of thousands of participants.
The two-and-a-half-mile cavalcade took 45 minutes to pass any given point.
Though there was no sight of it at the rehearsal, Prince Charles and Camilla will be taken to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and return via the same route in the Gold State Coach.
The Largest Military Ceremonial Operation in 70 years
More than 6,000 men and women of the UK’s armed forces will participate in the historic royal event, making it the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years.
Sailors, soldiers, and aviators from across the UK and the breadth of the Commonwealth will accompany Prince Charles and Camilla to and from Westminster Abbey.
Nearly 400 armed forces personnel from at least 35 Commonwealth countries will also be on parade to mark the historic moment.
Commentary
The rehearsal for the King’s Coronation provides a glimpse of the grandeur and scale of the historic royal event that will take place on May 6.
The participation of military personnel from across the UK and the Commonwealth adds to the pomp and pageantry of the event.
It is also an occasion to celebrate the continuity of the monarchy and its importance in British history and culture.