The King’s Coronation on May 6th is fast approaching which means sorting out a plan for where to stand to get the best view. In this post, I share when to go, where to stand, and what to take to King Charles III and Queen Consort’s Coronation in London.
There will be thousands of people, crowds, and queues for everything. 3 million people turned up for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 and hundreds of thousands are expected to line London streets for the King’s. Even with all of that, as I’ve personally experienced with Trooping the Colour and The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, I’d do it all over again.
I can’t attend the King’s Coronation events this May, but I’ve learned a few things to share so that you can fully enjoy it if you find yourself heading that way.
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For official event times, keep checking for details to be published on the Royal Family website. Meanwhile, I’ve threaded together bits of information released from The Telegraph, Daily Mail, and Metro so you can start planning. Times are based on a 10:20am London time start per Gov.UK.
Table of Contents
King Charles III Coronation Day & Times (estimated)
King Charles III Coronation will take place on Saturday, 6, May 2023.
1 – Arrive & Secure A Spot Along The Mall By 6am
I’ve never camped out for Trooping The Colour or for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee but standing in this location has worked at both events.
Where to stand for the best view of King Charles and Queen Consort
Where to stand for the best view of King Charles and Queen Consort: On the south side of St James’s Park along The Mall, about 1/2 way to 3/4 of the way down from Buckingham Palace. If you try to secure a spot close to Buckingham Palace, grandstands allocated for 3800 NHS and military guests will block any sort of balcony view.
People will camp out but they are required to pack up around 6am, opening up spaces that were taken by tents and chairs. This gives you an opportunity to fill a front row to 3rd row back spot for a good view of King Charles and Queen Consort on the way to Westminster Abbey and their return to Buckingham Palace.
Note: Gov.Uk has specifically requested that people not arrive before 6am.
The benefit of securing a spot along The Mall, as opposed to Trafalgar Square or Whitehall is that historically once the Coronation Procession parade has gone by security removes the barricades starting in the middle to 3/4 of the way down The Mall. The crowd can then walk onto The Mall up towards Buckingham Palace for the Royal Balcony Appearance and air show overhead. The key is paying attention to security personnel as soon as the parade has gone by so that you can quickly move onto The Mall and up towards the Palace. This all happens very fast.
2 – The King’s Procession Begins At 10:20am
The King’s Procession is a 1.3-mile Diamond Jubilee State Coach ride from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. The King and Queen Consort will depart Buckingham Palace at 10:20, travel down The Mall to Trafalgar Square, then complete the last half of the journey along Whitehall Ln and Parliament Street before turning to Westminster Abbey.
3 – The Coronation Service Starts At 11am
The Archbishop of Canterbury will perform the coronation service which is expected to last 2 hours, whereas the Queen’s was 3. Other indicators that predict King Charles’ coronation to be more low-key than his mum’s:
- Shorter procession distance: 1.3 vs 5 miles
- Fewer grey horses pulling the Diamond Jubilee State Coach: 6 vs 8
- Fewer attendees: 2000 vs 8000
- Fewer royals for the Buckingham Palace balcony appearance: 15 vs 30+
4 – The Coronation Procession Begins At 1pm
Once the crowning ceremony is complete, King Charles III and Queen Consort will return to Buckingham Palace following the same route in reverse order from the Abbey. This is a more elaborate procession than the King’s Procession. They will travel in the Gold State Coach, drawn by 8 Windsor grey horses, in a grand parade with Britain’s best pageantry.
The Gold State Coach during The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant
This gives you the opportunity to see the King and Queen twice if you secure a spot along the route. The Coronation Procession will last for approximately 30 minutes.
5 – The Royal Family Balcony Appearance At 1:35pm
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with 15 or fewer members of the royal family after the salute from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Armed Forces in Buckingham Palace Gardens. It’s unclear how long the salute will last in the Palace Gardens, but I’d be ready at any point after 1:30 to not miss their grand balcony appearance.
My best suggestion is to pay attention to security personnel in your area so that you can swiftly move onto The Mall and up towards Buckingham Palace for a balcony view of The Royal Family.
6 – Coronation Flypast Over The Mall At 2:30pm
British military aircraft flies over The Mall for a 6-minute performance immediately following the Royal Family balcony appearance. The family members stay on the balcony for the air parade but will return inside after the air parade ends. The military air parade concludes the King’s Coronation.
You can either stop and enjoy the air show or keep moving towards the Palace to try to see the King and Queen on the balcony. There will be a mix of people stopping on The Mall to watch the skies light up in red, white, and blue, and others scurrying quickly towards Buckingham Palace. While it’s crowded and a bit crazy, the energy is magnificent!
Even if you don’t get close enough to the Palace to see the royal family, the whole experience is joyful. It’s fun getting to know those standing near you, their story or journey to be a part of the King’s Coronation Day, and being a part of the occasion’s entirely patriotic mood. Union Jack galore everywhere!
Attending the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was epic!
Where To Watch If You Don’t Secure A Good Spot
If you can’t secure a good spot along The Mall in time for the King’s Procession, there will be massive television screens set up in Hyde Park, Green Park, and St James’s Park.
What To Take With You On Coronation Day
Since it’ll be a long day waiting for the event to begin, be sure to pack a number of essentials in a small bag or backpack.
- Hand sanitizer
- Tissues and/or wipes
- Plenty of water
- Snacks
- Phone charger
- Umbrella or packable raincoat (a raincoat is nice because it doubles as a blanket for sitting on the ground)
- Backpack chair or other small folding chair that doesn’t take up much room and is easy to transport
- Picnic blanket if plan to watch from one of the big screens in Hyde, Green, or St James’s Park
- Cash! There will be concessions to buy Coronation flags and other celebration supplies.
There is an abundance of portable toilets brought in for the occasion on both sides of The Mall so finding a loo isn’t a big issue. Also, there are food trucks and concession stands to grab snacks or drinks as needed. Nevertheless, I always think it’s a good idea to pack your own essentials in case the queue is long or you’re worried about losing your spot for viewing the King and Queen.
London Public Transport Tips On Coronation Day
There are 2 London stations to travel to that make securing a spot along The Mall the easiest. There are 4 in total if you’re focused on securing a place to stand along a different part of The King and Queen’s route:
- St James Park (The Mall, Buckingham Palace)
- Green Park (Buckingham Palace, The Mall)
- Westminster (Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square)
- Charing Cross (Trafalgar Square, Whitehall)
It’s likely for 1 or 2 of the stations to be closed, where they will funnel traffic through another. This is what happened during the Platinum Jubilee. If this happens, don’t sweat it too much. Be sure to check the train schedules in advance to allow yourself more time.
If you depart a train station and the path most direct to The Mall is closed, there will be a detour(s) and personnel indicating an alternative walking route. This might add a few minutes to your schedule. There will be a couple of openings to cross The Mall before The King’s Procession so that you can cross over to St James’s Park.
If You Choose To Watch From Home
If the idea of securing the best place to stand for a glimpse of the newly crowned King and Queen is overwhelming, there are options to watch or host a viewing party from home:
- If you’re in the UK, just turn on the telly. There will be many options to watch live coverage of the coronation: BBC Network, ITV, Sky, and BritBox.
- If you’re in the US, tune in to NBC, BBC, or BritBox (offering international coverage).
To make it the most festive viewing party, I’ve handpicked my favorite King Charles Coronation party supplies on Etsy.
Final Thoughts On Best Place To Watch The King’s Coronation May 6th
No matter how you choose to celebrate the historic occasion, enjoy being a part of it. Head to London, host a party, dress up…get to know the people doing the same. Chatting with total strangers standing next to you is what makes it so interesting, multi-cultural, and international. It’s historic events like The King’s Coronation that really bring everyone together in a united joyous way.
The massive number of people attending the King’s Coronation in London might make the idea of securing a spot seem totally unthinkable, but trust me, it’s not impossible! Just plan ahead (keep checking for officially published times which I’ll subsequently be updating this post), give yourself enough time, pack essentials for the day, get in the pomp and circumstance spirit, and have a blast!
Looking for more British days out? Try these.
- Things To Do At Windsor Castle
- 6 British Events To Experience At Least Once
- Moving to England? Use the workbook.
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