From gold-gilded coaches to bunting-draped street parties – we sat down to chat with London specialist, and this week’s Insightful destination expert, Mark Conroy to find out how the English capital – and the rest of the country – are preparing for this momentous occasion.
Don’t forget to test your knowledge against Mark in our Insightful Trivia Game.
For travel inspiration: England destination guide
LONG LIVE THE KING
King Charles III is the 63rd monarch to rule over England and Great Britain over the last 1,200 years, and the oldest heir apparent to succeed to the British throne. He will coronated alongside his wife, Camilla, the Queen Consort, who will become Queen Camilla.
“Of course, in 1953 television cameras were brought in for the brief first time because Prince Philip wanted to the coronation televised, against the wishes of the establishment,” Mark explains. “They feared if people were able to watch at home, they might not be wearing a top hat and tie, as was tradition at the time. But Philip won the day.”
Every generation of Britain’s monarchy has had to contend with the changing of the times, and balance this with the appetite for tradition. The coronation of King Charles III will be no different in that respect.
We think you’ll like: 73 years in the making, the incredible history of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
BREAKING WITH TRADITION
“With that in mind, the ceremony will be reduced to one hour rather than three, and there will be 2,000 guests rather than the 8,000 that were present at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. Members of the House of Lords, rather than wearing their traditional crimson coronation robes with the fur collar, will be wearing suits and ties.
“He’s also said that, as the head of the Church of England, he wants to represent a broader spectrum of religious beliefs, as well as ethnic minorities. His involvement with charities will be factored in too. Charles is the patron of 17 charities, and rather than just inviting members of the traditional ‘great and good’, workers will be invited to represent the charities they’re involved with. We’re expecting it to be a real mixed audience.”
HOW TO BEAT THE CROWDS
“If you’re lucky enough to be in London for the event, I recommend getting down to the procession route a couple of days early – seriously. We expect people to be camping out along the procession route, and it’s likely food and toilets will be available long before the event itself.
“If you don’t like the idea of fighting your way through the crowds on the day, there is a chance you could get a ‘private’ viewing of the procession if you’re really lucky. In the days leading up to the coronation, there will be all sorts of rehearsals taking place behind closed doors. However, you can’t rehearse the procession behind closed doors – so, if you’re in the area, most likely very late at night (or early in the morning), you might catch a glimpse of the royal coach and horses clip-clopping through silent London streets. A magical sight.”
We think you’ll like: Why the east coast of Canada and the USA are at their best in September
UNFORGETTABLE ATMOSPHERE
“But the celebrations won’t be limited to the capital. There will be official and unofficial events taking place across the country over the bank holiday weekend. On Sunday 7th May in particular, The Coronation Big Lunch – a scheme devised to help boost community spirit, reduce loneliness and support charities – will see thousands of individual street parties, and independent smaller events take place throughout the country.
“On Monday 8th May, the Big Help Out will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. This will be supported by a wide range of partners including The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and will hopefully bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.”
THE PRIDE OF ENGLAND
“As well as working for Insight as a London Destination Expert, I’m a trained actor,” Mark says. “I find the two things a little bit similar as they’re both about talking and making connections. I’ve always had an interest in travel and in history and it’s been a real pleasure of about 30 years now to show groups of Insight guests around my home city.
“We’ve got so much to offer, with hundreds of museums, rich history, world-leading culture, literature and art. I take a particular pleasure in telling the secret stories of London – of the places and people you wouldn’t normally ever read about.”
To explore London and the rest of England in style, take a look at our England tours.
And why not test your travel knowledge against Mark and other Insightful destination experts? Each week, our Insightful Trivia Game will introduce you to the world’s leading destination experts and challenge you with a quiz to win a monthly travel prize.