With a spatula
Charles III of the United Kingdom and Queen Consort Camilla will break with tradition on the day of the King’s coronation by using a 200+ year old float for only part of the procession, instead traveling in one more comfortable and modern, Buckingham Palace reported this Sunday.
King Charles III, who ascended to the throne on September 8, 2022 after the death of his mother, will be crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, as was done with Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953, a year after succeeding King George VI.
According to the palace, Carlos III and Camila will not travel in the sumptuous 260-year-old “Gold State” carriage on the short journey they will make from Buckingham Palace to the abbey, but will only use it for the return to the palace after the coronation.
The monarch and Camila have personally decided to make the outward journey, of about two kilometers, in the “Diamond Jubilee” float, made to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Elizabeth II, in 2006, because it is more modern as it has heating and air conditioning. .
Elizabeth II once recounted how uncomfortable the “Gold State” was for her when it was used for her coronation in 1953.
Carlos III and Camila will go through The Mall avenue, which connects the palace with the central Trafalgar Square, to also go through Whitehall, headquarters of the main British ministries, until they reach Parliament Square, where the abbey is located.
According to the palace, the coronation religious service will begin at 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT).
Hundreds of members of the British armed forces will make up the procession that will accompany the float after the coronation.
“The Gold State Coach will be the centerpiece of the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace on coronation day,” said Sally Goodsir, who works at the Royal Collection, noting that the coach weighs four tons.
EFE