King Charles coronation: TV coverage guide to key events of the day

What time does coverage of the coronation kick-off and where can I watch it?

For those who want to view a king’s crowning from a republic’s point of view, RTÉ will broadcast a four-hour coronation special starting at 10am on Saturday, much to the chagrin of some opposition politicians. RTÉ will take a world broadcast feed of events from London, while Ray Kennedy will host a live studio discussion with guests in Dublin.

To experience how British subjects see the event, BBC1′s coverage begins at 7.30am, by which time the streets of central London will already be filling with flag wavers. Its official coverage runs until 3pm, with a Match of the Day-style highlights package due from 7pm to 8.30pm. ITV’s official coverage begins at 8.30am while Sky News’s rolling coverage will probably begin soon after cock crow.

What time does the main event start?

The 2,200 official guests will arrive from early-to-mid morning at Westminster Abbey, where the service begins at 11am. Among the 100-plus heads of state attending are President Michael D Higgins, French president Emmanuel Macron and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will also be there – Ireland is possibly the only country outside of the British Commonwealth with its head of state and head of government invited.

Showtime is at 10.20am when Charles and Camilla set off in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach from Buckingham Palace on the 2.09-km (1.3-mile) trip to Westminster Abbey accompanied by several hundred cavalry. The “king’s procession” goes up the Mall and through Admiralty Arch, which was festooned during the week with a “Happy & Glorious” flag. It then goes across the southern end of Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall before sweeping right across Parliament Square to the Abbey.

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They arrive at 11am and the ceremony is expected to last about two hours.

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Charles became king the moment his mother died last September, so what happens at a coronation?

Charles is also head of the Church of England and the coronation is a semi-mystical, religious service presenting him before God. It is also an opportunity for the English nobility to declare their loyalty in public as he is crowned. Camilla, the queen consort, will also be crowned as queen.

Charles will be preceded into the Abbey by lords bearing his ancient regalia, including the blunt-tipped Sword of Mercy. He will take an oath. He will then be anointed with holy oil poured from a 900-year-old ampulla on to his breast, hands and head by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This most religious part of the ceremony will be concealed from public view by an ornate screen. Handel’s Zadok the Priest, familiar as the air of the Champions League, will be sung during this part.

The archbishop will place St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head, probably at a time shortly after noon. Camilla will be crowned as queen after the archbishop has finished with her husband. The official ceremony will end at about 1pm.

What then?

The big parade, known as the Coronation Procession, begins. Charles and Camilla will ditch the air-conditioned Diamond Jubilee coach for the more rickety Gold State Coach, which has been used at every coronation for more than 200 years. They will retrace the earlier route back to Buckingham Palace accompanied by other coaches bearing more junior royals and about 4,000 military personnel. The royal family will then appear on the balcony facing the Mall to greet their public.