Charles and Camilla will be crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey in a ceremony resplendent with pomp,pageantry and traditions dating back 1000 years. Gun salutes will sound out across the four corners of the United Kingdom to mark the moment the King is crowned,before military personnel conduct a flypast of more than 60 aircraft.
Formed in 2000 for the centenary celebrations of Australian Federation,the guard is the first purely ceremonial unit in the history of the armed forces,and has since represented Australia in various roles at home and abroad,including providing the guard at Buckingham Palace in 2000.
In Australia,the Defence Department will also support events marking the occasion including a national 21-gun salute on the forecourt of Parliament House,followed by a fly-past by the Royal Australian Air Force. From May 6 to 7,a number of significant buildings and monuments will be illuminated in royal purple.
The coronation comes less than eight months after huge crowds packed the streets of London to witness the grand processions and ceremonies that markedthe funeral of Queen Elizabeth II who died after 70 years on the throne.
Buckingham Palace has been slowly releasing details of Charles’ coronation,which is set to have a few differences from that of his mother in 1953,most notably in its scale,partly reflecting the modern age and the current economic crisis.