London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 27, 2026

Route King Charles will take on coronation day is revealed

Route King Charles will take on coronation day is revealed

The routes King Charles will take when he is formally crowned next month have been unveiled – and the carriages he will travel in.

The King and Queen Consort will travel roughly 1.3 miles from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey on May 6, taking a much shorter route than Elizabeth II on her coronation day in 1953.

Accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, they’ll set off down The Mall and along the south side of Trafalgar Square.

Then, they’ll turn onto Whitehall and Parliament Street before going round the east and south of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary.

Charles will take a comparatively shorter route than his late mother, Elizabeth II, did for her coronation in 1953


They’ll arrive at the Abbey for the start of coronation at 11am, and will return along the same route.

Queen Elizabeth II’s outward journey, by comparison, was roughly 1.6 miles long, with her return procession taking her five miles along Oxford Street and Haymarket.

The late monarch made the trip in the 260-year-old Gold State Coach – which is suspended on leather straps – and famously described the bumpy experience inside as ‘horrible.’

Charles and Camilla will only make the outward journey in the Gold State Coach.

They have decided to return in the more modern and comfortable Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which has shock absorbers.

Charles III is the fifth British monarch from the House of Windsor


Martin Oates, senior carriage restorer at the Royal Mews, says that while the older vehicle does creak like an ‘old galleon’ as it moves, it’s running smoother than it used to.

He said: ‘It’s not quite a washing machine, but where other vehicles just go from back to front, this is moving from side to side.’

Even the famously stoic Queen Victoria was not a fan, remarking on the vehicle’s ‘distressing oscillation’.

The Gold State Coach creaks like an ‘old galleon’, says senior carriage restorer Martin Oates

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach, by contrast, is more modern and comfortable – it even features air conditioning


It is suspected that Charles and Camilla may have picked a different carriage for the return journey due to the problems with back pain they’ve both suffered over the years.

Meanwhile, it’s also been confirmed that the Queen Consort will use an ivory sceptre during proceedings.

This is despite Charles’ longstanding campaign as Prince of Wales to end the illegal trafficking of animal parts like rhino horn and elephant tusk.

The ivory staff was made in 1685 for Queen Mary of Modena, the wife of James II, who was the first Queen Consort to participate in a coronation ceremony following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: ‘As with any historical collection of its size, it is to be expected that the Royal Collection includes items that contain ivory as this reflected the taste at the time.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
Autopsy Finds No Violence in Death of Epstein-Linked Model Scout
Indian Education Minister Resigns After Cockroach Youth Protests
California Desert Data-Centre Plan Stalls as Water and Power Disputes Mount
Northern Ireland Border Security Tightened After Military-Grade Explosive Interception
British Hospitality Sector Targets Summer Visitors Through Regional Promotions
England River Access Debate Intensifies After New Data Shows Limited Public Access
Royal Navy Strengthens Maritime Vigilance Amid Rising Security Concerns
UK Education Department Expands Mental Health Support for Young People Entering Work
UK Tourism Industry Launches Summer Campaigns to Boost Domestic Travel
North England Transport Plans Advance to Support Industrial Growth
Financial Markets Watch New Government’s Economic Strategy as Investors Assess Fiscal Risks
Royal Navy Continues Monitoring Russian Naval Activity Near UK Waters
UK Care Workers May Receive Immigration Exemptions Under Proposed Visa Changes
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper Begins Emergency Talks to Address NHS Staffing Shortages
UK Banks Launch High-Interest Savings Offers to Attract Household Deposits
North Sea Oil Drilling Projects Face Delays After Offshore Equipment Accident
Cairngorms Wildfire Highlights Growing Pressure on UK Emergency Services
UK Government Borrowing Plans Put Pressure on Ten-Year Gilt Markets
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Returns After NATO Northern Flank Mission
Metropolitan Police Opens Criminal Investigation Into Reform UK Political Donations
Scottish Government Requests Military Support as Cairngorms Wildfire Forces Emergency Response
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils New Cabinet Team
War, Youth Revolt and the Global Struggle for Control
War, Power and the Rising Price of Political Decisions
High Street Sales Suffer Sharpest Summer Decline in Five Years
Wales Approves Higher Taxes on Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties
Environment Agency Imposes Record £150 Million Penalty on Water Companies
UK Competition Watchdog Blocks U.S. Takeover of Cambridge Chip Designer
Scotland Unveils Land Reform Bill to Expand Renewable Energy Projects
Northern Ireland Secures £500 Million Technology Investment for Belfast Cybersecurity Hub
NHS Rolls Out AI Triage System Across Major Hospitals in England
UK Strengthens North Sea Naval Cooperation With European Allies
UK Chancellor Commits £7 Billion to Accelerate Manchester-Leeds Rail Link
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Cuts After Inflation Falls Below Target
Badenoch Rejects Grant Shapps' Bid to Return as Conservative Candidate
BAE Chief Warns Britain Has Underestimated the Risk of War
Burnham Rules Out New Scottish Independence Referendum in First Talks With Swinney
UK Government Strengthens Northern Economic Agenda Through Manchester Headquarters and Regional Partnerships
United Kingdom Opens New Furness Peninsula Coastal Route Under King Charles the Third England Coast Path
England Reduces Business Costs for Hospitality Sector Through New Relief Package
United Kingdom Allocates Seven Point Three Million Pounds for Zero-Emission Aviation Research
United Kingdom Begins Restoration Works on Portishead Railway Line After Six Decades Without Passenger Services
United States Tariff Measures Create New Trade Challenges for United Kingdom and European Union Businesses
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets Scottish and Welsh Leaders to Promote Regional Growth Cooperation
United Kingdom Government Announces Twenty Percent Business Rates Cut for Pubs, Clubs, and Music Venues
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Manchester Government Headquarters to Shift Decision-Making Away From Westminster
United Kingdom Defence Ministry Says Armed Forces Ready After Iran Accuses London Over US Military Strikes
United Kingdom Inflation Falls to Two Point Six Percent as Prime Minister Andy Burnham Gains Economic Breathing Room
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
×