London is abuzz on Friday with the excitement of a coronation, the first one in 70 years, with just hours to go before King Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey.
Seasonal flowers from all over the United Kingdom have already arrived at Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace said, with over 120 varieties of flowers grown across the four nations of the United Kingdom.
The arrangements are meant to reflect the King and Queen鈥檚 affection for 鈥渢he natural world and their shared passion for gardening, and showcase the best of the British countryside in the Spring, inspired by the richness of Westminster Abbey,鈥 said Buckingham Palace in a statement, adding that the flowers will be arranged using sustainable techniques, avoiding the use of any single-use plastic or floral foam.
At the Great West Door of the Abbey, where the King and Queen will arrive as the final stop from their procession from Buckingham Palace, 鈥渁 pair of tall yew topiaries will be underplanted with a meadow of wild grasses and cowslips, primroses and violets.鈥
After the coronation, the yews will be replanted at garden in Sandringham, which will be open to the public.
Outside the Abbey, blockades have been set up while media tents can be seen from the street as networks broadcast live back to their channels.
On the road outside the Abbey on Friday morning, when police on motorcycles blocked off traffic, tourists immediately began recording the convoy of dark vehicles with tinted windows driving by.
While it was unclear whether there were any members of the Royal Family inside, there were last-minute rehearsals with the King and Queen at the Abbey not long before.
A scene outside London's Westminster Abbey on Friday, May 5, a day before the King's coronation (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)
Nearby at Buckingham Palace, the scene is much more chaotic, with a helicopter buzzing overhead, and police officers and security crews trying to guide the flow of foot traffic, telling tourists trying to snap a photo of the Buckingham Palace to take the picture while in motion.
On the outskirts of the Mall, large signs publicizing the locations of accessible toilets, medical care, water-refilling stations, and facilities for changing babies are already up.
And while city officials have advised members of the public not to arrive at viewing areas before 6 a.m., there are scores of tents covered in Union Jack flags already set up on either side of the Mall ahead of the coronation, with royal superfans eager to stake a claim to the best spot to see the King and Queen to the Abbey Saturday morning.
Scores of tents covered in Union Jack flags are set up in London on either side of the Mall ahead of the coronation, May 5, 2023 (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)
Sass Wolgers, 22, who travelled to London from Sweden just to join 鈥渢he world鈥檚 biggest party,鈥 says he was outside Buckingham Palace when he noticed large crowds. When he looked up, he made eye contact with the King himself.
鈥淚 said 鈥楥harles, and he took my hand, he had a very stubborn hand, very strong hand,鈥 he told 麻豆影视鈥 Daniele Hamamdjian, adding, 鈥渉e seemed very calm鈥 for someone getting crowned the next day as millions of people watch around the world.
Not far from the palace, , is one of those superfans who has claimed an optimal location from which to capture the festivities.
He flew in from Toronto on Thursday morning to join his Canadian friend, who lives in the U.K., at her site along the Mall.
Powell, proudly wearing a white shirt with a maple leaf, wanted to be in London for the coronation not only to be a part of history but to wish the King 鈥渁 long and happy reign,鈥 he told 麻豆影视.
鈥淚t was really something being at the Queen鈥檚 funeral last year, very, very moving.鈥
Powell and his friend will be staying overnight in their tent, covered in Canadian flags, but they鈥檒l have to pack up their gear at some point early in the morning as the crowds are expected to get at least 30 people deep, he said.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be right up at the front, to see everything going by.鈥
Braving the cold overnight wasn鈥檛 a problem, Powell said, but it got a bit difficult to sleep as 鈥渟ome of our neighbours are really having a good time.鈥
Steps away, the crowds parted at the sight of a man dressed as a town crier, ringing a loud bell, bellowing, 鈥淥h yea, oh yea, oh yea. It鈥檚 only one more day, God save the King.鈥
While most of the people lining the road were there to be on the front lines of a history-making moment, there were also those who were taking advantage of the attention to challenge the monarchy.
Just behind the sea of tents, Aisha Siddique and Marlon Rees stood by what looked like a crown under a gallery showcase.
Drawing closer, however, it became clear the crown was fashioned from natural objects found outside, such as pebbles and stones.
鈥淲e鈥檝e created the 100 per cent British non-colonial crown, and it鈥檚 to raise awareness of the Koh-i-Noor diamond and how it should be taken back to India,鈥 said Siddique. The disputed diamond is currently set in a crown last used by the King鈥檚 grandmother during her coronation.
鈥淲e鈥檝e created a crown that鈥檚 literally made of British stones,鈥 Siddique explained, listing the tin from Cornwall, granite from Yorkshire Dales, slate from Cardiff, pebbles from Brighton Beach and stone from Dartmoor.
Marlon Rees (left) and Aisha Siddique stand by a crown fashioned from natural objects (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)
鈥淚t鈥檚 the perfect time,鈥 she said, to draw attention to the issue, 鈥渆ven though the Koh-i-Noor diamond is not going to be worn by Camilla tomorrow, it鈥檚 still in the Crown Jewels.鈥
By choosing to reuse a crown, Queen Consort Camilla appeared to have dodged the controversy around the disputed 105-carat diamond, which India has demanded to be returned. Instead, Camilla will wear the Queen Mary crown after some changes were made to it, to reflect her own style, the Palace said.
Intently watching Siddique and Rees speak to passersby, was Coventry University student Solomon Mathari, who is from Hyderabad, Telangana, India, the area said to be where the diamond was mined.
鈥淧eople think that it鈥檚 our country鈥檚 prestigious stone and we should get it back, many people still think that and fight for it,鈥 said Mathari, who is working security for the coronation. But despite the controversy surrounding the diamond, he doesn鈥檛 feel strongly about it.
'We've created the 100 per cent British non-colonial crown,' said Aisha Siddique, explaining the crown was made out of tin from Cornwall, granite from Yorkshire Dales, slate from Cardiff, pebbles from Brighton Beach and stone from Dartmoor (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)
The diamond is not the only controversy that has the potential to cast a shadow.
This week, a controversial new public order bill was pushed through, just in time for the coronation, which empowers British police to take stronger action 鈥渢o prevent disruption鈥 at major events.
But the new laws, which received royal assent from the King, haven鈥檛 put off the anti-monarchist group, Republic, which put out a statement saying they are continuing to get ready for their 鈥淣ot My King鈥 demonstration at Trafalgar Square, as authorities have 鈥渂een very clear that they will not get in the way of our protest.鈥
While the protests may not dampen the moods of the royal superfans who are thrilled to capture history in the making, the unpredictable weather might, shining from one moment on Friday, but hailing the next.
The for the coronation weekend seems to be no differerent, with the Met Office warning of 鈥渦nsettled weather.鈥
鈥淎n area of rain is expected to move into southwest England early on Saturday, moving northeast through the day with some heavy bursts at times,鈥 Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said. 鈥淭his is likely to bring some rain to London from mid-morning.鈥
For those who will be taking the underground trains to get around this weekend, Charles and Camilla have recorded a personal message, replacing temporarily the 鈥mind the gap鈥 recording between Friday and Monday.
"My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend," passengers will hear Charles say, followed by wishes for a happy journey from Camilla: "Wherever you are travelling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey."
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