New details have been revealed about King Charles’s coronation

Before his coronation procession in the gilded state carriage of King Charles III. (74) chose a much shorter route 70 years ago than his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

After the coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, the monarch and his wife Camilla will first drive past Parliament in the over 260-year-old and heavy carriage, graze Trafalgar Square and drive back to Buckingham Palace via The Mall. spectators en route. Several members of different regiments of the Armed Forces will also take part in the procession.

After her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II toured the city in a carriage that was more than twice as long, so that as many citizens as possible could participate. However, she was 27 years old at the time – but later described the ride in the state car as “awful”.

The historic wooden vehicle is held together by leather straps and “beeps like an old galley”, as the restorer in charge Martin Oates revealed to the British news agency PA.

The current royal couple has decided – also deviating from tradition – to only complete the official coronation procession in the golden carriage. The two travel the same road to Westminster Abbey, where the ceremony begins at 11am local time (12pm CEST) in the much more modern Diamond Jubilee carriage.

Built to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 60th birthday in 2012, the PA says it has heating, air conditioning and better vibration dampening. Both Charles (74) and Camilla (75) have had back problems in the past.

“The carriages chosen reflect the fact that the procession to the abbey is kept quite small and the procession back to Buckingham Palace is much larger,” said a spokesman for the palace. (sda/dpa)