Guidance

Social story - your journey guide through the Coronation events

Updated 5 May 2023

Your journey guide through the Coronation events

This guide explains what will happen at the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla and what you can expect from the events in London.

This map shows the main area where the events will happen - around Westminster in London. The gold road is the procession route. This is the road that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel in a carriage to and from the Coronation service in Westminster Abbey.

A larger version of this map is available here which you can download or print. (PDF, 13.5MB)

Planning your day

Many people will get up early to join the Coronation celebrations. It is likely that the area around Westminster and Buckingham Palace will be busy from 6:00am on Saturday 6 May.

You can enjoy the celebrations on the procession route or at one of our screening sites.

There will be lots of people and it will likely be very busy and noisy.

Some tips that might make it easier:

• Bring ear defenders or ear plugs.
• Arrive early.
• Plan your journey to and from your chosen area.
• Bring a bottle of water and snacks.

Timetable of key events:*

5:00am: Hyde Park screening site opens.

6:00am: Area around the procession viewing route opens. The Green Park and St James’s Park screening sites open.

9:10am: Procession route closes. This means the roads where the procession takes place will have barriers up, so you won’t be able to walk across the route after this time.

10.20am: King Charles and Queen Camilla leave Buckingham Palace. The first procession begins from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

11:00am: Coronation service starts at Westminster Abbey.

1:00pm: King Charles and Queen Camilla leave Westminster Abbey. The second procession begins from Westminster Abbey.

1:30pm: King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at Buckingham Palace.

1:40pm: Stewards open the crossing points so you can move onto the Mall.

2:30pm: King Charles and Queen Camilla appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Armed Forces fly past.

2:45pm: Event ends.

*Please note that timings may change on the day.

Screening sites

Our screening sites are public places where you can watch the Coronation processions and service on a large video screen.

Access to all screening sites is free.

There are will be 3 three screening sites in London:

• Hyde Park, which has 4 screens (opens at 5:00am)
• Green Park (opens at 6:00am)
• St James’s Park (opens at 6:00am)

If you don’t live in London, you might be able to find a screening site in your local area.

At these sites, you can sit on the grass and watch the Coronation events on the screens. You can bring a blanket, stool or a folding chair.

You can bring a picnic. You can also buy food and drinks. You may need to queue for these.

A map of the screening site in Hyde Park.

A larger version of this map is available here which you can download or print. (PDF, 13.7MB)

A map of the screening sites in Green Park and St. James’s Park.

A larger version of this map is available here which you can download or print. (PDF, 13.5MB)

You can use a number of different tube stations to reach the screening sites.

• For the Hyde Park screening site, it is best to use Victoria, Paddington or Hyde Park Corner tube stations.
• For The Green Park screening site, it is best to use Green Park or Piccadilly Circus tube station.
• For the St. James’s Park screening site, it is best to use Piccadilly or Charing Cross tube station.

You can check the walking times from the tube stations to each site using the Transport for London journey planner.

If it’s too busy at Green Park or St. James’s Park when you arrive, you might not be able to go in. If this happens, a steward will direct you to the screening site in Hyde Park.

Transport for London staff will be available if you need any help. Transport for London staff will be wearing high-visibility (hi-vis) vests.

Visit Transport for London for more information on step-free public transport information in London. There is also a step-free planner.

Once you leave the station, there will be lots of stewards  to help you get to where you want to be. Stewards will be wearing high-visibility (hi-vis) vests.

There will be signs to point you in the right direction.

To keep everyone safe, security measures are in place at all sites. You or your bag may be searched before you can enter. If needed, you can ask for a female steward.

There will be disabled people’s toilets and Changing Places toilets at all of the screening sites. You do not need to show ID to use these toilets.

There will also be a place where you can refill your water bottle.

There are First Aiders to help you if necessary.  Find them at the green medical sign. First Aiders will be wearing green medical jackets. They are trained medical professionals.

There are quiet space tents at all of the screening sites. Quiet space tents are there for you if you’re feeling overwhelmed or require time out in a calm environment.  You can use these at any time. Soft seating and ear defenders will be available.

These quiet spaces have limited capacity, and people will be admitted in order of arrival time.

Quiet space tents can be found:

• Near the Bandstand in St. James’s Park.
• Near the Broad Walk in Green Park.
• Near each screen in Hyde Park (football pitches - west, football pitches - east, The Cockpit garden, the Boat House Lawn).

Follow the signs or ask one of our friendly stewards to help you.

There are accessible viewing areas at ground level near the screening sites.

An accessible viewing area is a viewing platform for wheelchair users.

These areas have limited capacity, and people will be admitted in order of arrival time.

Accessible viewing areas will have hard-floored areas and grassed areas. You can bring picnic chairs for use on the grassed areas.

There will be a British Sign Language interpreter and a hearing loop for people using hearing aids. There will also be disabled people’s toilets and a water refill point.

The screening sites will stay open until the early evening.

Please put your rubbish in the bins.

Procession route viewing areas

A map of the procession route.

A larger version of this map is available here which you can download or print. (PDF, 13.5MB)

You can watch the procession in person at the procession route viewing areas. The purple lines on either side of the gold road are the viewing areas.

Access to the viewing areas is free.

There are 2 main roads the procession will go down:

• The Mall
• Whitehall

There are viewing areas on both sides of these roads.

The procession viewing areas will open at 6:00am. Please do not arrive before this time.

The procession area is likely to be very busy and you will need to stand close to lots of people. This might mean many people behind and in front of you.

It will be very noisy with music and audio on a Public Address audio system. You may want to use ear plugs or ear defenders.

Please do not bring a chair or stool.

You can bring food and drink with you but please do not bring glass bottles as these can easily break.

You can use a number of different tube stations to reach the procession route:

• For the Mall, use Waterloo or Green Park tube station.
• For Whitehall, use Westminster or Embankment tube station.

If you want to cross to the other side of the procession route, there are designated crossing points.

Our stewards will help you cross at any of the designated crossing points on the route before 9:10am.

But after 9:10am it will not be possible to cross the procession route. It will be best to arrive on the side of the Mall you want to be based.

During the morning, there will be grand processions travelling from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. This will take King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the Coronation service.

The procession will start at 10.20am.

The grand processions will include military bands, military personnel and horses. It will likely be very noisy when the grand procession passes you and people in the crowd might cheer loudly around you. You may have to stand up for several hours to keep your place in the crowd.

Public safety announcements will be delivered through a Public Address audio system which is likely to be very loud.

At 11:00am, the Coronation service will take place at Westminster Abbey. The Public Address audio system will broadcast the sound of the service.

After the Coronation service, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace.

This procession will be even bigger, with more people and horses involved. You should expect lots of noise, especially when the procession passes you.

The procession will start at 1:00pm from Westminster Abbey and will take 30 minutes to reach Buckingham Palace.

After the processions have ended, stewards will open the barriers to the procession route and you can move onto The Mall.

The Mall will be very busy with people.

At 2:30pm, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch the Armed Forces fly past.

The fly past will include 60 different aircraft so it will be very noisy.

At the end of the event, it may take a long time to leave. It is likely you will need to walk in busy crowds.

After the events, remember to check the latest travel information from Transport for London before your onward journey.

Services are likely to be busy immediately after the events. There will be plenty of trains running during the day and into the evening. We recommend travelling later in the day if you can.

We hope you enjoy the Coronation celebrations.