Coronation rehearsals are underway, with Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their three children taking part.
The Prince and Princess of Wales took Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis to Westminster Abbey for a rehearsal on Wednesday morning, only three days before King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation.
They were joined for the practise by King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as the monarch's sister, Princess Anne.
King Charles was photographed arriving at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday morning, where he will be crowned by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at midday on Saturday.
The Waleses' entrance at Dean's Yard behind Westminster Abbey coincided with a changeover of courses at neighbouring Westminster School. When the kids who spilled out into the area to move between lessons spotted the young family, they waved enthusiastically. Princess Charlotte, who celebrated her eighth birthday on Tuesday with the release of two new photographs, waved back.
According to a bystander, Princess Kate appeared comfortable and joyful.
King Charles was at ease when he arrived, with just a few days till his coronation. "He was smiling broadly," a witness recalls.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was the first to arrive for the coronation rehearsal. The royal couple came separately, followed by Princess Anne, Queen Camilla, and King Charles. The Wales clan was the last to arrive.
Both Prince William, 40, and Prince George, 9, will play key parts in Saturday's coronation ceremony. Soon after King Charles is crowned, the Prince of Wales would kneel before his father and pledge his fealty, stating, "I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb." So please, God, help me."
Meanwhile, at the event, Prince George will be one of King Charles' four Pages of Honour. According to The Telegraph, George's participation in the coronation will make history, as he will become the youngest future monarch to play an official role during a coronation.
Following the coronation service, Prince George is expected to ride in a horse-drawn carriage with siblings Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, as part of the Coronation Procession back to Buckingham Palace.
The trial run at Westminster Abbey follows a rigorous rehearsal by thousands of troops, including a nocturnal march. Just after 12:20 a.m. local time on Wednesday, a massive procession of hundreds of soldiers — as well as the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and Gold State Coach — marched down the Mall alongside comrades on horseback.
Preparations have also been underway in Buckingham Palace's ballroom, where a "coronation theatre" has been built to replicate the area below the High Altar at Westminster Abbey so those taking part can view the layout and rehearse in secret.
Three days to go... #Coronation pic.twitter.com/lNu6Yhf3El
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 3, 2023
Westminster Abbey was closed to visitors last week while accommodations were prepared.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was seen entering the historic church.
Other practise runs will take place over the next few days, as one aide at Buckingham Palace compared it to a school play in which different sections rehearsed different parts.
