Human Interest

Streets of London adorned ahead of King Charles III’s coronation

By Claudia Sacrest

London, May 4 (EFE).- From lines of British flags to pictures of King Charles III on shop windows and a sea of fans’ tents on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, royal fever has gripped London two days ahead of the new monarch’s coronation.

The Mall, a road between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square in central London, is the place to be for those who want to admire the royals, because it is where Charles and Camila — who will become Queen on the same day — will embark on Saturday’s procession to Westminster Abbey.

Among those fans is Grace Gothard, who attended the coronation parade rehearsal led by Charles III and Prince William, as well as other members of the British royal family, on Wednesday.

“When it was 10 o’clock, we decided to have a nap so we went to the grass over there and it was so cold. Later we had rehearsal so we all came down to watch them and it was so nice,” Gothard tells Efe while standing next to a life-size poster of Charles and Camila.

Next to Gothard, a tent has been set up by Lucy Edwards who is intending to give her support to the king.

“As I have seen people coming to The Mall to get ready, I just want to be here to soak it up and I can’t sit at home while I know I can get here and be ready, so I’d rather be here and now I have got a good spot and I’m with my friends,” Edwards says.

Edwards, an elderly caregiver in Bristol, hasn’t missed a royal event since the wedding of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011.

The final phase of preparations is underway in the Westminster Abby for the coronation, which will be held before 2,200 guests, 6,000 less than Elizabeth II’s.

Outside the famous John Lewis shopping center, passengers wait for a bus under a giant canopy adorned with crowns, while shop windows display portraits and tableware dedicated to the new monarch.

The festive atmosphere has extended to the outskirts of the capital, such as the western Hounslow district, where Indian artists Jignesh and Yash Patel have painted a mural of Charles III. EFE

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