Royal super fans are already lining up to get the best vantage spot outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall to watch the coronation.
First in the queue is John Loughrey, a member of the self-titled Kensington Palace Crew, who is covered (almost) head to toe in union flags, with a hat emblazoned with more than 10 royal-related badges.
Mr Loughrey, 68, arrived with several friends last Thursday to secure the best location — a full 10 days and nine nights before the main event on May 6.
The group, who met and bonded through their shared love of all things royal, set up a mini campsite on the road in front of Buckingham Palace, where they have four hammock-style beds made out of blue tarpaulin, a tent Mr Loughrey calls “Hotel Buck” and “enough food and drink to feed the street”.
The super fan said he expected the coronation to be the highlight of his life.
“My friends, called the Kensington Palace Crew, are all connected with one another for many years and we have done many important events in our life but I think this could be the biggest ever. Because there is nothing bigger than a coronation,” Mr Loughrey told The National on Tuesday.
“When the coronation gold coach comes along The Mall here, and we see King Charles III wearing the Imperial State Crown and the queen is wearing Queen Mary’s crown, that to me is the coronation. Because I have seen it with my own eyes,” he said.
Despite it being early May, there is still a nip in the air. But Mr Loughrey said adrenalin was keeping him warm.
“[You don’t feel the cold] when you have people talking to you every day,” he said. “Also the excitement of the coronation keeps you warm.”
His long-time friend, Sky London, 62, from Birmingham, has been with him since Thursday and said he would struggle to describe the joy he will feel when he sees King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla pass in their carriage.
“We heard about him becoming king and now is the crowning. And that is the most important thing in his reign, becoming crowned,” said Mr London, wearing a coronation-themed T-shirt with the new monarch’s image
Mr London said hearing about Queen Elizabeth II’s death was “hard”.
“She was like everything. We have to accept that King Charles is the king now. And if people can’t accept that then tough. Stay away,” he said.
Another member of the Kensington Palace Crew, Caryll Foster, 63, of nearby Kingston upon Thames, has also been camping at The Mall since Thursday.
She said she expects King Charles to continue his mother’s “good work”.
She said she was there for the build-up as much as the coronation day itself. She said she spent much of the day speaking to the press and members of the public, who frequently approach, eager to hear more about her love for the royals.
“They ask crazy questions like, 'are you here for the coronation?' We have to be polite and say yes we are. But it’s pretty obvious. But they are kind,” she said.
“We have got to know security people and they bring us drinks occasionally, which is so nice.”
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