Prince William and Kate go on walkabout in London to see coronation preparations


Gillian Duncan
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Follow the latest news from the coronation of King Charles here

The Prince and Princess of Wales were met by cheering crowds on a walkabout in central London on Thursday following a trip on public transport.

Prince William and his wife Kate took the Elizabeth Line -which opened last yea and is named after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth - to visit a business in Soho to see how it was preparing for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.

The royal couple spoke to representatives from the hospitality industry in the area about their preparations for Saturday, as well as the crowds waiting outside, who cheered after catching a glimpse of Prince William and Kate through the window. The pair then took selfies with the cheering crowds.

The couple boarded the Tube at Acton Main Line in west London and chatted to Transport for London workers about their plans for the busy bank holiday weekend, when tens of thousands of people are expected in the capital.

At one point the princess of Wales, who was wearing a pillarbox red coat, was asked about the coronation on Saturday and replied: "Yes, it's going to be a busy time. We're getting there. I still feel like we're trying to get ducks in a row."

The royal couple travelled three stops and got off at Tottenham Court Road.

Kate was spotted using an Oyster card as she left the station and the couple walked the short distance to the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, one of the many businesses hoping for a bumper weekend thanks to the coronation.

Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, travel on London Underground's Elizabeth Line in central London. AP
Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, travel on London Underground's Elizabeth Line in central London. AP

The couple, with their children, attended a coronation rehearsal at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday with the king and queen consort.

The royal family was greeted by the Dean of Westminster and shown inside the gothic church, where King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will be anointed and crowned on Saturday in front of 2,300 guests and a global audience of millions.

Prince George, 9, and second in line to the throne, has the duty of being one of his grandfather's pages of honour and is expected to be tasked with holding the train of his grandfather's regal robes.

Prince William will kneel before his father and vow to be his "liege man of life and limb" in the only homage of royal blood of the ceremony.

He will also help clothe the king in his golden robe royal, also known as the mantle, before the crowning.

Prince Louis, 5, was spotted next to William in the back of a car as they left the rehearsal.

Also there were the queen consort's grandsons, who will act as her pages of honour.

The Dean of Westminster said rehearsals for the big day went well and the king was not at all anxious about the ceremony.

The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle told Sky News: “The King was relaxed and very gracious.

"He took time to thank all the people around him who are making this happen.

“So whilst he has a huge burden on him, there’s a lot for him to do, he doesn’t give the sense of being a man who’s really anxious about this, not at all.”

The dean, who will take part in the ceremony conducted by the Archbishop Canterbury, said: “I’m the Dean of Westminster. I’m used to ceremony on a national level. Even I think this is pretty jaw-dropping.”

He described the ceremonial dress and Crown Jewels being used as “extraordinary” and the music as “spine-tingling”.

The dean, who will have to handle the crown, said he has been practising its movements to ensure it is put on the King’s head the correct way.“Our secret is not to tie bits of thread to it because someone removes them,” he added.

The king's sister, the Princess Royal, also attended after visiting soldiers from The Household Division at Wellington Barracks in the morning as they prepared for their roles in the military processions.

With last-minute preparations ramping up, early morning rehearsals were staged in the capital earlier in the week, revealing the first glimpses of the grandeur of the coronation processions.

People wearing ceremonial clothes walk outside the Westminster Abbey during a rehearsal, ahead of the coronation. Reuters
People wearing ceremonial clothes walk outside the Westminster Abbey during a rehearsal, ahead of the coronation. Reuters

Hundreds of soldiers, many on horseback, marched from Buckingham Palace past Trafalgar Square and Downing Street to Westminster Abbey shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

The diamond jubilee state coach and gold state coach travelled down The Mall as part of the dry run for the full event.

Royal fans waited for more than three hours for the parade to make a return trip.

Crowds ran through St James's Park to find the best spots near the palace, with many trying to spot relatives in their military outfits.

The UK prepares for the coronation of King Charles III - in pictures

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Updated: May 05, 2023, 10:36 AM`