The Archbishop delivers a sermon. There was no sermon in the late Queen’s service in 1953, but a sermon is usually part of the coronation service. The Coronation Oath Act of 1688 requires the King to declare during his crowning ceremony that he will maintain the established Anglican Protestant Church, rule according to laws agreed in Parliament, and cause law, justice and mercy to be executed in his judgment. The Jewelled Sword of Offering’ (1820) (Image: BBC/The Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II) King Charles will wear his grandfather George VI's Robes of State and Estate from the coronation in 1937, which are almost 90 years old.

Under a top secret operation, the crown was briefly removed from the Tower of London to be resized to fit the King’s head. Imperial Crown

The Enthroning and Homage

In preparation for the Coronation, Gilding and Furniture Conservators from the Royal Collection Trust cleaned, restored and consolidated the giltwood frames. New silk damask was woven by the Humphries Weaving Company, Suffolk to the same pattern with which they were originally upholstered. This was to allow for the cyphers of The King and The Queen to replace those of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, which were removed and will be kept in the Royal Collection. The King’s Body Guard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers: 1 Officer, an Officer bearing the Colour with 2 escorts, 12 Archers, 1 Officer. Ede and Ravenscroft create hand-crafted bespoke robes and garments, using traditional skills, expertise and the finest textiles. The company has made robes and tailored garments for Royal, civic, legal and academic ceremonies in over forty countries around the world to date. William IV’s ring of 1831 features a large sapphire and diamond cluster with baguette-cut rubies in the form of a cross. Made of giltwood – a thin layer of gold leaf over wood – the Gold State Coach is the third oldest coach surviving in the UK. It is 3.6 metres tall (significantly higher than normal coaches of this age, so the Monarch can be seen and over seven metres long.

The embroidered illustrations were worked in different colours, using fine twisted silk threads, and each roundel has been edged with Gold Grecian and Pearl Purl. The Stole has a crimson lining and a gold twisted fringe. The Dean of HM Chapels Royal, Dame Sarah Mullally reads Luke 4:16-21. Female clergy are participating in a coronation for the first time, with female priests introduced in the Church of England in 1994 and female bishops in 2014.

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The King will be presented with the Holy Bible by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The new Bible was commissioned for the Service by Lambeth Palace. His Majesty will then take The Oath, and will sign copies presented by the Lord Chamberlain, as the choir sings an Anthem by William Byrd. Having taken The Oath, The King will kneel before the High Altar and pray aloud. The words of His Majesty’s prayer have been inspired by the hymn, ‘I vow to thee, my country’, in a continuation of the theme of service. The choir will then sing a ‘Gloria’, also by William Bryd, framing His Majesty’s prayer. The incumbent Earl Marshal is responsible for organising the Coronation. Since 1386 the position has been undertaken by The Duke of Norfolk. The 16th Duke of Norfolk was responsible for The Queen's Coronation in 1953 and he was also responsible for the State funeral of Sir Winston Churchill (1965) and the investiture of The Prince of Wales (1969). Featuring nearly 4,000 personnel, this major military ceremonial operation was the largest of its kind since the 1953 Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen’s new Robe of Estate was designed and hand embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. The Robe itself was made by Ede and Ravenscroft. During the service, it is presented to the monarch, who carries it to be placed on the altar. One of the peers traditionally offers the price of 100 silver shillings for the sword. The peer then draws the sword and carries it without its scabbard before the monarch for the rest of the service. It symbolises royal power and the monarch accepting his duty and knightly virtues. Armills

Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066. Before the Abbey was built, Coronations were carried out wherever was convenient, taking place in Bath, Oxford and Canterbury. For The Crowning, The Dean of Westminster will deliver St Edward’s Crown to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will offer a blessing before His Majesty The King is crowned. The Archbishop will lead the congregation of Westminster Abbey in saying, ‘God save The King’. The bells of the Abbey will ring as gun salutes are fired in celebration on Horse Guards Parade, at His Majesty’s Fortress the Tower of London, and at Saluting Stations throughout the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Bermuda, and His Majesty’s ships at sea. In Westminster Abbey, the Wiener Philharmoniker Fanfare will be played by the Coronation Brass Ensemble, as requested by The King. His Majesty will then be blessed by ecumenical leaders. The Royal British Legion provided a Guard of Honour of 100 Standard Bearers to line the procession route in Parliament Square. The charity’s participation is in line with its support at previous significant royal events. The Standard Bearers represented the RBL and seven other associated Armed Forces charities; The Royal Naval Association, Royal Marines Association, Army Benevolent Fund, Air Forces Association, Royal Commonwealth and Ex Services League, Merchant Navy Association and SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity.For The Investiture, The King was vested with the Colobium Sidonis, a white linen shift-like tunic; the Supertunica, a full-length, sleeved gold coat; and the Coronation Sword Belt. His Majesty sat in the Coronation Chair as items of Regalia were presented; first, the Spurs, carried by the Lord Great Chamberlain. In 1831, King William IV also commissioned the Queen’s consort ring for his wife Adelaide, with a pinkish-red ruby and diamonds. Queen Elizabeth’s mother wore this ring at King George VI’s coronation, and Camilla will likely wear the ring during the ceremony.