Big crowds, weather worries and Crown jewel controversy: the buzz before King Charles' coronation

LONDON -

London is abuzz on Friday with the excitement of a coronation, the first one in 70 years, with just hours to go before King Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey.

Seasonal flowers from all over the United Kingdom have already arrived at Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace said, with over 120 varieties of flowers grown across the four nations of the United Kingdom.

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The arrangements are meant to reflect the King and Queen’s affection for “the natural world and their shared passion for gardening, and showcase the best of the British countryside in the Spring, inspired by the richness of Westminster Abbey,” said Buckingham Palace in a statement, adding that the flowers will be arranged using sustainable techniques, avoiding the use of any single-use plastic or floral foam.

At the Great West Door of the Abbey, where the King and Queen will arrive as the final stop from their procession from Buckingham Palace, “a pair of tall yew topiaries will be underplanted with a meadow of wild grasses and cowslips, primroses and violets.”

After the coronation, the yews will be replanted at garden in Sandringham, which will be open to the public.

Outside the Abbey, blockades have been set up while media tents can be seen from the street as networks broadcast live back to their channels.

On the road outside the Abbey on Friday morning, when police on motorcycles blocked off traffic, tourists immediately began recording the convoy of dark vehicles with tinted windows driving by.

While it was unclear whether there were any members of the Royal Family inside, there were last-minute rehearsals with the King and Queen at the Abbey not long before.

A scene outside London's Westminster Abbey on Friday, May 5, a day before the King's coronation (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)

Nearby at Buckingham Palace, the scene is much more chaotic, with a helicopter buzzing overhead, and police officers and security crews trying to guide the flow of foot traffic, telling tourists trying to snap a photo of the Buckingham Palace to take the picture while in motion.

On the outskirts of the Mall, large signs publicizing the locations of accessible toilets, medical care, water-refilling stations, and facilities for changing babies are already up.

SCORES OF TENTS AT THE MALL

And while city officials have advised members of the public not to arrive at viewing areas before 6 a.m., there are scores of tents covered in Union Jack flags already set up on either side of the Mall ahead of the coronation, with royal superfans eager to stake a claim to the best spot to see the King and Queen during their procession to the Abbey Saturday morning.

Scores of tents covered in Union Jack flags are set up in London on either side of the Mall ahead of the coronation, May 5, 2023 (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)

Sass Wolgers, 22, who travelled to London from Sweden just to join “the world’s biggest party,” says he was outside Buckingham Palace when he noticed large crowds. When he looked up, he made eye contact with the King himself.

“I said ‘Charles, and he took my hand, he had a very stubborn hand, very strong hand,” he told CTV News’ Daniele Hamamdjian, adding, “he seemed very calm” for someone getting crowned the next day as millions of people watch around the world.

Not far from the palace, Bill Powell of Toronto, is one of those superfans who has claimed an optimal location from which to capture the festivities.

He flew in from Toronto on Thursday morning to join his Canadian friend, who lives in the U.K., at her site along the Mall.

CANADIAN SUPERFAN CAMPING OUT AT NIGHT

Powell, proudly wearing a white shirt with a maple leaf, wanted to be in London for the coronation not only to be a part of history but to wish the King “a long and happy reign,” he told CTV News.

“It was really something being at the Queen’s funeral last year, very, very moving.”

@ctvnews Royal superfans have already camped out at the Mall, near Buckingham Palace ahead of King Charles' coronation on Saturday. @marynersessian speaks to a Canadian who's flown to London from Toronto. #royalfamily #Coronation #royals ♬ original sound - CTVNews

Powell and his friend will be staying overnight in their tent, covered in Canadian flags, but they’ll have to pack up their gear at some point early in the morning as the crowds are expected to get at least 30 people deep, he said.

“We’ll be right up at the front, to see everything going by.”

Braving the cold overnight wasn’t a problem, Powell said, but it got a bit difficult to sleep as “some of our neighbours are really having a good time.”

Steps away, the crowds parted at the sight of a man dressed as a town crier, ringing a loud bell, bellowing, “Oh yea, oh yea, oh yea. It’s only one more day, God save the King.”

While most of the people lining the road were there to be on the front lines of a history-making moment, there were also those who were taking advantage of the attention to challenge the monarchy.

100% BRITISH NON-COLONIAL CROWN

Just behind the sea of tents, Aisha Siddique and Marlon Rees stood by what looked like a crown under a gallery showcase.

Drawing closer, however, it became clear the crown was fashioned from natural objects found outside, such as pebbles and stones.

“We’ve created the 100 per cent British non-colonial crown, and it’s to raise awareness of the Koh-i-Noor diamond and how it should be taken back to India,” said Siddique. The disputed diamond is currently set in a crown last used by the King’s grandmother during her coronation.

“We’ve created a crown that’s literally made of British stones,” Siddique explained, listing the tin from Cornwall, granite from Yorkshire Dales, slate from Cardiff, pebbles from Brighton Beach and stone from Dartmoor.

Marlon Rees (left) and Aisha Siddique stand by a crown fashioned from natural objects (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)

“It’s the perfect time,” she said, to draw attention to the issue, “even though the Koh-i-Noor diamond is not going to be worn by Camilla tomorrow, it’s still in the Crown Jewels.”

By choosing to reuse a crown, Queen Consort Camilla appeared to have dodged the controversy around the disputed 105-carat diamond, which India has demanded to be returned. Instead, Camilla will wear the Queen Mary crown after some changes were made to it, to reflect her own style, the Palace said.

Intently watching Siddique and Rees speak to passersby, was Coventry University student Solomon Mathari, who is from Hyderabad, Telangana, India, the area said to be where the diamond was mined.

“People think that it’s our country’s prestigious stone and we should get it back, many people still think that and fight for it,” said Mathari, who is working security for the coronation. But despite the controversy surrounding the diamond, he doesn’t feel strongly about it.

'We've created the 100 per cent British non-colonial crown,' said Aisha Siddique, explaining the crown was made out of tin from Cornwall, granite from Yorkshire Dales, slate from Cardiff, pebbles from Brighton Beach and stone from Dartmoor (Mary Nersessian / CTVNews.ca)

The diamond is not the only controversy that has the potential to cast a shadow.

This week, a controversial new public order bill was pushed through, just in time for the coronation, which empowers British police to take stronger action “to prevent disruption” at major events.

But the new laws, which received royal assent from the King, haven’t put off the anti-monarchist group, Republic, which put out a statement saying they are continuing to get ready for their “Not My King” demonstration at Trafalgar Square, as authorities have “been very clear that they will not get in the way of our protest.”

• Map interactive: King Charles' royal procession route

WEATHER MAY DAMPEN MOODS

While the protests may not dampen the moods of the royal superfans who are thrilled to capture history in the making, the unpredictable weather might, shining from one moment on Friday, but hailing the next.

The weather forecast for the coronation weekend seems to be no differerent, with the Met Office warning of “unsettled weather.”

“An area of rain is expected to move into southwest England early on Saturday, moving northeast through the day with some heavy bursts at times,” Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said. “This is likely to bring some rain to London from mid-morning.”

For those who will be taking the underground trains to get around this weekend, Charles and Camilla have recorded a personal message, replacing temporarily the “mind the gap” recording between Friday and Monday.

"My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend," passengers will hear Charles say, followed by wishes for a happy journey from Camilla: "Wherever you are travelling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey."

Sound familiar? 🔊👀

Listen out for Their Majesties on @TfL and @NetworkRail on your travels this #Coronation weekend… and don’t forget to #MindTheGap. pic.twitter.com/LHyevsSRBg

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 5, 2023