17 April 2023
The coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will take place at London’s Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023.
After the coronation ceremony, Their Majesties will travel in a procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace (via Parliament Square, Whitehall and The Mall). They will receive a royal salute from the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces. It will be an historic occasion – seventy years after Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Travelling over the coronation weekend
London Underground (or ‘the Tube’) and National Rail offer frequent services for people who want to travel into and around the capital. National Rail train operating services come under many different brand names and liveries such as South Western Railway (SWR), Great Western Railway (GWR), c2c, Thameslink, Southeastern and Southern.
Large termini railway stations include London Waterloo, Victoria, St Pancras and King’s Cross.
Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Marylebone and Paddington are also major stations with a number of local, regional and intercity services. These stations also have London Underground and other transport connections including the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Elizabeth line.
Check the Transport for London (TfL) and National Rail websites to plan ahead so you can get to your destination. Remember, services are likely to be very busy due to people travelling to view the coronation procession and other related events over the special ‘bank holiday’ weekend.
If you are travelling from an airport into London then there a number of ways to travel by public transport right into the centre.
From Heathrow airport there is the Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line. From Gatwick there is the Gatwick Express train as well as Thameslink and Southern rail services. From Luton you can catch the new DART service to Luton Airport Parkway station for connecting services to London St Pancras. From Stansted airport you can take the Stansted Express train to Liverpool Street. National Express and Megabus coach services also serve London’s airports.
If you intend to travel by private hire taxi, we recommend that you book this in advance. Your hotel or accommodation hosts may be able to assist with this.
It’s worth considering that walking is often a great way to get around central London. Royal Parks and other iconic landmarks are usually accessible on foot and by bike.
Will there be any changes to transport provision over the coronation weekend?
We have been advised by TfL that there will be some road closures and changes to some bus services in central London. The advice is to avoid travelling through central London if possible as services may be delayed or busier than usual.
For walking and cycling maps, check TfL’s website.
Are there any engineering works taking place?
The good news is that there are no planned engineering works on Saturday 6 May (although there will be some road closures in the central London area).
Are there rail, bus or tube strikes taking place?
There is no planned strike action taking place over the coronation weekend.
Are there any toilet (bathroom) facilities around the procession or public viewing areas?
There are viewing areas along the procession route, on both sides of The Mall and Whitehall. The public viewing areas are marked on the map in purple.
The image also shows the facilities at the viewing areas and along the route. There are first aid points, water refill stations, toilets and accessible toilets, welfare points, and accessible viewing spaces. There are concession kiosks along the route where you can buy food and drinks.
The map also shows the nearby screening sites in The Green Park and St James’s Park, where you can watch the processions and the Coronation service on large screens.
You can download a version of this map here.
How can I watch the coronation concert?
There will be a special coronation concert held at Windsor on Sunday 7 May. It will be broadcast live on BBC. There will be a public ballot with tickets made available soon.
