The UK's Charles III will be crowned king and his wife Camilla will be crowned queen in a day full of pomp and circumstance. Follow DW for the latest and a livestream of the festivities taking place in the UK.

King Charles III and his wife Camilla will be crowned at Westminster AbbeyAlso Read | LIVE -- Charles III to Be Crowned King in Coronation Ceremony.

Foreign leaders, dignitaries and other royal families will attend

Crowds have already gathered along the procession routeAlso Read | Mallikarjun Kharge Assassination Plot Claim: Randeep Surjewala Alleges BJP’s Manikanth Rathod Conspiring To Kill Congress President and His Family, Releases Audio Clip.

It's Britain's first coronation in nearly 70 years and the first of a king since 1937

This story was last updated at 07:17 UTC

Doors of Westminster Abbey opened

The doors of Westminster Abbey have been opened so that guests and foreign dignitaries can take their seats ahead of the coronation ceremony.

More than 2,000 people are expected inside the Abbey with representation from 203 countries and over 100 heads of state having accepted invitations to attend proceedings, among them Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

US first lady Jill Biden will be attending in the absence of US President Joe Biden.

King Charles along with the Queen consort will be making their way in procession from Buckingham palace to Westminster Abbey where they will be crowned at 10:00 UTC.

The coronation procession will be taking place along a 1.3 mile (2.09 kilometer) route.

Large crowds expected, thousands of police deployed

In London, large crowds of royal fans have been building up during the week, gathering along The Mall outside Buckingham Palace.

It's an indication that the royals still occupy a central role in British culture and history.

Many who have been camping out to witness the coronation have flown in from abroad, highlighting the royal family's standing as Britain's leading global brand, despite a number of scandals over the years.

More than 11,000 police have been deployed in the capital, ready to respond to any attempted disruptions.

Thousands of personnel from the British Armed Forces are making their way to positions be part of proceedings, with troops seen arriving and moving on from London's Waterloo station.

They have been conducting overnight rehearsals on the streets of London in the days leading up to the coronation.

Controversy over royal jewels

In the runup to Saturday's events, controversy has broken out over the royal diamonds and other jewels that are expected to be on display.

Camilla, Queen Consort, will not wear the Koh-i-Noor diamond at the coronation of King Charles. Does this mean the UK may be close to relinquishing its rights over the celebrated diamond?

Days before the coronation of King Charles III, some South Africans called on the United Kingdom to return diamonds set in the crown jewels.

The world's largest clear-cut diamond was unearthed in 1905 and donated by the colonial government in South Africa to King Edward VII for his 66th birthday. It was cut up into several pieces, the largest of which is in the scepter the king will hold at Saturday's coronation.

What to expect on coronation day

The ceremonies and celebrations for King Charles III's coronation have been planned down to every last detail.

Viewing areas along the parade route will open in the early morning, although some already staked out their spots overnight.

The coronation itself will take place at Westminster Abbey at 11:00 BST (10:00 UTC), including customs ranging back over 1,000 years — but with some modern twists.

Following the ceremonies, the newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will process back to Buckingham Palace in a golden coach. Other royals will join the parade along with 4,000 members of the British armed forces.

For more on what to expect today — and what they're having for lunch — read our article here.

kb,rs/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2023 12:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).