Armed forces veterans, get prime spots at King Charles Coronation

Around 4,000 UK Armed Forces veterans and healthcare workers will be offered a prime viewing spot opposite Buckingham Palace in London for the Coronation of King Charles III, the British government announced on Sunday.

Around 3,800 seats will be created in a specially built grandstand in front of the Palace to host military veterans, workers from the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) and representatives of charitable organisations with links to Britain's royal family. Additionally, 354 uniformed cadet forces will be offered the opportunity to watch the royal procession at Admiralty Arch in London on May 6.

"As a mark of the nation's profound gratitude, it is right that in celebrating the Coronation we include and champion those who have dedicated their lives to public service," said UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

"The Coronation weekend marks the beginning of a new chapter in our national history and I'm delighted the procession will be lined by people and groups who contribute so much to our national life, she said.

The King's royal procession in London is due to travel along the Mall, through Admiralty Arch, along the south side of Trafalgar Square, before going down Whitehall through the east and south side of Parliament Square to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony.

Invited guests and members of the public along the non-ticketed parts of the procession route will see the King and Queen Camilla travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach drawn by six Windsor Grey horses.

The couple will travel back to their palace in the Gold State Coach and later make the customary appearance at the Buckingham Palace balcony to greet the crowds and view a Royal Air Force (RAF) flypast.

"The Armed Forces hold great importance to the nation as they work to protect us, our freedoms and our society's way of life. We know that it will be a great privilege for members of the Armed Forces community to see their new Commander in Chief on this significant day," said Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion.

It was confirmed earlier that big screens will be put in place across various points across London and the rest of the UK for members of the public to watch the Coronation on May 6.

Across the UK, more than 57 locations will be putting up big screens, meaning that more than 100,000 people will be able to watch the event in their hometowns. Some screens will also show the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle scheduled for May 7.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said that the viewing spaces will include first aid facilities, water refill stations, welfare points, and concession kiosks selling food and drinks.

The Coronation of Charles as Britain's King is being organised on a lavish scale and will be marked by street parties and volunteering initiatives over a celebratory long holiday weekend in the UK between May 6 and 8.