In the early hours of Wednesday morning, late-night revellers in central London were astonished to see thousands of troops take to the streets. Some were on horseback; others were wearing the ceremonial uniform of the guards’ regiments. At the heart of this moonlight parade were two ornate gilt horse-drawn carriages. There was no publicity surrounding the procession but snatched video of it has surfaced online.
As you may have guessed, this was not a security operation but a rehearsal for Saturday’s coronation. King Charles and Queen Camilla weren’t present. But they too have been practising their roles, both at the palace and in run-throughs at Westminster Abbey. The eyes of the nation and the world will be on the coronation and everyone involved wants to ensure it’s a credit to the new king.