This is the incredible scene where Buckingham Palace was turned into a replica of Westminster Abbey in the lead up to the Coronation, so it could be rehearsed in the run up to the incredible day.
Seen for the first time in a stunning insight into the inner workings of King Charles’ ceremony through a BBC documentary, the scene shows the Coronation Chair at the centre of a mock-up of the historic church’s ‘theatre’.
The royal occasion thrilled the nation in May, as an estimated two million people filled the streets of central London to watch history unfold.
Featuring previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with key officials, family and senior royals, Charles III: The Coronation Year captures the galloping pace of the last 12 months but also moments of lightness.
In a touching moment, the monarch can be seen cracking jokes as he attentively tends to every detail of the ceremony as he makes sure he has all the details right before the final performance.
Seen for the first time in a stunning insight into the inner workings of King Charles’ ceremony through a BBC documentary, the scene shows the Coronation Chair at the centre of a mock-up of the historic church’s ‘theatre’
In a touching moment, the monarch can be seen cracking jokes as he attentively tends to every detail of the ceremony as he makes sure he has all the details right before the final performance
The royal occasion thrilled the nation in May, as an estimated two million people filled the streets of central London to watch history unfold
As the King talks with those around him about the proceedings, one moment shows him directing the Archbishop of Canterbury as he mimes placing the crown on his head – saying: ‘You have to jam it on!’
As the King talks with those around him about the proceedings, one moment shows him directing the Archbishop of Canterbury as he mimes placing the crown on his head – saying: ‘You have to jam it on!’
Justin Welby laughs: ‘I don’t wan’t to break your neck, sir.’
But Charles objects: ‘You won’t! I promise. It’s so huge, it has to be on right and I can’t do anything about it.’
As he dons the ceremonial robes and kneels alongside Queen Camilla, the party work strenuously to make sure everything is covered as they work through the service.
The Precenter of Westminster Abbey, Mark Birch, paid tribute to the focus of the King and Queen as they attended the rehearsal.
He said: ‘Everybody’s tremendously focused on getting it right and there’s a just great sense of all working together to make sure everything runs smoothly and beautifully and gloriously as it should.’
Joking about the complexity, he adds: ‘It’s all cloaked in the mists of medieval chivalry so it’s not surprising that it doesn’t make a lot of sense, necessarily!
‘What I get from these rehearsals is just clearly what a great, hugely meaningful moment this is for both of them.
As he dons the ceremonial robes and kneels alongside Queen Camilla, the party work strenuously to make sure everything is covered as they work through the service
The Precenter of Westminster Abbey, Mark Birch, pictured, paid tribute to the focus of the King and Queen as they attended the rehearsal
‘With the King you get a real sense that this means everything to him.
‘The King has been in high profile public life for a long, long time but this is the moment where he takes on literally the whole weight of his office.’
In another emotional scene, we can see for the first time the incredible moment the King and his eldest son, the Prince of Wales, rehearse the moment where he is dressed in the ‘Stole Royal’ and William fixes the clasp of his robe.
In a gentle moment of familial humour, William laughs: ‘It’s quite a small catch. On the day it’s not going to go in, is it!’
Giggling Charles kindly responds: ‘No! You haven’t got sausage fingers like mine.’
The King was also seen to lovingly greet William, Kate, George and Charlotte at the entrance of Westminster Abbey – as cheeky Prince Louis looked bored as he clutches his father’s hand.
Looking on at the touching moment, Archbishop Welby says: ‘I think what struck me particularly is how extraordinarily affectionate they are.
‘They’re clearly a very close family, all the generations.
Featuring previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with key officials, family and senior royals, Charles III: The Coronation Year captures the galloping pace of the last 12 months but also moments of lightness
Looking on at the touching moment between the king and his son, Archbishop Welby commented on how ‘extraordinarily affectionate’ the family are
‘And in a sense you felt you’re part of a family occasion as well as a royal occasion and a national occasion.’
This sentiment was echoed by the Queen’s closest confidantes – he sister and her companion Lady Lansdown – who repeatedly reflected on how the Coronation was like a wedding.
Lady Lansdowne said: ‘I keep calling it a wedding. It was extraordinary because it did feel like a wedding, and people kept referring to Annabel and I as the bridesmaids which we really didn’t like very much!
‘But it did feel like a wedding because it was a family occasion, it was in a church, it was very serious and yet it had a fun side to it.’
Paying tribute to her friend, she added: ‘[Camilla] has got a great twinkle and it comes out very readily. It puts people at their ease very quickly.
‘She knows when to be serious. She knows when to wink at a bishop and when not to, which I think is a rather endearing quality.’
As she pulls the robe behind her through Westminster Abbey, the Queen cheekily complains about the bands keeping her up at night.
She laughs – ‘All night long! Everything! Five o’clock till five.’
The Queen’s closest confidantes – he sister and her companion Lady Lansdown – who repeatedly reflected on how the Coronation was like a wedding
The King sits in the Coronation Chair in Buckingham Palace as the day is rehearsed around him
And in another playful moment, the Bishop of Norwich refers to the robe’s straps around her shoulders as he teases her, saying: ‘You look as if you’re about to jump out a plane with a parachute on!’
The Queen’s sister, talking about the big day added: ‘We arrived at Buckingham Palace and it was like being in a play – because literally we walked in, makeup, hair, costume!
‘I remember watching the Queen’s coronation on a tiny black and white television, and there goes this golden coach – with my sister in it.
‘I can’t explain the feeling because it was so surreal.
‘There was such an air of celebration. You could sort of feel the love.
‘And then this extraordinary thing which we weren’t expecting – being called out on the balcony.
‘Looking up the mall – this amazing noise and the sea of faces. It was mindblowing.
‘There’s a wonderful shot just of the two of them. It makes me cry just thinking of it. There they are.’
In a touching moment Annabel Elliot (pictured) looks back at her sister’s relationship with the King – calling her ‘his rock’ and reflecting on how they are ‘polar opposites’
Giving a different take, Princess Anne, who was interviewed about the Coronation, she said the experience was like performing in a play
In a touching moment Annabel Elliot looks back at her sister’s relationship with the King – calling her ‘his rock’ and reflecting on how they are ‘polar opposites’.
She said: ‘They’re both huge walkers. Very fit, both of them – her with her mad dogs!
‘She is his rock and I can’t actually emphasise that enough. She is somebody who is completely loyal and she isn’t somebody who has huge highs and lows.
‘He brings to her everything. I’m not talking about all of this, but he has such a knowledge, an interest in so many different things which she wouldn’t really have been open to if she hadn’t met him.
‘They’re a ying and yang, they really are polar opposites but I think it works brilliantly.
‘Most of us, as we get to this sort of age, are thinking: “Yes! Quiet times!” But theirs is just going to go like that, isn’t it.’
Giving a different take, Princess Anne, who was interviewed about the Coronation, she said the experience was like performing in a play.
She said: ‘We often remark upon how grateful we are that our schools sis a lot of drama.
The King intricately questions the procedure – making sure everything is perfect for the big day
As the palace try to replicate the ‘theatre’ of Westminster Abbey (pictured), they plan their steps so they will be perfect on the big day
‘And both of us spent time on stage – it’s really good training!
‘Ask any actor who comes off stage after doing a performance where they really put a lot into. It’s that kind of relief.’
But not everything focuses on the coronation itself – as the documentary showed stunning insights into the workings of the King’s engagements.
One such sees the monarch joking with showbiz superstars Ant and Dec as he approaches them – saying: ‘Is it really you?’
In a reception for The Prince’s Trust, he laughs as he thanks the presenting pair for their ‘Astonishing record of loyalty and devotion.’
And in a second, contrasting scene, the King talks to the soldiers of Ukraine who are training in the UK.
Speaking to a group, he praises them, saying: ‘You are amazing, I don’t know how you do it. I’m full of admiration.’
Soldiers dressed in military fatigues gather around the King, with many wearing masks and carrying weapons as footages showed them practicing maneuvers through mock trenches.
The King, dressed in the Coronation robe, sits as he rehearses the royal event
Not everything focuses on the coronation itself – as the documentary showed stunning insights into the workings of the King’s engagements
Paying tribute to him, one commander tells the programme: ‘The King spoke to them, and of course it motivated them to fight better and better.
‘Because if you are alone it is difficult to fight. But we are not alone.’
In another military occasion, the documentary gives a revealing insight into the Queen’s position as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Lancers.
The company is close to Camilla’s heart – as her own father was a part of it in the Second World War, when he was seriously injured and received two Military Crosses.
In a touching tribute as she attended a former soldier’s 100th birthday, she said: ‘I’m sure wherever he is today he’d be thrilled I am doing this role.’
In a sharp contrast, the wide-ranging programme shed light on the inner workings of the King’s attendance at Royal Ascot – where his horse won from nowhere and he was seen with tears in his eyes as he celebrated.
As he was congratulated by jockey legend Frankie Dettori, he said: ‘My mother won this race in 1955. She would have been so thrilled.’