As it happened: How the coronation celebrations unfolded

King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by their close family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the coronation procession and royal salute. Until the final moment, it was not known which family members had received the invite to join the newly crowned king and queen. Still wearing their crowns, the king and queen were first accompanied by the pages of honour, who included Prince George. The king's other pages were Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, son of Lord-in-Waiting the Marquess of Cholmondeley, Ralph Tollemache, son of the King’s godson Edward Tollemache, and Nicholas Barclay, grandson of King Charles’s second cousin Sarah Troughton. The queen's pages were her grandsons, twins Gus and Louis Lopes and Freddy Parker Bowles, plus her great-nephew Arthur Elliot. Following the service, a grander coronation procession will take place, with the king and queen consort travelling in the Gold State Coach. Pulled by eight Windsor Greys, the coach will make its way from Westminster Abbey back to Buckingham Palace, where a Royal Salute from the UK and Commonwealth Armed Forces will honour King Charles and the Queen Consort on their special day. The Gold State Coach , a stunning eight-horse-drawn carriage steeped in history, will once again grace the streets of London for King Charles III's coronation . Commissioned in 1760 by Francis Rawdon-Hastings for King George III and designed by Sir William Chambers, this 4.4-tonne wooden masterpiece is covered in gold leaf and adorned with intricate sculptures and ornamentation. Measuring seven metres long and 2.1 metres wide, the Gold State Coach has been used for every coronation since William IV, as well as other significant royal occasions. The carriage is now postilion-ridden in four pairs, as its weight allows it to move only at a walking pace. The gilded brakes are operated by the grooms, ensuring safe and smooth travel. Read more The royal carriage of King Charles III and Queen Camilla is being pulled by eight Windsor Grey horses as it makes the procession back to Buckingham Palace. The horses for the coronation procession are called Icon, Shadow, Milford Haven, Newark, Echo, Knightsbridge, Meg and Tyrone. Six of them pulled the Diamond Jubilee State Coach that earlier brought the king and queen to Westminster Abbey for the service. However, eight are needed for the return trip to the palace in the heavier Gold State Coach, which travels at walking pace. Windsor Greys are selected by palace staff to pull ceremonial carriages. Dozens more horses are involved in the day’s proceedings as part of a Household Cavalry mounted band. The drum horses Atlas and Apollo led the earlier procession from the palace to the coronation church. Read more The King’s Company Grenadier Guards have had a starring role at every coronation since 1661 in a history dating back to distinguished loyalty to Charles II. Their new flag, with its personal link to Charles III , will be on show at his coronation on May 6 . They make up part of the Sovereign's Escort alongside King Charles, who will be travelling to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach . The Grenadier Guards company was founded from the rubble of Charles II’s defeat at the Battle of Worcester and his time living in exile in Bruges. Loyal compatriots who stayed by the king's side during those days would become his most trusted personal troops, and form the Life Guards and the Grenadier Guards. Inkerman Company of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, on duty at the coronation, have recently returned from Iraq, where they have been providing force protection and training the Iraqi Army. The Grenadier Guards is a company in the British Army with a routine role in British coronations, its members' historical loyalty having created a strong bond with the serving monarch. It was founded in 1656 — four years before the restoration of the monarchy. Serving soldiers must demonstrate the highest values and standards, aspire to excellence and are chosen from among the fittest and most able guardsmen. Today’s company captain is Maj Johnny Hathaway-White who has completed three tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, and worked extensively in Africa. Read more A choir at Westminster Abbey will continue a royal tradition on Saturday by singing the hymn Zadok the Priest at the most sacred moment of King Charles III's coronation . The hymn by German composer Georg Frederick Handel has been played at every British coronation since 1727. It was composed for the coronation of King George II, who was born in Germany and was a patron of Handel. The name refers to the biblical story of King Solomon being anointed by the priest Zadok and the Prophet Nathan. The Old Testament tale is also the origin of the procedure in which the king is anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury — the moment at which the hymn is sung. Outside of royal events, an adapted version of Zadok the Priest was composed in 1992 as the anthem for football's Champions League. Read more Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, there were several changes to royal titles. Prince Charles's became King Charles III . And, as his wife, Camilla, the former Duchess of Cornwall, became officially known as Her Majesty the Queen Consort. In Queen Elizabeth 's platinum jubilee message last year, she said it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla be known as Queen Consort when her husband becomes king. The title also means she sat at King Charles's side at his coronation on Saturday where she was also crowned. She is now officially Queen Camilla. A queen consort is a royal by marriage, the king's wife. It is a symbolic role, meaning she is queen while the king is on the throne, but won't inherit the throne after he dies. Read more Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a Hindu, will read from the Bible at King Charles's coronation ceremony , a decision that has sparked questions about the significance of his participation and the relationship between his personal faith and his role as prime minister. Mr Sunak will read Colossians 1:9-17, which emphasises the love of Christ and the importance of service to others, aligns with the values of the British monarchy and the theme of the coronation liturgy, “Called to Serve”. In doing so, he continues the tradition of British prime ministers participating in state occasions as representatives of the host nation's government. As the first Hindu and person of Indian origin to hold the position, Mr Sunak's reading at the coronation demonstrates his commitment to representing the UK's diversity. Lambeth Palace has clarified that Mr Sunak's personal faith is not an issue during the Anglican service since he is participating in his capacity as prime minister. Read more An array of ceremonial swords will be presented at King Charles's coronation, each symbolising aspects of the monarch's duties and responsibilities . The symbolic weapons not only embody the history and traditions of the British monarchy but also serve as a reminder of the sovereign's commitment to the nation, the law, and the faith . But what are the meanings and stories behind each of these unique and majestic swords, as they play a pivotal role in this momentous occasion ? Sword of Offering: Protecting the Church The Sword of Offering will be presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury, signifying the monarch's commitment to defending the Church of England. The steel sword features a gold hilt and an engraved blade, with the inscription “Ecclesiae Anglicanae Defensor”, a Latin phrase that translates to “Defender of the Church of England”. This engraving on the Sword of Offering signifies the British monarch's responsibility to protect and support the Church of England, emphasising the close relationship between the monarchy and the established church. The Lord Great Chamberlain will carry this sword during the procession. Read more Interview: Bearer of Sword of Spiritual Justice at coronation tells of military and monarchy link What does queen consort mean and how is it different to queen? Britain’s Princess Anne will perform the memorably named role of Gold Stick in Waiting during the coronation of her brother King Charles III on Saturday. The princess, 72, will ride on horseback behind the king’s state coach when it returns from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after the coronation . Her title is that of a royal bodyguard who would once have wielded a golden-tipped staff to protect England’s kings and queens. The role is now a symbolic one but it gives the king’s sister a prominent place in the procession. Princess Anne is often considered one of the most popular royals after largely steering clear of family scandals. A YouGov poll published this week showed she was viewed positively by 72 per cent of the British public, the joint-highest score in the family with Prince William . Admirers credit her with an understated diligence and her role on Saturday has been seen as a reward for her loyalty. The role of Gold Stick is invoked only on state occasions such as parades and the official opening of parliament. It can be held by the colonel of one of two cavalry regiments, the Life Guards, and the Blues and Royals. The princess, a former Olympic equestrian and BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1971, is colonel of the Blues and Royals. The only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, she is also known as the Princess Royal. Read more King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will be joined by their family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in what is expected to be one of the iconic moments of the day. But which family members will be invited to join the newly crowned king and queen will be kept secret until the final moment. Certainties are the ever-popular Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, along with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Additionally, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were likely to be present, as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.