Tens of thousands of royal fans and foreign dignitaries are flocking to London today for the coronation of Charles III, which will take place tomorrow, Saturday, with a magnificent ceremony that has no equivalent in Europe.

The 74-year-old monarch, accompanied by Queen Camilla, 75, will be crowned and anointed at Westminster Abbey in front of 2,300 guests and hundreds of millions of television viewers.

It is a ritual, which is based on almost 1,000 years of history, with diamond-studded crowns, velvet robes and golden sceptres, but which few Britons have witnessed in their lifetime, as Elizabeth II’s coronation became the 1953.

An estimated 27 million Britons and 300 million viewers worldwide will watch King Charles’ rare grand coronation ceremony tomorrow.

Continuous rehearsals for the royal couple at the Abbey

Charles and Camilla were also today at Westminster Abbey for a dress rehearsal, before tomorrow’s official ceremony. Prince William was with them.

On the way back, from their limousine, they greeted the crowds already encamped on the streets of London.

They will then have a formal lunch in Buckingham, in honor of the foreign guests of the coronation.

At the Abbey, everything is set to the… millimeter and rehearsals for the liturgy are feverish – from guest arrivals to choirs, everything has to work flawlessly and on schedule.

Head of the Protestant Anglican Church, Charles will take the royal oath and receive anointing from the Archbishop of Canterbury. He will then be crowned with the crown of St. Edward.

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The symbols of the coronation, with the Crown jewels that Charles will hold

Queen Camilla, Charles’ second wife after his divorce from Princess Diana, will also be crowned.

Escorted by nearly 4,000 military personnel, the royal couple will then depart for Buckingham Palace, where active members of the monarchy will greet the crowd from the famous balcony.

The fact is, however, that according to today’s Skynews poll (and despite… honorable efforts) Charles III remains less popular than his son and successor, William, his daughter-in-law Kate and his sister, Princess Anne.

The king is in fourth place on the list, with just a percentage 52%.

Fears of rain and thunderstorms all day tomorrow in London

Despite the grueling rehearsing of the gold carriages and cavalry for a brilliant parade tomorrow, London’s Met Office is predicting rain and thunderstorms from the morning and throughout the day, which is unfortunately expected to spoil the organisers’ plans.

Police have warned ‘coronation campers’ that the ‘heavens will open’ at the time of the historic event and it will get wet but they are undeterred.

Equipped with tents, blankets, sleeping bags, raincoats and umbrellas, hundreds of people have camped on the sidewalks of the route where the royal procession will pass.

With information from APE-MPE, Daily Mail