Yahoo News Rehearsals Underway for King Charles' Coronation Parade — with a Bus Standing in His Gold Carriage!
7,000 military personnel representing 34 different countries took part in a full-scale rehearsal for King Charles' coronation parade on Sunday
The preparations for King Charles' coronation parade are in full swing.
On Sunday, around 7,000 soldiers, sailors and air force personnel took part in a full-scale rehearsal for the U.K.'s largest ceremonial operation since the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth by marching around the runways of RAF Odiham in Hampshire, around 50 miles southwest of the British capital.
The route around the airbase — home to Britain's fleet of Chinook helicopters — was carefully measured to replicate the processional route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace that King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, will follow after their May 6 coronation ceremony.
Instead of the Gold State Coach, however, the parade — which included serving members from 34 different Commonwealth nations and six of the U.K.'s overseas territories — was followed by a small bus. Meanwhile, all the famous London sites the real parade will march past were labeled on wooden notice boards reading "Trafalgar Square" or "Buckingham Palace Gardens."
At the close of the parade, the assembled troops also gave "three cheers" to a couple of stand-ins for King Charles and Queen Camilla wearing high-visibility workwear jackets and standing under the horizontal crossbar of some rugbyuprights.
"This is big. This is special. This is, of course, an extremely rare event," First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, told reporters at the close of the rehearsal, which he added had been "going very well."
"For us to have the opportunity and the privilege to know that in just under a week's time, we will be at the center of London, each of us playing a small part in the coronation of His Majesty and Her Majesty," he said. "I think for all of us there's a mixture of a tinge of excitement and anticipation, probably a few nerves to make sure we get it right and great pride in the role that we get to play on the day."
This sentiment was also expressed by Captain Jordan Whiteman, who will be one of three officers from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers taking part in the event alongside a cohort of the regiment's troops.
"It's a challenge to be enjoyed and thrive within," Whiteman tells PEOPLE, adding that he's reminding his fusiliers to "enjoy the moment" because it is so unique.
"It's very easy to get the blinkers on and focus solely on the task at hand, which the troops will do during the day," added Whiteman. "But also make sure you enjoy it because it is once in a lifetime."
Whiteman also has a personal connection to the parade as his grandfather Charles White took part in the Queen's 1953 coronation as a member of the Irish Guards.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, isn't it?" adds Whiteman. "I think in particular for the family, it's nice to regain that military connection."
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Navy fight engineers Jess and Amy McLenaghan — 20-year-old identical twins — are also thinking of their family as the big day approaches.
"It's very lucky we both got in together, our mum's really proud," says Amy.
"She's our number one supporter," adds Jess.
"I'm looking forward to I think just the overall atmosphere," she continues. "It's going to be amazing. And just seeing all the crowds."
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One man who might not be quite so relaxed on the day is Lieutenant Colonel Dave Barringer, who will be in charge of 150 musicians marching in the coronation parade and conducting the national anthem in Buckingham Palace gardens at the close of the event in front of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
"We started the music selection for this before Christmas," Barringer told reporters about the tunes being played on the day, which includes a new march called "The King's Company."
"The King has the final say on the selection," he added about the personal involvement of King Charles. "Six weeks ago, we sat down with the Lord Chamberlain's office and played through the marches and brought that to a list that was then presented to the King for him to agree on a song."
"There's a couple of the pipe tunes that are going to be played in Buckingham Palace Gardens as we wait for the arrival of the King that are his favorites," added Barringer, who also led the musical elements for Queen Elizabeth's September 2022 funeral.
"I can reassure you that the King has played very close attention to every detail of the day," added Admiral Key about the involvement of King Charles in the coronation preparations. "It is after all his coronation and so not surprisingly, I am confident that he has not only been briefed on what we're doing but given those areas of direction where he would like to put his personal imprint on it."
"We see that with the stuff that is already been described about the day," added Key. "It's very much his day — it's Her Majesty's day as well. And for all of us, it's just an opportunity of great pride that we are of the many hundreds that are available to be part of it."
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