by Thousands of military veterans and NHS workers have to find a seat in front of Buckingham Palace to watch the coronation.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said some 3,800 seats that will be in a purpose-built grandstand at the Queen Victoria Memorial were offered to these civil servants “as a token of the nation’s deep gratitude”.
Veterans, NHS and social workers, as well as representatives of charities with links to the Royal Family will be among the invited guests at these seats, while a further 354 uniformed cadets will be offered the opportunity to watch the coronation procession at the Admiralty Arch.
The coveted seats mean they will get special insight into key moments during the coronation on 6 May, including the processions, the appearance of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and the flight of the armed forces.
They will also be able to see the King and Queen Consort travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the state Diamond Jubilee carriage drawn by six Windsor Gray horses, accompanied by the Sovereign’s escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
The royal couple will return to Buckingham Palace aboard the Gold State Coach.
Invitations from the Royal British Legion (RBL) and individuals or organizations who have contributed to the government’s veterans strategy have been sent to veterans who will be at the Buckingham Palace site.
Philippa Rawlinson, director of memory at the RBL, said: “The armed forces are of great importance to the nation as they work to protect us, our freedoms and our society’s way of life.
“We know it will be a great privilege for members of the military community to see their new commander-in-chief on this significant day.”
On Coronation Day, the King’s Procession will travel along The Mall, through Admiralty Arch, along the south side of King Charles Island to Trafalgar Square, before descending along Whitehall via the east and south side of Parliament Square to the Westminster Abbey.
The remainder of the central London procession route is ticketless and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Central London is expected to be filled with royal fans and large screens will be positioned in royal parks including Hyde Park, Green Park and St James’s Park so they can watch the day’s events.
More than 57 locations across the UK will have big screens allowing over 100,000 people to watch events in their cities, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
St James’s Park screens will also show the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on 7 May.
The DCMS said there will be accessible viewing space along the north side of The Mall and at all screen sites in London. Accessible viewing spaces are also available for people watching the concert on the big screen at St James’s Park.
These viewing spaces which will be at ground level will include first aid and mental health first aid, water refill stations, restrooms and accessible restrooms, welfare points, and concession kiosks selling Food and beverages.
There will be hearing aids for use by people with hearing aids and British Sign Language interpreters, and accessible toilets and changing facilities will be provided, according to the DCMS.
