Up to 400 tickets are up for grabs by peers to stand in a cordoned area off Parliament Square to witness King Charles’s procession.
MPs and peers will be hoping for clear skies on the day of the Coronation. Those who do not get a prime seat in Westminster Abbey will be offered “pavement” tickets to watch the King arrive.
Parliamentarians have been outraged after learning that only a small number of them will be invited to the ceremony. Members have been lobbying the Cabinet Office, convinced that they have a right to attend.
Officials have now devised a method to allow far more MPs and peers to feel involved in the proceedings, by issuing up to 400 tickets to stand in a cordoned-off area of Parliament Square, just outside the carriage gate entrance to the House of Parliament.
They will be able to see the King and his coronation procession coming down Whitehall and into Westminster Abbey from here.
“This is an attempt to appease them,” a source familiar with the plans said.
Extra event for MPs added
Originally, only 20 MPs and 20 peers were to be given tickets to Westminster Abbey.
According to those with knowledge of the event, these figures have now more than doubled. In addition, extra seats will be reserved for former prime ministers, Cabinet ministers, and some members of the privy council.
A special reception in Westminster Hall for MPs and peers has been added to the coronation schedule, which will take place on the Tuesday before the Coronation and will be attended by the King.
“This will relieve pressure on tickets in the Abbey,” said the source. “It’s a way of saying, ‘Look, the King is coming to see you.'”
While the Government and the Royal household are determined to put on a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of “glorious” pomp and pageantry, the Coronation will be on a smaller scale than Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953.
This is due in part to the fact that no scaffolding will be erected in Westminster Abbey this time to accommodate crowds as large as the late Queen’s coronation, which had a capacity of nearly 8,000 people.
Diverse congregation
The Sunday Telegraph reported last month that Buckingham Palace had been pleading with Westminster Abbey to secure more spaces, with a source claiming that the King was eager to get as many people into the Abbey as possible and was looking into ways to maximize capacity.
King Charles is said to want a diverse congregation to witness the historic event and will invite representatives from his many charity affiliations as well as a wide range of volunteers.
Even with the slight increase in attendance, only a small number of politicians and peers will be present, as well far fewer members of the aristocracy than attended Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
In comparison, the King is said to be adamant about reflecting modern, multicultural society and making his ceremony inclusive.
Faith leaders, the King’s godchildren, and current and former prime ministers will be present alongside the many members of the public.
Foreign royals, world leaders, and representatives from both Houses of Parliament will also be present for the occasion.
