With their majesties playing host the royal reception

The King and Queen Consort, followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales, host a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace last December. Among their guests at a pre-coronation reception in May will be Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark; Norwegian royals Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain

R oyalty from around the world will descend on Buckingham Palace for a glittering reception on the eve of the King’s coronation. A host of monarchs and heirs have confirmed their attendance on 6 May, which will be preceded by a VIP gathering the night before.

Among those expected to join His Majesty and the Queen Consort are King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and his daughter Crown Princess Victoria, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are also believed to be attending and no doubt will help Their Majesties greet guests including Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. There will also be a welcome on the night for Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the country’s Queen until 2013, and her granddaughter the Princess of Orange, Catharina-Amalia, whose parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, will be at Westminster Abbey for the coronatio