Looking ahead to his big day king charles iii prepares for his date with destiny

I n a magnificent ceremony at Westminster Abbey this Saturday, King Charles III will meet his destiny.

Becoming monarch is a role he has prepared for his entire life and, at the age of 74, after what has been called the longest apprenticeship in history, he will be the oldest ever to be crowned in this country.

His date with royal fate comes almost eight months after the death of his beloved mother the Queen, who over the course of her 70-year reign paved the way for him to step up for his inevitable duty.

As cries of “God save the King” fill the air – and with his popularity polls on a high – His Majesty will take centre stage in a historic ceremony broadcast live around the globe.

By his side will be his “darling wife”, his Queen Consort, who will also be anointed and crowned – the first time this has happened since the Queen Mother at the coronation of George VI in 1937.

To mark the occasion, last week Buckingham Palace released a series of new photographs of the King and the Queen Consort, taken in the Blue Drawing Room of the palace.

The images, by their wedding photographer Hugo Burnand, show the royal couple in complementary shades of blue – His Majesty in an Anderson & Sheppard suit and Her Majesty in a Fiona Clare dress.

A PART OF HISTORY

In a tender tribute to the past, the Queen Consort is wearing a pair of pearl drop earrings that had belonged to the Queen.

There are further nods to the line of succession in the furnishings around them, which include giltwood and silk chairs dating back to George IV. Meanwhile, a portrait of George V shortly after his coronation in 1911 hangs on the wall in another photo.

Like his ancestor, the King will be crowned and anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury – in his case the Most Rev. Justin Welby – in a deeply religious ceremony that follows centuries-old rituals.

However, His Majesty has given the occasion a contemporary twist to reflect the modern era, including trimming his guest list to 2,000 people from the 8,000 who attended his mother’s coronation in 1953.

And before the King makes his sacred oath, placing his hand on a specially commissioned red leather Bible, the Archbishop will explain how the Church of England, of which the monarch is Supreme Governor, will work to create a country where “people