On the eve of King Charles' coronation, Prime Ministers and Commonwealth officials gathered for a special lunch at Buckingham Palace and then His Majesty, along with Prince and Princess of Wales surprised London's crowds with an impromptu walkabout.
Revellers asked the Princess if she was excited for the occasion and it was clear she was as she smiled her way along the crowds. Many fans tried to take selfies with the royals and a few even broke into a rendition of God Save The King.
Onlookers were very glad to see the royals as the weather broke and the sun was shining for their appearance in London.
As the King walked along one side of The Mall and then the other, the crowds shouted: "Three cheers for the King." One well-wisher held a banner featuring picture of the late Queen and the words 'Mummy would be proud'.
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Princess Kate looked effortlessly glamorous as usual wearing a white Jenny Packham dress with black detailing. The royal paired the dress with pointed black Aquazzura heels and a black clutch. Look closely and you'll see the Princess' dazzling earrings, which are likely to be a gift from the late Queen, and they were originally given to Her Majesty for her royal wedding.
The Princess revealed that the children are feeling a little nervous ahead of the huge occasion, which is totally understandable, especially as they are believed to be part of the coronation, appearing in front of thousands of people.
See the best photos from the royal walkabout
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© Getty ImagesSpeaking to HELLO!'s Emily Nash, Lovel Vining, 69, from Toronto said: “I shook his hand and chatted with him. He saw my hat (bearing the Canadian flag) and asked me where I am from in Canada and said he liked that part of the world.
© Getty“It was a real thrill to shake his hand. To be able to chat to the King on the eve of his coronation is incredible. I think he looks great, really well. There is a lot going on but I think he’s doing really well – he has difficult shoes to fill.
“But he’s been preparing for this for a lifetime, so I think he will do a brilliant job. I wouldn’t miss this for the world, this is a bucket list item for me.”
© Getty ImagesAt lunchtime, the monarch welcomed the officials for the Realm Governors General and Prime Ministers Lunch. Guests gathered in the white drawing room before a drinks reception in the music room and then they enjoyed lunch in the blue drawing room.
Charles looked excited as he made lots of joyful facial expressions wearing one of his signature blue suits.
Other royals at the event included Prince William and Princess Kate.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also attended, alongside the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
Earlier in the day, King Charles was pictured in a car leaving Westminster Abbey after a coronation rehearsal with other members of the royal family.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greeted his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins and The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Downing Street this morning, and these were believed to be two of the officials in attendance.
© GettyOther guests at the luncheon included US First Lady, Jill Biden, who represented her husband, President Joe Biden, and Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.
© Getty ImagesThis evening, the celebrations continue with a special pre-coronation reception where we may see more royal family members in attendance.
The family must be feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves ahead of the momentous occasion.
© Getty ImagesWhile King Charles's Coronation will be a slimmed-down event in comparison to 1953, nearly the entire Royal family will be out in force.
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Prince Harry is flying in from the US and even the youngest members of the 'firm' like Prince Louis are expected to be involved somehow.
© Getty ImagesThe final guest list for the coronation makes up a congregation of more than 2,200 people.
On Saturday, Camilla will officially become 'Queen Camilla' as Lambeth Palace published a notice that on 3 May, 2023, King Charles issued a Royal Warrant stating that from Coronation Day itself, Her Majesty should be named Queen Camilla in prayers said for or referring to the Royal Family.
For the last eight months, all references have been to 'Camilla, the Queen Consort.'
