King Charles will host a reception for world leaders gathered in London on Friday for his coronation on Saturday in Britain's biggest official ceremony in 70 years.
Charles, 74, and his wife Camilla will be crowned at London's Westminster Abbey in a glittering yet majestic religious ceremony, following a tradition dating back nearly a thousand years, followed by a celebratory procession.
Fans of the royal family flock to a wide road leading to Buckingham Palace, while heads of state and world figures continue to arrive in the British capital.
The royal procession is scheduled to start from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Cathedral, adjacent to Parliament, where the coronation ceremony will take place in the presence of representatives and leaders of more than 200 countries, in addition to elite representatives of the British people.
British authorities have deployed thousands of officers to secure the inauguration ceremony in London.
The leaders of Australia and New Zealand will pledge allegiance to King Charles at his coronation ceremony on Saturday.
Preparations in London for the coronation of King Charles (Getty Images)
Jill attended and Biden missed
US First Lady Jill Biden, 71, wrote on Twitter before heading to Britain: "It is a great honour to represent the United States at this historic moment and to celebrate the special relationship between our two countries."
US President Joe Biden has faced some criticism, most notably from Donald Trump, his predecessor and potential rival in the 2024 elections, for not attending Charles' coronation, knowing that no US president has ever attended the coronation of one of Britain's kings.
During the coronation ceremony of the late Queen Elizabeth, Charles' mother, in 1953, then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a delegation of envoys to represent him.
The White House said last month that Biden had told Charles he wanted to meet him in Britain later.
Biden visited Belfast and Ireland last month to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement.
Charles spontaneously became king after Queen Elizabeth died at the age of 96 last September, but the coronation, while not necessary, is a symbolic event that legitimizes the king.
Against the backdrop of the costly crisis and public questions about the future of the royal institution, its role and finances, Saturday's event will take place on a smaller scale than the country witnessed 70 years ago.