King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla braved the cold this morning as they headed to a church service at the Sandringham estate.
The 74-year-old monarch was wrapped up warm in a long-lined brown coat and red scarf as he walked up the path to St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk.
Meanwhile, the Queen Consort, 75, protected herself from the winter chill in a thick wool coat that matched her husband’s outerwear.
The king looked dapper in a fur-lined hat and sleek black boots as the couple headed for church service at the church where the royal family gathers every Christmas.
King Charles, 74, was wrapped up warm in a brown coat and red scarf as he walked up the path to St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk
Temperatures in Norfolk fell to just 3C this morning – with frost blanketing the grass alongside the church path.
However, that didn’t stop the public from showing their support for the couple after the service ended.
Two school children were greeted with a wave by the Queen Consort as they stood near the entrance to the church.
Today’s outing marked the first time the royal couple has been pictured since the full details of the king’s three-day coronation celebrations were announced.
The Queen Consort left the church after the service at Sandringham this morning
The Queen Consort greeted the young royal fans with a wave that led them back to the couple’s royal residence
The Queen Consort, 75, sheltered from the winter chill in a thick wool coat that matched her husband’s outerwear as temperatures dropped to just 3C this morning
The grass next to the church path was covered in frost when the royal couple disembarked this morning
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were pictured outside Norfolk Church last month
The Coronation of King Charles III: A Timeline
May 6th
The King and Queen Consort will travel to Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony.
After the ceremony, they will take part in a second procession to Buckingham Palace before appearing on the balcony.
May 7th
Brits are encouraged to hold street parties and attend the Big Lunch.
A festive concert featuring an exclusive performance by the Coronation Choir is taking place at Windsor Castle.
8th of May
An additional holiday is planned for May 8th.
Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer for charitable causes through Big Help Out.
The official coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, where His Majesty will eschew royal robes in favor of military attire to update the ceremony.
A procession then takes the newly crowned king past thousands of people who will line the streets to Buckingham Palace, where he will then join members of his family on the balcony to wave to the crowds.
The next day, Windsor Castle will host a concert that will be televised around the world, with thousands of street parties in the early afternoon as people gather to celebrate the occasion. This is followed by a public holiday on Monday, giving millions of people a day off from work.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the streets for the once-in-a-lifetime coronation process, with the firm hoping the crowds will rival those seen at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September.
At the coronation, which takes place the first weekend in May this year, Charles will champion refugees, diversity and volunteerism.
It begins with the coronation of Charles and Camilla, the Queen consort, on Saturday May 6th.
The ceremony at Westminster Abbey is preceded by a procession from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey.
The path is lined with members of the armed forces, including sailors, soldiers, airmen and airmen.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to join the procession, possibly with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet may also be there.
The Earl of Wessex and Princess Royal are expected to attend as Prince Charles’ siblings. It’s thought Prince Andrew could also play a role – although it’s not known if he’ll be able to wear military uniforms as he and Harry are no longer royals.
In a break with tradition, Queen Consort Camilla is crowned with her husband by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Rather than wearing the traditional trousers and stockings of his male ancestors, the king is expected to don a military uniform to be considered contemporary.
Queen Elizabeth II, pictured at her coronation in 1953, holds the orb and scepter while wearing the Imperial crown of state
Another procession follows, with Charles and Camilla joined by other members of the royal family, and an appearance on the palace balcony.
However, it’s unlikely that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will join the rest of the family on the balcony – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to have been banned from attending after their Netflix documentary and Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare the Monarchy were torn down .
But the weekend will be more than crowns, scepters and ermine robes.
With the coronation, the palace wants to show that the monarchy still has a role to play in a multicultural nation grappling with a livelihood crisis, budget cuts and a wave of strikes by public sector workers.
While Queen Elizabeth II was widely respected, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of people who waited hours to pass her coffin after her death in September, there is no guarantee that the reverence will be passed on to her eldest son.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured walking towards St May Magdalene Church on Christmas Day 2018) is not expected to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during King Charles’ coronation celebrations
The crowning event will be a solemn service presided over by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, but the palace is also planning a weekend of events highlighting the diverse communities and cultures that contribute to modern Britain.
The palace is asking neighborhoods across the country to attend the “Coronation Big Lunch” on Sunday, May 7 – the latest incarnation of the block parties that have become a staple of major royal celebrations.
That evening there is a concert at Windsor Castle featuring a choir made up of amateur ensembles from across the UK, including refugee choirs, National Health Service choirs, LGBTQ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.
The Coronation Choir will be joined by another choir composed of singers from across the Commonwealth who will perform virtually during the televised concert, which will also include unannounced headliners.
During the concert, locations across the country will be illuminated with projections, lasers and drone displays.
Thousands of tickets for the concert, which will be produced by BBC Studios and broadcast on BBC One, will be available via a public vote as Buckingham Palace this weekend gave the first glimpse of plans for a coronation weekend that will grip the nation .