More than 400,000 people to be awarded with Coronation medal

Soldiers and emergency workers are among more than 400,000 people who will be given a medal for their efforts to support the King’s coronation.

Everyone actively contributing to and supporting the event on Saturday will be awarded it, including police officers, choristers, military personnel and ambulance workers.

The medals are a gift from the nation to commemorate the coronation for the people who will make the service on Saturday happen, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.

The medals, made of nickel silver, feature a portrait of the King and the Queen Consort on one side and the royal cypher, a laurel wreath and the date of the coronation on the other.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said the medal will “act as a reminder of the important part each person has played in this moment of history”.

It will also be given to current members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services and armed forces who have completed five full years of service.

The first coronation medal was awarded in 1603, under the reign of King James I.

It comes as preparations continue ahead of Saturday’s ceremony, with Union Jack bunting and crown decorations appearing across the capital.

Irish president to attend coronation

Some 100 heads of state, representatives from 200 countries and hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on London for the UK’s first coronation since Elizabeth II was crowned 70 years ago.

Some royal fans are already camped out near Buckingham Palace to secure the best viewing spot.

On Friday, the King, along with other members of the Royal Family, will host a reception for overseas guests ahead of the coronation.

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The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins will also meet the King on Friday night ahead of becoming the first Irish head of state to attend a coronation.

It will be the ninth occasion the two heads of state have met and continues a long-standing friendship between the two.

The Irish premier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, is expected to attend the coronation and political leaders from Northern Ireland have also been invited.

Among those who will be there is Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill in another demonstration of the markedly improved relations between the republican movement and the Royal Family since the peace process.

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’50/50′ chance flypast could be cancelled

The head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshall Sir Mike Wigston, has warned there’s a 50/50 chance tomorrow’s flypast to mark the King’s coronation will have to be cancelled.

More than 60 aircraft are due to be involved, but adverse weather conditions could mean that the flypast may need to be called off at the last minute.

Sir Mike said: “The weather isn’t looking brilliant, but there’s nothing we can do about it.

“It’s 50/50 at the moment, but we have lots of options, the decision will be made, at this stage we’re hoping for the best.

“We’ll make a weather call one or two hours before the actual moment, but if there’s rain and low cloud then it will be almost impossible to get it through.”

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