Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter

So the opening day of King Charles III's Coronation has come to an end.

He and the queen consort have had a busy-ish day. They’ve been at the final rehearsals for tomorrow’s ceremony before Charles, joined by William and Kate, met with well-wishers on The Mall.

Charles then met with leaders of the Commonwealth before hosting dignitries from around the world at Buckingham Palace.

But the real action starts tomorrow. Charles’ Coronation will start at 11:00 BST at Westminster Abbey before he and Camilla, the Queen Consort, pass thousands and thousands of fans on their way back to the palace where they will get a flypast from the Red Arrows and other aircraft.

But it’s not all celebrations here in London. The Republic anti-monarchy group are planning a demonstration in Trafalgar Square and around the country.

Join us again in the morning, where we will be keeping you updated throughout the day.

Alys Davies and I edited the coverage today, which was written by Andre Rhoden-Paul, Thomas Mackintosh and James Harness with contributions from correspondents around London.

Andre Rhoden-Paul
Live Reporter

We are now ending our live coverage of the build-up to the Coronation.

We will be back tomorrow with our live coverage and analysis of the big day from our team and correspondents at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

Until then, you can read:

• Coronation timetable: Your complete guide to the day
• Coronation procession route, what to look out for and when
• Public wish King Charles luck on walkabout

Image source, Getty Images

King Charles III's big day is fast approaching. A lot of planning has gone into ensuring it runs smoothly.

The Coronation will be the biggest ceremonial military operation since the state funeral of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in 1965, the army boss in charge of logistics has said.

Brigadier Patrick Reehal will be responsible for coordinating thousands of troops involved in the ceremony, and ensuring military transport and food provisions run smoothly throughout.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) during rehearsals so far:

• 122,445 meals have been served
• 81,630 eggs and 74,130 sausages cooked
• 81,630 litres of bottled water have been issued

The MOD has also involved 1,700 tailoring alterations, 3,000 bags of laundry, and 900 haircuts – while those in the procession will have marched a combined distance of 122,445km – or three times around the world.

Brigadier Reehal says: “This is a genuine military and civilian combined national effort."

A teenage cancer survivor has spoken of his shock after being invited to the Coronation.

A-level student Sahil Usman, who received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to community in Blackburn, Lancashire, during the pandemic, said he thought his mum was lying when she told him about the invite.

More than 450 BEM recipients have been invited to the coronation in recognition of their contributions.

He said: "I was coming back from Sixth Form and we parked up near our house, and my mum said to me that there's an invitation for the Coronation.

"And I didn't tend to believe it because I thought 'why I would be getting one'."

Sahil, who was going through cancer treatment for Leukaemia at the time, organised 300 hampers with essential items for the elderly during the pandemic.

He added: "We'll be able to see everything. So it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a very honourable moment - a moment in history."

Passengers on the London's Underground can hear a specially recorded message from the King and queen this weekend.

In the recording the King says: "My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful Coronation weekend."

Followed by the queen consort who adds: "Wherever you are travelling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey."

Finally, the King says: "And remember, please mind the gap."

Despite the warm reception we've seen on the Mall for the Royals, not everyone will be supporting the Coronation tomorrow.

According to a Savanta poll (formerly ComRes) commissioned by CNN published today, 48% of 2,093 UK adults said they were not interested in the Coronation, while 50% were.

Pressure group Republic, who want to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state, claims polls show support for the monarchy is falling.

They point to a Savanta poll, commissioned by the Sunday Express published in January, which shows more 18 to 24 year-olds and 25 to 34 year-olds (44.4% and 49.4% respectively) preferred Britain having an elected head of state than those who preferred a monarchy or didn't know.

However, 54.7% across all age ranges of the total 2,124 respondents did prefer Britain having a monarchy.

Republic's CEO Graham Smith said: "This Savanta poll shows that the monarchy has lost popular support from those under the age of 45. It's not just young people turning away.

"Royalists have always said that the monarchy survives for as long as the people want it. When support falls below 50% that will spell serious trouble for the institution."

You can read more on Coronation apathy below.

• Why I won't be watching the King's Coronation

Let’s now have a look inside Buckingham Palace, where presidents and royals have gathered for an evening reception.

The evening is being hosted by the King and other senior members of the Royal Family for the VIPs who have flown in for the Coronation tomorrow.

Image source, PA

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

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Charlotte Gallagher
Reporting from Buckingham Palace

This is the last event for King Charles ahead of his Coronation.

Around a thousand VIPs were invited to Buckingham Palace for an early evening reception - the King perhaps hoping for an early night before a long day tomorrow.

The US First Lady, Dr Jill Biden, took one of her granddaughters to the event, while the Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska was accompanied by the country’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal.

Foreign royalty were also invited - Kings, Queens, princes and princesses from across the world walked the red carpet into Buckingham Palace.

All the dignitaries even created a traffic jam on the Mall as they were chauffeured to the event.

A different kind of traffic to what we will see there tomorrow, when state coaches and thousands of members of the military will be there as Charles goes to be crowned King.

Image source, Pool

We are now hearing foreign dignitaries are at Buckingham Palace for a special reception with the King ahead of the Coronation tomorrow.

About 1,000 are expected to attend.

A broken leg wasn't going to stop Debbie Hoover's aunt in Tennessee missing out on speaking with the royals.

A 40th birthday and seeing the King? It's been quite a week for Angela.

Daniel Sandford
Home affairs correspondent

Image source, Reuters

On the eve of the Coronation the seriousness and scale of the security operation in the capital this weekend has become much more visible.

On the roof of Buckingham Palace police spotters can be seen with high-powered binoculars.

Convoys with motorcycle outriders are whisking the King and other members of the Royal Family between rehearsals and other events.

The crowds gathering on The Mall are being watched by uniformed officers. Extra CCTV cameras have been installed along the route, and police are using live automated facial recognition cameras to try to spot known suspects in the crowd.

The Met Police said it was using a layered security approach, with visible officers on the streets, and others working covertly and watching the crowd. And underlying the whole operation is the close intelligence co-operation with the security service MI5.

The Commissioner Mark Rowley has described it as the biggest single deployment of police in London ever.

Navtej Johal
Midlands correspondent

The Coronation of King Charles is being celebrated in a variety of ways across the country this weekend.

In Leicester, a multi-faith service is taking place at De Montfort University featuring singing and dancing, organised by BBC Radio Leicester. Volunteers have been busy preparing food parcels for attendees today.

Priti Raichura from the Shree Jalaram Hindu Temple has been rehearsing the music, and says: “We just want to sing for the King tomorrow, it’s going to be a lovely get-together with all faith communities”.

She also says she’s not bothered by the forecast of rain: “We’ll have our umbrellas, we’ll have our anoraks, we’ll have our raincoats. We’re still going out tomorrow, there’s nothing stopping us.”

Catherine Tarbuck-Jones in Ravenstone, Leicestershire is also preparing for a big event. She’s helped to arrange a street party for Sunday with around 100 people expected to attend.

In her busy kitchen where a group of neighbours are baking scones in preparation for the festivities, she tells me she’s looking forward to “getting everybody together, having a good time, and finishing off with a gin and tonic”.

Clare Mcdonnell
Presenter, BBC 5Live

Our colleagues at BBC Radio 5Live have been speaking to some of the many people who were at The Mall when the King, Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance a little earlier.

Nigel Addison Evans got to shake the King's hand, and described the experience as "brilliant".

"I've met a few of the royals before, but never met him," Nigel said. "So, it's fantastic to actually shake his hand the day before the Coronation.

"I felt a little bit emotional, I wasn’t expecting it, but that was great. I feel like a little school boy."

Well it wouldn't be a bank holiday weekend without some rain, would it?

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Chi Chi Izundu
Reporting from The Mall

Bruce Jonoz travelled all the way from Novi, Michigan with his sister Christine Wofford.

“We didn’t believe we would get this close to King Charles”, Bruce told us, with Christine adding: “I think he only stopped here because of my flag”.

The pair say they love the UK, are fans of the royals and wanted to soak up the atmosphere by camping along the Mall to try and get a great position to watch all the pomp and ceremony.

They say they have felt very welcomed and enjoyed their time - despite the unpredictable British weather.

It could be a lively Friday afternoon for those out and about in central London, with thunderstorms and hail possible. The BBC's Sarah Keith-Lucas has the forecast.

Royal superfans are already staking their claim for the best viewing spots for the Coronation procession tomorrow.

John Loughrey said he was the first royalist to arrive, having set up camp on Thursday last week.

Watch as he gives us a tour of his makeshift camp.