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A number of events are being staged across the Bailiwick over the weekend to mark the King's Coronation, ahead of the 78th anniversary of Liberation Day.
The King will be crowned on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey.
A small number of personnel from Guernsey will be there either at the Abbey or assisting the emergency services in managing the crowds, while the majority of people will be watching the spectacle on television.
Pictured: The Lieutenant Governor and Bailiff have been invited to the Coronation, while Dean de la Mare of St John Ambulance and PCs Emma Bailey and Lyndsey Bell are among those assisting the blue light services in London this weekend.
Prior to the Coronation ceremony, there will be a vigil for the King at Forest Church tonight and the 'Ring for the King' will be heard from Forest, St Peter's, Vale and the Town Church tomorrow morning.
The Coronation Parade, from Fort George to the Model Yacht Pond, will set off at 10:00 with serving and veteran military personnel marching together.
The crew of the visiting HMS Puncher - captained by Guernseyman William de la Mare - will join others including the Boys’ Brigade band in the parade.
The Coronation Parade will be inspected by the Deputy Bailiff, Jessica Rowland.
Pictured: The above parade was staged for the installation of the Lieutenant Governor. A parade for the Coronation is being staged on Saturday morning.
Those in town for the morning will hear the 21-gun salute from Castle Cornet at 'around midday' as part of the national salute to the Monarch. Castle Cornet will be closed to the public all day on Coronation Day.
Those wanting to watch the national parades and the Coronation on TV will be able to do so on Saturday morning, with a big screen at the KGV for people to watch together if they wish.
Alongside the screening there will be family activities themed around the Coronation, including vintage games, Coronation crafts, information displays, royal fancy dress and photo opportunities for children and more. Refreshments will be available all day.
Deputy Peter Ferbrache said he might go along to watch the spectacle with company.
Pictured: King Charles III on his most recent visit to Guernsey in 2012 while Prince of Wales (Tracy Bougourd).
“The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III is a truly historic moment," said Deputy Ferbrache, "especially for the Bailiwick of Guernsey whose ties to the Crown are deeply rooted in our history and culture. It was a great privilege to be involved in the Proclamation of the King last year, in the days after the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and we saw in that period the great affection and loyalty Islanders felt for Her and for the new King. I’m very pleased that Islanders will have lots of opportunities to mark the Coronation and take part in the celebrations being staged in Guernsey.”
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture said a lot of work has gone in to organising events for a range of ages.
“We’ve organised a weekend of events that we hope appeals to all Islanders wanting to celebrate the Coronation, which will be the first in most of our lifetimes. There are lots of ways to get involved and we’re thankful to the Church of England, the Association of Guernsey Charities and many, many others who are also helping to make it a very special weekend.”
Pictured: The KGV - kept pristine by groundsman Stuart Le Prevost - will host the Coronation and the Coronation Concert on its big screens this weekend.
Following the Coronation itself, Guernsey will be marking ‘The Big Lunch’ on Sunday and 'The Big Help Out' on Monday.
Sunday 7 May will be the first Seafront Sunday of the year too and it's been allocated as an 'Eat Drink and Be Local' event so people can gather for a street-party style act of celebration.
Sunday evening will see the Coronation Thanksgiving Service at the Town Church while the KGV will again be the focal point for anyone wanting to gather to watch the Coronation Concert. That will be screened live from Windsor Castle with acts including Take That and Lionel Richie performing.
While the concert is ongoing, Castle Cornet, Fort Grey and Beau Séjour will be lit up in red, white, and blue as part of the national act of 'Lighting up the Nation'.
Pictured: King Charles III is the Patron of Les Bourgs Hospice which he visited in 2012 while still Prince of Wales.
The following day has been set as a Bank Holiday for the Coronation celebrations to continue with a national initiative giving everyone the chance to help out in our local communities.
Anyone wanting to volunteer on this occasion or any other is encouraged to get in touch with the Association of Guernsey Charities to discuss opportunities.
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