A Royal Jaunt Around London

2023 will see a moment marked in history – the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla. And whilst we patiently await the big day itself, our Piccadilly home couldn’t be better positioned as a start (middle and end) point for a jaunt around London, visiting the crowning and glorious royal sites that call this city home.

So, without further ado and a Scotch Egg or two safely stowed - an essential provision for such an adventure – let’s begin our journey…

Buckingham Palace

SW1A, 51.5014° N, 0.1419° W

His Majesty King Charles III's official London residence, recognised the world over, Buckingham Palace is a working palace that serves as a venue for royal events, ceremonies, hosting Heads of State and much more, as well as a weekly audience with the Prime Minister.

Home to 775 rooms including 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 19 state rooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms, it’s quite the residence. Whilst Buckingham Palace is only open to the public during the summer months, it’s well worth a visit any time of the year to revel in its grandeur and beauty and spot ‘the balcony’ that has famously marked many occasions and royal waves. 1851 saw the first recorded balcony appearance, with Queen Victoria stepping out for the opening of the Great Exhibition.

King Charles III was born at the Palace in 1948, and to this day, royal births and deaths are announced on the front railings for everyone to read. Onwards to our next stop, one you don’t have to travel far to...

Royal Mews

SW1W, 51°29'56.22"N, 0°8'41.84"W

The Royal Mews is a working stable within Buckingham Palace and is responsible for all road travel arrangements for The King and the Royal Family. Not only that, they train the Windsor Greys and Cleveland Bays – the horses that pull the royal carriages. No pressure.

Talking of carriages, the Gold State Coach is on display at the Royal Mews and is a living part of British History. Here are a few facts that may cause you to audibly gasp… it’s 261 years old and has been used at every coronation since George IV’s in 1821. At seven metres long, weighing four tonnes and needing eight horses to draw it, it’s understandable to only ever be used at walking pace.

Used for Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953, it’s been reported that a hot water bottle was strapped underneath the seat by Mews staff, as the day was unusually cold and wet. Most recently, the Gold State Carriage was featured during the 2022 Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

From here, let’s take a gentle and pleasant stroll through St James’s Park to….

Horse Guards Parade

SW1A, 51.5049° N, 0.1274° W

This ceremonial parade ground in St James’s Park is not only the scene of Trooping the Colour, commemorating the monarch’s official birthday, but the Horse Guards building is also the official entrance to St James’s and Buckingham Palace and guarded by two mounted cavalry troopers.

The Life Guard changes at 11am daily and 10am on Sunday. It’s quite the sight.

The Household Cavalry Museum sits within Horseguards and is a living museum that celebrates the history and accomplishments of The Household Cavalry where troopers can be seen working with the horses in the original 18th century stables.

At this point in our jaunt, we would recommend a cup of Royal Blend Tea (our gift to King Edward VII having been set the challenge of bringing him “the finest tea in all of the land’) to be sipped from our Reusable Cup made from single use takeaway cups.

Onwards, dear traveller, to the scene of the main event…

Westminster Abbey

SW1P, 51.4994° N, 0.1273° W

A 10 minute stroll onwards and you’ll find yourself at Westminster Abbey, a royal church and a World Heritage Site that has over 1000 years of history including 38 coronations and 39 monarchs crowned (soon to be 40). Quite some history.

The Coronation of King Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey on 6th May 2023 and despite its long history in hosting coronations, it became the coronation venue of choice more by accident than intention. Before 1066, there was no established coronation location and it was when William the Conqueror decided he wanted to be crowned at the centre of government (Westminster) and by choosing the burial place of his predecessor as the location for his coronation, he cemented the legitimacy of his rule – and every monarch since then has followed this tradition and been coronated at Westminster Abbey, with King Charles no exception to this.

Continuing the history lesson, we take a few paces east to…

The Tower of London

EC3N, 51.5081° N, 0.0759° W

Home to a surprisingly large variety of things and playing a prominent role in English history, the Tower of London has been home to the Royal Mint and now, most famously, the Crown Jewels.

Before we talk of the Crown Jewels, a couple of fascinating facts about The Royal Mint for you – not only is it the UK’s oldest company (over 1,100 years old to be precise), it’s also the official maker of British coins – an exclusive contract to supply our nation’s coinage.

Now back to the jewels… they have been protected at the Tower of London since the 1660s and are the nation’s most precious treasures. Over 100 objects and over 23,000 gemstones make up the collection which includes the sacred Coronation Regalia, specifically St Edward’s Crown, only used to crown a new monarch during a coronation ceremony, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, the Sovereign’s Orb and Coronation Spoon, each representing the powers and responsibilities of the monarch, and were used at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and will too at that of King Charles III.

And now it feels like a well-earned rest and spot of refreshment is in order… to 181 Piccadilly, at once!

Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly

W1A, 51.5081° N, 0.1382° W

Afternoon Tea at our Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon can be the only fitting conclusion to our royal jaunt. Our Tea Salon has been a great many over our 316 year history. It began as an apartment for the Fortnum family, then became an interior decorating department in the 1920s and 1930s, and later an antiques department and a restaurant known as St. James’s. Since 2012 it has paid homage to the timeless tradition of Afternoon Tea.

Epitomising the sophistication of Afternoon and High Tea in all its splendour, our Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon was named in honour of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s visit in 2012, when she formally opened the room.

If your appetite is whetted for further royal adventures, there are eight royal parks in London to discover, and if you’re wanting to explore further afield, there’s always a royal road trip to Windsor Castle to enjoy… just remember your Fortnum’s Hamper for such an excursion – essential sustenance!