this is bbc news. we will have the headlines and other menu stories for you at the top of the hours straight after this programme. under the cover of darkness, many are preparing. their mission? to ensure the king's coronation passes without a hitch. just days before

millions tune in to watch the coronation. they are able to practice their movements along the processional route. it is the biggest military ceremonial events seen in this country for seven decades. since the coronation of queen elizabeth ii in 1953. we aligning the precession routes and tens of millions will watch around the globe. no health or

foot out of place is huge. just a line of breaking news to bring you. this is related to buckingham palace police there say they have arrested a man outside the palace. it’s say they have arrested a man outside the palace.— outside the palace. it's early tuesday night. _ outside the palace. it's early tuesday night. hours - outside the palace. it's early tuesday night. hours before i outside the palace. it's early - tuesday night. hours before the rehearsal is due to kick off. right in front of buckingham palace, a reminder of the important role of the security services will play making sure everything goes according to plan. a man is detained by police after a suspected shotgun cartridges were thrown into the palace grounds. cordons were put up in the area and a precautionary controlled explosion carried out. it's being treated according to the met police as an isolated mental health incident.

once the security incident concludes the military rehearsal gets under way. to the delight of those who've made their way especially to watch and the surprise of people who just happen to find themselves surrounded by thousands of service personnel.

for those of the very brave members of the public, we circle — members of the public, we circle these things early morning rehearsal, now it is an overnight— morning rehearsal, now it is an overnight rehearsal, about 8pm last night, we had thousands of troops — last night, we had thousands of troops from the army coming to this assembly area, and a is forming _ this assembly area, and a is forming up and heading out to the various planes, ready to step— the various planes, ready to step off _ the various planes, ready to step off. it's very rare you get — step off. it's very rare you get all_ step off. it's very rare you get all regiments of the household revision without their — household revision without their colours a unique moment in our— their colours a unique moment in our history.

there are two processions, one takes the rails from buckingham palace to westminster abbey. it's known as the kings procession. we are the very front horse of the entire kings procession from buckingham palace to westminster abbey and back again safely. it's absolutely incredible. not only a once in career opportunity, but a once—in—a—lifetime opportunity and i am so, so lucky to be given the chance to do that.

the return journey back to the streets of central london is known as a coronation procession. both will be scrutinised in exacting detail. tonight, it must be rehearsed, finessed and made ready for the big day. as well as the military, the carriages sent to be used all parts of the rehearsal. on the way to the abbey, they will travel in a diamond jubilee

state coach. used for the first time at the state opening of parliament in 2014. it has electric windows, air conditioning and shock absorbers, making for a very comfortable ride. it's an important day for everyone involved. lots of care and preparation has been taken that every movement information in the kings coronation is perfect. up up until now, rehearsals have

had to take place outside the capital. tonight, troops can practice moving around the actual monuments. when carefully observed of senior officials on the lookout for any potential problems. under the cold night sky, the band marches on.

the procession then reaches westminster abbey. the moment of arrival, rehearsed exactly as it will be on coronation morning. the steps of the diamond jubilee state coach are carefully unfolded to allow the king and queen consort to safely dismount.

the route travels along some of the busiest roads in central london. they cannot simply be closed off every time there's a need to the drills. fin closed off every time there's a need to the drills.— need to the drills. on the streets. _ need to the drills. on the streets, you _ need to the drills. on the streets, you are - need to the drills. on the streets, you are paradingj need to the drills. on the i streets, you are parading on them on saturday, for each person on parade, they are looking for the small details, the small markers, the ground that they've got to march across, the distance they are from the people in front and behind and they will be focusing rather more on that than the crowd behind the crowd barriers. ., , barriers. the entire route is mapped _ barriers. the entire route is mapped out _

barriers. the entire route is mapped out exactly - barriers. the entire route is mapped out exactly using i barriers. the entire route is mapped out exactly using a| barriers. the entire route is - mapped out exactly using a pay stick, keeping everything at the correct distance. while the ceremony is happening inside the abbey, i will firm up inside the abbey, i will firm up on whitehall and the mall. they will set off as soon as they king and queen leave westminster abbey and joined the rear of the possession. —— procession. the ceremony inside the abbey is set to last two hours, after which the newly crowned king and queen will be

turned back to buckingham palace. the timekeepers with stopwatches at the ready expected to be not long after 1:30pm. next time the soldiers walked down the streets, officials hope, will be lined with crowds. all aiming to get a look at the real couple. —— royal couple.

well into the early hours, they march on. tonight, the streets are empty. come morning, they will be full once more.

on that day, there will be a long wait while the service continues, possibly in the rain, and infull view continues, possibly in the rain, and in full view of the clouds who will be lining the

streets. eyes forward and wait for the, and. i think the important thing is that everybody involved puts a huge amount of work into it and a lot of professionalism and skill of the young men and women of the armed forces delivering what i hope will be an amazing parade on saturday. king charles and queen coming up king charles and queen coming up with travel back to buckingham palace in the gold state coach. just as queen

elizabeth ii did in 1953. it is the most spectacular looking coach, notoriously uncomfortable, though, with the

late queen describing as writing it as horrible. at 260 years old, it doesn't have modern comforts and definitely no shock absorbers to smooth the ride. the return journey is a much grander affair, the return journey is a much granderaffair, involving around 4000 military.

as well as looking spectacular, the processions will sound extraordinary as well. marching bands from all three armed forces will provide this stirring contract guaranteed to get the crowds feeds tapping. marching music.

iam i am proud because i've been heavily involved in the planning of the event since november and it means an awful lot. just seeing the scale of the events over the last night, seen 7000 or 8000 service personnel in london with that event is incredible. i am looking forward to seeing how the nation reacts on saturday because it will galvanize the nation and hopefully everyone will appreciate what unites us, and not what keeps us apart.

the late queens procession back to buckingham palace took around two hours and was much longer than king charges will be. she traveled around much of central london including regent street and piccadilly circus. on saturday, as rehearsals practice tonight, the king and queen will return the way they came with the journey back expected to take around 33 minutes.

as the commander—in—chief of the armed forces, the monarch has a special link with the military. so, after the position is finished, they will form up in the garden of buckingham palace and would be joined there by king charles and queen camilla who will receive a royal salute. a successful rehearsal. now,

onto the main event. as the sun rises over london, the armed forces returned to their accommodation. they know, saturday, the drugs practice tonight will be recorded in history forever. —— mike drills. hello there. the coronation is almost here and the heavy showers that we had on friday, those have been fading away. we had some late in the day lovely rainbows, but earlier on, there was a lot of thunder and lightning. those have pushed clear, but we need to look to the south now into the english channel. this is where our weather is now coming from, the cloud thickening up and these weather

fronts will bring some rain. so this is the forecast for the coronation in central london. looks cloudy, there'll be some rain from time to time. temperatures are not going to be as high as the 20 celsius that we had on friday. we start with ten degrees in london first thing on saturday, seven or eight further north, just one of two showers left over here. but we've got this patchy rain here developing in southern england, moving steadily northwards into wales, the midlands, eventually into east anglia and lincolnshire. for northern england, scotland, northern ireland, some sunny spells breaking out, but also some heavy showers developing. in between those heavy showers in the sunshine, temperatures could reach 17 or 18 degrees under the cloud and the rain across england and wales nearer 14 or 15 celsius. there could be some wet weather into the night as well before finally pushing away out into the north sea. and then we'll see some sunny spells on sunday, but also some showers, more likely to have those showers in scotland and down the eastern side of england. so further west, you may get away with a dry day. with some sunshine around, it should be a bit warmer for most areas. temperatures peaking at 20 or 21 celsius across the southeast

in the afternoon. but if we look to the west, more weather fronts are beginning to pile in from the atlantic. and during the evening and overnight, we're going to find rain pushing its way eastwards across the whole of the country. so bank holiday monday starts cloudy with some rain around as well. that rain may be pushing its way eastwards, but it will be followed by some sunshine and some showers. these could be heavy and thundery, particularly in northern ireland and western parts of scotland. temperatures while not quite as high, at around about 16—18 celsius. so a real mixture of weather, ithink, over the coronation weekend. unfortunately, there is rain in the forecast for many of us. wet weather developing on saturday, fewer showers on sunday, but then we're back into some heavy showers on monday. and this very mixed picture continues into next week. we're on the cooler side of the jet, so temperatures nothing to write home about. there'll be some sunshine, but showers never too far away.

it is 1am in london — coronation day in the united kingdom. just hours from now, king charles iii will be crowned, along with queen consort camilla, at westminster abbey in front of 23 hundred guests watching in—person and millions of others around the world following along. it is an historic moment — charles becomes the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned there since 1066. a historic day in united kingdown and the bbc will have coverage from london, the 14 countries in the commonwealth, and all over the globe, bringing you the regalia, processions and ancient rituals. we'll have all that and more, including the crowning

moment itself later today at westminster abbey.