The coronation tells us a lot about the state of the nation — and it’s not all good news

The occasion will be a showstopper. But Charles’s humility reflects Britain’s dwindling place in the world, writes Mary Dejevsky

This coronation could very well be the last of its kind (PA Wire)

In less than a year, London will have hosted three major royal events, each with its own distinctive mood and theatre. But the one with greatest historic meaning and magnificence will be the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday. That’s why, even if you were to argue that the city, the British public and aficionados of pageantry the world over have become blasé about such occasions, you would be wrong.

I have the privilege, and at times such as these the massive headache, of living just a short distance from Westminster Abbey and St James’s Park. When I walked down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace early in the week, there were people already camped out in prime positions, not just securing their spot but advertising their allegiance. There was a group from Wales with huge national flags fixed to crowd barriers, a group from the United States, stars and stripes similarly announcing their provenance, and a good dozen or more clusters of people from other parts of England tending to their tiny tents.

Simply walking around, as I have done practically every day this week, has afforded glimpses of the scale of the planning of such events; of how everything has to be assembled methodically, piece by piece, until it all slots into place.