When King Charles III greeted onlookers during a surprise walkabout at Buckingham Palace Friday afternoon, one brave man asked if he was “nervous for tomorrow.” According to the BBC, Charles simply laughed in response. With less than 24 hours to go before his historic coronation, the king did squeeze in one last rehearsal at Westminster Abbey’s Theater of Coronation in the morning, along with Queen Camilla and Prince William, but spent his afternoon greeting the crowds who were camping out in preparation for tomorrow’s procession.

William and Princess Kate also joined for a palace luncheon, where the royals mingled with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the prime ministers of the realm, the 15 countries where the British monarch is still the head of state. The event began in the palace’s white drawing room, where Kate was spotted chatting with Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, one day after William hosted him for a meeting at Kensington Palace. They were joined at the luncheon with Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and her husband Tim Laurence, the Duke of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. 

During the event, Kate wore a white dress by Jenny Packham, black pumps, and a pair of pearl drop earrings that were a 1947 wedding present to the late Queen Elizabeth II from the King of Bahrain. Kate has previously worn the earrings for very special events, like the queen’s funeral in September 2022 and the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021. It’s a sign that she will likely be breaking out a few excellent family heirlooms for her various appearances over the weekend.

On Thursday, William and Kate visited a pub in Soho, where they talked with well wishers and learned about the hospitality industry’s plans for accommodating an influx of visitors for the coronation. According to Town & Country, Kate said that her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are feeling a little nervous about tomorrow. ”There’s a mix of nerves and anticipation and excitement going on at the moment,” Kate said. When one women asked if she thought Louis would behave, she crossed her fingers. “I hope so,” she said. “You never, you never quite know do you?”

After his walkabout, Charles hosted another reception at Buckingham Palace for visiting officials and dignitaries, including Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, and Queen Letizia of Spain. First Lady Jill Biden is representing the United States at Saturday’s event, and she arrived at the palace reception after spending the day with Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty. The pair met veterans at 10 Downing Street and visited a primary school. 

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