Transport for London is celebrating the coronation of King Charles with special commemorative bus wraps and more
Londoners and visitors to the capital will start to see London’s transport network mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Saturday 6 May, as celebrations get underway ahead of the bank holiday weekend. TfL’s iconic roundel logo has been crowned with a likeness of St Edward’s Crown, which will be used on Coronation Day to crown His Majesty King Charles III. The celebratory ‘crowndels’ will be found at Tube stations around the event area, as well as some Elizabeth line and London Overground stations, and at key interchange stations in central London.
Meanwhile, on the bus network, from 28 April five buses with commemorative wraps entered service in the capital in four different colours – red, dark blue, cyan and pink. The buses will be on routes taking in some famous central London locations linked to the royal family including Horse Guards Parade and Westminster Abbey, plus royal parks like Hyde Park. Operators Metroline, Stagecoach, Go-Ahead, RATP and Abellio have funded the special vinyl wraps. Three bus shelters on Oxford Street will also have a crown bearing the likeness of St Edward’s Crown installed on top of them.
A commemorative poster that pays homage to the one created in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Elizabeth II will also be displayed across the London transport network. The poster design features the crown, and the TfL roundel has been reimagined using the colours of all TfL services and Underground lines as a symbol of the pivotal role TfL plays in the lives of Londoners and visitors during such historic moments.
Special limited edition travel advice leaflets, again recreating the 1953 coronation leaflet, will be available in selected Underground and bus stations as well as National Rail stations on Saturday 6 May, containing travel advice. TfL says all of its services will be running as normal with no planned engineering closures on the network on the day of the coronation.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I’m incredibly excited that the eyes of the world are on London once again as Their Majesties are crowned, showing our capital city in all of its glory. These celebratory ‘crowndels’ and decorations will get Londoners and visitors into the spirit of this historic event as they come together to celebrate the coronation.”
London’s Transport Commissioner Andy Lord added: “Celebrations are getting underway on the transport network as we prepare to host and look after people from across the world as they come to London for the coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. We are excited to welcome everyone onto our services, and customers will be able to enjoy specially designed ‘crowndels,’ commemorative posters and special wraps on buses and Santander Cycles as they get around the capital during the festivities.
“Public transport remains the best way to travel in London during the coronation weekend and is at the heart of making this historic occasion a success, just like it did when London saw the 1953 coronation of Elizabeth II. With no planned engineering closures, I hope people make the most of the public transport options to enjoy the bank holiday.”
The buses involved are Metroline’s LT190 and Go Ahead’s LT511 which both wear the red version of the livery, Stagecoach 84150 in dark blue, RATP LT70 in cyan and Abellio 3006 in pink.
