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King Charles is giving veterans and NHS workers a prime viewing spot for his coronation, in what is set to be the largest ceremonial military operation in 70 years.

More than 6,000 men and women from the UK’s Armed Forces will take part in the historic royal event.

Read more: The ultimate guide to the King’s coronation

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King’s coronation route revealed

Sailors, soldiers and aviators will accompany the King and Queen Consort to and from Westminster Abbey, where the coronation service will take place on 6 May.

Nearly 400 personnel from at least 35 Commonwealth countries will also be on parade to mark the milestone.

Later in the day, military personnel will conduct a six-minute flypast of more than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force – flying over The Mall in central London.

Featured among the aerial procession will be aircraft that have delivered support to Ukraine, policed NATO airspace, supported disaster relief, deterred drug trafficking and countered terrorism in the Middle East and Africa.

Seating being erected on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, central London, ahead of King Charles III's Coronation.

A front-row seat to the royal procession

Meanwhile, veterans and NHS workers will be seated in 3,800 seats in a specially built grandstand in front of Buckingham Palace.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said the seats have been offered to these public servants “as a mark of the nation’s profound gratitude”.

King Charles III during a visit to the newly-renovated Leighton House museum in London, to hear about the artistic partnership with Turquoise Mountain, the charity founded by the then Prince of Wales to preserve and develop traditional craft practices across Afghanistan, Myanmar, and the Middle East. Picture date: Thursday February 9, 2023.

Representatives of charitable organisations with links to the Royal Family will also be offered seats, while another 354 uniformed cadet forces will be given the chance to watch the coronation procession at Admiralty Arch.

The coveted spots mean they will get a special view of key moments including the processions, the appearance of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony, and the Armed Forces flypast.

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Harry at coronation without Meghan

They will also get to see the King and Queen Consort travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach drawn by six Windsor Grey horses, accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

The royal couple will travel back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach.

Invites from the Royal British Legion and individuals or organisations that have contributed to the government’s Veterans Strategy have gone out to the veterans who will be at the Buckingham Palace site.

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Royal Mint reveals coronation range

Where can you watch the day’s events?

London is expected to be packed with royal fans and big screens across the major parks, so the public can follow the ceremony live.

More than 57 locations across the UK will have big screens enabling over 100,000 people to watch in their hometowns, according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Screens in St James’s Park will also show the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on 7 May.

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Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are among musical acts on the “world-class” line-up.

The DCMS said there will be an accessible viewing space along the north side of The Mall and at all screen sites in London.

Accessible viewing spaces for the people watching the concert on the big screen at St James’s Park are also available.

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Girl, 10, and father, who died in caravan park fire in Lincolnshire named

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Girl, 10, and father, who died in caravan park fire in Lincolnshire named

Two people who died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness have been named by police.

Lincolnshire Police said 48-year-old Lee Baker and his 10-year-old daughter Esme Baker, both from the Nottingham area, were killed in the blaze.

However, formal identification is still yet to take place and “could take some time”, the force said.

Emergency services were alerted to a fire at Golden Beach Holiday Park, in the village of Ingoldmells, at 3.53am on Saturday.

In a statement issued through police, a member of the Baker family said: “Lee and Esme were excited to be spending the first weekend of the holidays together.

“We are all utterly devastated at what’s happened.

“This loss is incomprehensible at the moment, and we ask for people to give us space to process this utterly heartbreaking loss.”

A GoFundMe page set up for the victims’ family described the father and daughter as “two peas in a pod” who were “both happy-go-lucky people who loved life”. It has so far raised more than £3,000.

The police force, together with Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Detective Inspector Lee Nixon said: “We believe we might be close to arriving at a working hypothesis.

“We are working hard to validate the facts available to us to be able to provide answers for the family and loved ones of those who were very tragically taken by this fire.

“Yet the evident intensity of the fire has made this task incredibly challenging.”

Dan Moss, from Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, said: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family at this time.

“Our Fire Investigation Team is working with colleagues from Lincolnshire Police, and a full investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

“Once investigations are complete, local fire crews and our community fire safety team will be on hand to talk to people in the area and address any fire safety concerns they may have, at what will be an upsetting time.”

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Man arrested over wildfire that triggered ‘major incident’ in Northern Ireland

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Man arrested over wildfire that triggered 'major incident' in Northern Ireland

A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.

More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.

It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.

“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.

“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.

A wildfire broke out in Northern Ireland. Pic: Sky Watch NI
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The wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown. Pic: Sky Watch NI

A wildfire broke out in Northern Ireland. Pic: Sky Watch NI
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More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. Pic: Sky Watch NI

Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.

On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.

Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”

Dorset wildfires
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Moors Valley Country Park blackened by fires this week

Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.

In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.

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Wildfires spread across nature reserve

Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.

Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.

The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.

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Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

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Man shot dead in Stanley, County Durham

Police are investigating after a man was shot dead in County Durham.

Officers were called to an address in Elm Street, Stanley, at about 5.20pm on Saturday after reports of a “disturbance”, Durham Constabulary said.

A man in his 50s was found to have been shot and despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His family have been told and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Specialist crime scene investigators are at the scene, and officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries.

A cordon is in place and is expected to stay there for some time.

Detective Superintendent Neil Fuller said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which a man has been shot and has sadly died.”

He added: “Residents may see an increased police presence in the area. I would like to thank them for their support while we carry out this investigation.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time.”

Read more from Sky News:
Furious row after Labour MPs denied entry to Israel
Man arrested over wildfire that triggered ‘major incident’

Durham Constabulary has urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage or CCTV to contact the force.

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