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The Prince of Wales has told Sky News he feels “good” ahead of the weekend’s coronation, adding: “fingers crossed”, as he and the Princess of Wales met people outside a pub in Soho, central London.

William and Kate visited the Dog And Duck pub, and were greeting crowds outside when William was asked how he was feeling ahead of the big event.

He replied: “Good, good, thank you, if all goes well, good.

“Fingers crossed, good weather as well.”

Earlier, the couple had been travelling on the London Underground’s Elizabeth line.

They boarded the Tube at Acton Main Line in west London, chatting with Transport for London workers about their plans for the bank holiday weekend.

The Prince and Princess of Wales travel on London Underground's Elizabeth Line in central London, on their way to visit the Dog & Duck pub in Soho to hear how it's preparing for the coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort. Picture date: Thursday May 4, 2023.
The Prince and Princess of Wales travel on London Underground's Elizabeth Line in central London, on their way to visit the Dog & Duck pub in Soho to hear how it's preparing for the coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort. Picture date: Thursday May 4, 2023.

Kate was asked about Charles’s coronation on Saturday and said: “Yes, it’s going to be a busy time.

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“We’re getting there – I still feel like we’re trying to get ducks in a row.”

The royal couple travelled three stops before leaving the train at Tottenham Court Road.

Kate was spotted using an Oyster card as she left the station and she and William walked the short distance to the Dog And Duck pub in Soho.

William poured a pint of Kingmaker, which according to waitress Bernie Kidson was the “perfect pint”. Kate ordered half a pint of cider.

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Prince William pulls a pint
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Prince William pulls a pint
William pulls pint at soho pub

The visit comes as the hospitality industry hopes for a bumper weekend – the city is expecting a £68m boost during the coronation fortnight just from the tourists in town, according to Key Data.

The historic event has sparked a 75% surge in the number of visitors to London from abroad.

There are just two days to go before the coronation, which will see The King anointed and crowned in front of 2,300 guests and a global audience expected to be in the millions.

The Prince of Wales following a visit to the Dog & Duck pub in Soho where he heard how it is preparing for the coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort at the weekend. Picture date: Thursday May 4, 2023.

Prince William will kneel before his father and vow to be his “liege man of life and limb” and he will also help clothe The King in his golden robe royal, also known as the mantle, before the crowing.

William’s son and future king George, nine, will be one of his grandfather’s pages of honour and is expected to be tasked with holding the train of Charles’s regal robes.

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales travel on London Underground's Elizabeth Line in central London, Thursday, May 4, 2023. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Hundreds of soldiers have been rehearsing during the early hours of the morning this week, with the diamond jubilee state coach and gold state coach travelling down The Mall as part of the dry-run for the event.

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 40-year-old woman was shot dead in South Wales.

The woman was found with serious injuries just after 6pm on Sunday and died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.

She was discovered in the Green Park area of Talbot Green, a town about 15 miles west of Cardiff.

A 42-year-old local man is in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector James Morris said: “I understand the concern this will cause the local community, and I want to reassure people that a team of experienced detectives are already working at pace to piece together the events of last night.”

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South Wales Police said a number of crime scenes have been set up and road closures are in place.

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Drivers ‘confused’ by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

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Drivers 'confused' by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.

Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.

In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.

Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.

More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.

The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.

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What you can do to reach net zero

In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.

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Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.

Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.

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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.

Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.

There are more EVs – but will people buy them?

In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.

But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.

The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.

It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.

“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.

Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.

“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.

“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.

“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.

“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben's Elizabeth Tower

A man has been charged after climbing up the tower of Big Ben, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Daniel Day, 29, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, faces charges of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today.

Police were called to reports of a man climbing up Elizabeth Tower at 7.24am on Saturday.

The man was carrying a Palestinian flag and remained barefoot on a ledge for more than 16 hours before being lifted to the ground in a cherry picker just after midnight.

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Westminster Bridge was forced to close to traffic during the morning, as tourists in central London stood around watching the spectacle.

Police said specialist officers worked with the fire brigade “to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible whilst minimising risk to life”.

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