The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

Singers Lionel Richie and Nick Cave, and British actress Emma Thompson, are among the first guests to filter into Westminster Abbey as King Charles' coronation ceremony nears.

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Actresses Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley, and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, have also arrived.

Around 2,300 people were sent invitations to the Westminster Abbey service, according to Earl Marshall, the Duke of Norfolk, who was involved in the preparations.

Who's there (and who's not): While Buckingham Palace doesn’t release a detailed guest list, it has confirmed that the congregation will be made up of members of the royal family as well as international representatives from 203 countries, Nobel Prize winners and members of the British government, alongside community and charity volunteers.

Prince Harry has confirmed his attendance but his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is understood Meghan opted to forgo the celebrations as the day coincides with Archie’s 4th birthday.

US President Joe Biden also won’t be attending and instead first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation. We'll undoubtedly see allies of key nations in attendance, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese among those who have publicly confirmed they'll be attending. 

We can also expect to see a number of royals from around the world make their way to London, like Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

More than 11,500 police officers are being deployed in London on Saturday, according to the London Metropolitan Police Service, and there are plans for facial recognition technology to be used in the capital.

It is the largest one-day deployment in decades, London's Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said Wednesday.

These officers will be part of more than 29,000 deployments in the lead-up to May 6 over the rest of the weekend, according to a statement from the Met.

The Met said the operation -- labelled Golden Orb -- will see officers line the processional route, manage crowds and road closures, protect high-profile individuals and carry out searches with specialist teams.

There are also plans for facial recognition technology to be used in central London.

"Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low. We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration," the Met added.

Facial recognition concerns: Campaign groups have criticized the use of live facial recognition technology during the coronation.

It is expected to be the largest-ever use of the technology in Britain, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to line the streets on Saturday.

Privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch called it “an authoritarian mass surveillance tool that turns the public into walking ID cards," describing the technology as "Orwellian."

“We all have the right to go about our lives without being watched and monitored, but everyone at the coronation is at risk of having their faces scanned by oppressive facial recognition technology,” Emmanuelle Andrews of human rights group Liberty said on Twitter.

Coronation Day is here and festivities are already off to a damp start thanks to showers that moved through London on Friday, with even more rain expected for the big day.

“A further area of rain is expected to move into southwest England early on Saturday, moving east and north through the day with some heavy bursts at times. This is likely to bring some rain to London by around lunchtime," said UK Met Office deputy chief forecaster, Steven Keates.

One bit of good news: Temperatures will be at or slightly above normal for early May.

The high temperature for Saturday in London was initially predicted to be between 16-18°C (60-64°F). By Saturday, the UK Weather office has also downgraded expected temperatures to between 12-14°C (53-57°F). For the coronation of George V, temperatures reached 17°C (63°F) back on June 22, 1911.

Unfortunately, it's also possible this could be one of the soggiest coronations in more than a century. For the coronation of George VI, zero sunshine hours were reported on May 12, 1937 along with 8 millimeters (0.32 inches) of rain.

While it is not forecast to be a complete washout for Charles' coronation on Saturday, the highest rain chances do happen to coincide with several outdoor scheduled activities.

Rain chances will start off low in the morning, but are expected to peak midday, while the King and Queen Consort are in Westminster Abbey, as well as when they are heading to the Buckingham Palace, showers are likely to salute them the entire way.

With celebrations continuing through the Bank Holiday, Sunday will likely be drier across many regions, but still some low end rain chances with cloudy skies. On Monday, heavy rain, and possibly a few thunderstorms return across parts of central, eastern and southern England, with parts of northeast England and Scotland looking gloomy and wet as well.

"Eastern areas will start out mostly dry on Monday but a band of rain in the west will sweep eastwards throughout the day bringing rain to many places," the UK Met office said in their forecast. "This rain will be followed by sunshine and scattered showers. Winds are expected to be fresh to strong with temperatures near average."

CNN's Taylor Ward contributed to this post. This post has been updated.

It's the question everyone's been asking: Who managed to get a coveted invite?

According to Earl Marshall, the Duke of Norfolk -- the man that orchestrated the entire occasion (in consultation with the UK government, church and many other parties) -- around 2,300 people were sent invitations to the Westminster Abbey service.

While Buckingham Palace doesn’t release a detailed guest list, it has confirmed that the congregation will be made up of members of the royal family as well as international representatives from 203 countries, Nobel Prize winners and members of the British government, alongside community and charity volunteers.

Prince Harry has confirmed his attendance but his wife, Meghan, will be staying in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is understood Meghan opted to forgo the celebrations as the day coincides with Archie’s fourth birthday.

US President Joe Biden also won’t be attending and instead first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation. We'll undoubtedly see allies of key nations in attendance, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese among those who have publicly confirmed they'll be attending.

We can also expect to see a number of royals from around the world make their way to London, like Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

Additionally, 400 young people from charities selected by the King and Queen have been invited to watch the service from nearby St. Margaret’s Church, while military veterans, healthcare workers and charity representatives have been given spaces to watch on the processional route and in special stands put up along The Mall and near Buckingham Palace.

But it is still a much smaller guest list than the one drawn up for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, when temporary structures had to be erected within the abbey to accommodate the more than 8,000 people invited.

WATCH:

The route King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel today is significantly shorter than the Queen’s five-mile journey to Westminster Abbey back in 1953. Take a look:

It’s been 70 years since Britain’s last coronation ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. But her coronation ceremony was held more than a year later.

Here’s what it what it looked like on that day in June 1953.

Days before the coronation, huge numbers started gathering in central London. On Wednesday afternoon, well-wishers flocked to The Mall, waving flags and wearing crowns, with one goal in mind: Securing a prime position for Saturday. 

“We don't have anything like this in America,” Donna Werner, 71, told CNN. She traveled to London from Connecticut, and has adored the royal family since Princess Diana. Werner has made the trip to London to camp out for every royal wedding ever since. “My friends at home think it’s silly, but I love it: The country, the history and the people,” she said. “They know it’s my thing.”

Meanwhile, 58-year-old Kerry Evans, pictured below left, is originally from Northern Ireland and now lives in London. For every royal milestone, she joins her friend Bartly, who she met nearly five years ago while camping out for Harry and Meghan’s wedding, to celebrate the royals among the crowds. As the busy mother of two autistic sons, she said going to royal events was a way of taking a little time for herself.  

“These events are great because it is totally the opposite feeling from what my life is. Celebrating the royal family is a release – so the monarchy has become a big part of my life,” she said.

The big day is finally here. London is abuzz this Saturday morning in anticipation of a once-in-a-generation royal event: The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Charles became the King of the United Kingdom when his mother Queen Elizabeth II died in September. But today's coronation in Westminster Abbey will formalize his commitment to God and country.

Parts of central London have been gridlocked for several days now, with barriers lining the procession route that leads from Buckingham Palace, the London headquarters of the British monarchy, to the abbey – the nation's coronation church since 1066.

It's going to be a day of pomp, parades and over-the-top pageantry. Stay with us as we bring you all the details here.

This is what you can expect to see at King Charles III's coronation: