27 million people in the UK alone gathered around their TV sets to see Elizabeth Alexandra Mary crowned queen in a ceremony that lasted for 3 hours.

She was just 27 at the time.

Queen Elizabeth II passes from the abbey, consecrated and dedicated to her life work by the solemn and hallowed ritual of coronation.

Early pictures of Prince Charles taken with his parents when he was a small baby serve to remind us just how quickly he's growing up.

Now, 70 years later, it's her son's turn.

On the 6th of May, Charles Philip Arthur George will be, at 74, the oldest monarch ever crowned in a Grand Westminster Abbey ceremony that dates back to the 11th century.

Coronation plans, code-named "Operation Golden Orb", call for shorter formalities this time around, which will probably be welcome news to the 2,000 guests invited to witness the ceremony in person.

If you didn't get an invite, though, not to worry; there will be plenty of ways to celebrate across the country.

Visitors can expect themed concerts, afternoon teas, meet-ups for corgi owners, and laser light shows.

The coronation merchandise market is already booming.

And the beer will be flowing.

In early March, the government extended licensing laws that allows pubs to stay open an extra 2 hours until 1 a.m. during the special coronation weekend.

While the world has changed a very great deal in the last 70 years, the coronation of King Charles III will be a pageant steeped in tradition.