Lego, wax and chocolate replicas: Unusual tributes to King Charles' coronation

For some hardcore fans of the royal family, the coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, on May 6 at Westminster Abbey will be the event of a lifetime. Royal enthusiast John Loughrey is shown here wearing a hat decorated with royal memorabilia while standing along the King's coronation route at The Mall in London four days ahead of the big event.

Queen Consort Camilla will not be the only one with flawless makeup on May 6 during the coronation — her wax likeness will also look picture-perfect on the big day. Madame Tussauds wax museum in London has a new queen consort figure of Camilla which was given the final artistic touch up by artists Sophie Greenaway (left) and Claire Parkes at the end of April.

A lot of preparation goes into such a big royal event, including practice marches by military members wearing furry hats (pictured) on the streets of London. Thousands of military men and women will be involved in the coronation celebrations. But the party doesn't end when the crown is placed on King Charles' head: Pubs will even be allowed to stay open later during the festive weekend.

Preparations have also been underway at Legoland Windsor Resort. Model maker Daniel Anderson places a Lego crown on the head of a Lego King Charles in front of a replica of Buckingham palace, with a mini coronation scene made of the toy building blocks.

A host of decorations in London will help ring in the big day, including this giant crown. Even if you're not among the approximately 2,200 guests who will be at Westminster Abbey to watch the main event, you can still celebrate with decorations of your own. Coronation-themed decor is flying off the shelves in the UK, from Union Jack bunting to napkins with the likeness of the king.

Or simply a chocolate king, as the case may be! Chocolatier Jennifer Lindsey-Clarke puts the finishing touches on a 23-kg (50-pound) chocolate likeness of His Majesty. Supermarkets in the UK are currently stocked with coronation cupcakes, coronation-themed beer and even Jack Russell-themed deserts in honor of the king and queen's dogs.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery are part of the coronation day celebration and must therefore work hard to prepare their horses for the big event. Part of the training is helping the animals get used to hearing the sound of gunfire and other noises or disruptions, since they will be trotting to the sound of pipes and drums. It's not exactly a relaxing environment for a horse.

You don't have to wait until your next lifetime to be a king or queen. Just take a ride on the London Eye! One of the glass pods has been decorated in the style of Westminster Abbey on coronation day, complete with a recreation of the 700-year-old coronation chair. It costs much more than a normal ride, but gives you the chance to try on a replica of the crown jewels.