Feet for a king: Westminster Abbey to offer barefoot tours

Abbey Marshal Howard Berry stands at the centre of the Cosmati pavement, located before the altar, during a photo call at Westminster Abbey, central London, to announce special events to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. Photo: AP

People who visit London's Westminster Abbey after the coronation of King Charles III will be allowed to stand on the exact spot where he was crowned, but they will need to make sure they don't have holes in their socks for the shoeless tour, designed to protect the abbey's medieval mosaic floor.

Abbey officials said on Friday that the section of the church's floor known as the Cosmati pavement, where the chair in which Britain's monarchs are crowned has been placed for some 700 years, will be on display during Charles' May 6 coronation after being hidden away under carpets for decades because of disrepair.