Royal
Everything we know one month before the coronation of Charles III
We summarize how these three days of festivities will unfold and especially who will be present in London on May 6th.
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Charles III will be crowned king on May 6 in London.
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Religious ceremony, neighborhood parties and the possible presence of Harry and Meghan… One month before the coronation of King Charles III, preparations are being refined for this event which the monarch wishes to be more sober and modern than that of his mother, Elizabeth II, in 1953.
Three days of festivities
The palace on Tuesday (April 4) unveiled the official invitation sent by the 74-year-old king and 75-year-old “Queen Camilla”, described as such for the first time without the full title of “queen consort”. The ceremony will be held on Saturday May 6 at Westminster Abbey, but the United Kingdom is preparing for three days of festivities.
On Sunday, the population was invited to share a “big lunch” through neighborhood parties. In the evening, a concert will take place at Windsor Castle, west London. 10,0000 Britons selected at random will be able to attend but the headliners remain unknown. Finally, the royal family calls on the British to do volunteer work on Monday, May 8, a public holiday.
A simplified ceremony
While his mother, Elizabeth II, had respected the tradition to the letter with a ceremony lasting more than three hours in front of more than 8,000 guests, Charles decided to make the coronation the illustration of his desire for a tighter and more modern monarchy. .
About 2000 guests will be invited and the ceremony should last regarding an hour. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, will lead the highly codified ceremony, during which Charles will take the oath. The royal couple will receive the anointing with an oil, the Holy Chrism, blessed and made in Jerusalem, then the king will receive the royal attributes, in particular a scepter and the crown of Saint Edward.
On the music side, to the traditional pieces will be added new compositions including one specially created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, creator of legendary musicals like “Cats” or “Evita”. The royal family will join Buckingham Palace in a procession, before waving to the crowd from the balcony.
Which guests?
The final list is not yet known, but we already know that the abbey will welcome political leaders, crowned heads and representatives of civil society embodying the diversity of the United Kingdom. Obviously, the members of the British royal family will appear, including the youngest. The eldest of Prince William and Kate’s three children, Prince George, 9, will be one of four pages accompanying the king in the nave of the abbey.
Some crowned heads have already confirmed their presence, such as Prince Albert of Monaco, or Prince Fumihito and his wife Kiko from the Japanese imperial family. If several European leaders are expected, US President Joe Biden will be represented by his wife Jill, according to the daily “Washington Post”.
The palace invited representatives of charities or even a teenager who made himself known by sleeping for three years in a tent in his garden to raise funds for a hospice.
Harry and Meghan suspense
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, left with a bang in 2020 to live in the United States and cold with the royal family, will they be present? The question agitates the media following their documentary broadcast on Netflix and the biography of Harry published in January, very hard on the monarchy.
We know that the couple received an invitation but no decision has been announced. Harry made a surprise appearance in London at the end of March for a court hearing once morest a tabloid but no meeting with his family has been made public. According to British media, talks are taking place between the palace and the couple regarding their role or taking care of their security.
The Camilla touch
The queen consort, also crowned on May 6, made a point of including her own family from her first marriage to Andrew Parker-Bowles, an initiative seen as a desire to show the modern image of a blended family. His two children, Tom Parker-Bowles and Laura Lopes, will be present. Three of his grandchildren, Gus, Louis and Freddy will be among the pages accompanying him, along with his great-nephew Arthur.
During the ceremony, Camilla will wear the crown of Queen Mary, the grandmother of Elizabeth II.
(AFP)
