- Jennifer Clark
- BBC News
Charles was officially declared king three days following the death of Queen Elizabeth
King Charles III will be crowned on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London.
During the ceremony, the king will be crowned alongside Queen Consort Camilla.
Here’s what we know regarding the plans for the coronation ceremony, codenamed Operation Golden Orb.
What is the coronation ceremony?
The coronation ceremony is both the symbolic religious ceremony during which the king is crowned as well as the physical act of placing a crown on his head.
The coronation formalizes the King’s role as Head of the Church of England, and marks a change in his titles and powers.
image copyright Getty Images
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III paid tribute to his “dear mother” in an address to the nation
However, it is not actually necessary to have a coronation ceremony for a king to become king.
Edward VIII ruled without a coronation ceremony, and Charles automatically became king the moment Queen Elizabeth II died.
Will there be a holiday?
There will be a holiday across the UK on Monday 8 May.
Buckingham Palace announced various activities for the weekend, including a concert and a laser show at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May.
Pubs, clubs and bars across England and Wales will remain open for an additional two hours on the Friday and Saturday of Coronation Weekend.
People are also invited to throw street parties and participate in volunteer projects in their local communities as part of the Big Help Out initiative.
It is expected that these events will be announced under the official logo of the coronation ceremony, designed by former Apple designer Jony Ive.
This logo features a rose, daffodil, and clover, which are symbols of the countries of the United Kingdom.
Who will go to the coronation ceremony?
The coronation is a formal occasion, which means that the government controls the list of invitees.
In addition to the royal family, attendees will include the prime minister, representatives of both houses of parliament, heads of state and members of other royal families from around the world.
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed that he will travel from the United States to attend the coronation ceremony, but his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, will not attend.
During the coronation, Prince Harry will be seen for the first time with the royal family since the publication of his surprising memoir, “The Alternative”, last January.
His book revealed the depth of his differences with other members of the royal family, and Meghan’s decision to turn down the invitation will be seen as part of these still-unresolved family tensions.
The date of the coronation ceremony is also the fourth birthday of the couple’s son, Prince Archie, who will remain in the United States with his mother.
image copyright Archyde.com
Harry will attend the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, but Meghan will remain in the US with her two children
The Duchess of York will also be notably absent, with sources confirming that she was not invited to the ceremony.
It is understood that Duchess Sarah Ferguson was not upset regarding the decision as she was said not to have expected to attend.
Prince Andrew, who was married to the Duchess until their divorce in 1996, is expected to attend the coronation.
And in the US capital, Washington, the White House confirmed that President Joe Biden had informed the king by phone that he would not attend the event, but that First Lady Jill Biden would represent the United States instead.
More than 8,000 guests attended Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, but Westminster Abbey had to be closed for 5 months to allow additional seats to be built.
The normal capacity of the church is regarding 2,200 people, and this is likely to be the maximum number on this occasion.
It has been confirmed that Camilla’s grandchildren will be among the recipients at Westminster Abbey, along with the King’s grandson, Prince George.
image copyright Buckingham Palace
Designed by illustrator Andrew Jamieson, the invitation features the folkloric character “The Green Man”, with leaves of ivy, hawthorn and oak
What’s going on in Gala ceremony Coronation?
The coronation ceremony has been the same for more than a thousand years, and the British ceremony is the only remaining event of its kind in Europe.
However, Buckingham Palace said that although the coronation would be “according to ancient traditions”, it would “also reflect the role of the monarch today and look to the future”.
It is likely to be shorter in duration and smaller in size than the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, with a wide range of religions represented.
The coronation procession is also expected to be more modest. There were 16,000 participants in Queen Elizabeth’s procession, and it took 45 minutes to cross any fixed point on the 7-kilometre route.
This time, the King and Camilla, Queen consort, will head to Westminster Abbey in the King’s motorcade, and return to Buckingham Palace in a larger procession where they will be joined by other members of the royal family.
The palace has not yet said who will appear next on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
image copyright Getty Images
The State Imperial Crown, Royal Orb, and Scepter depicted atop the late Queen’s coffin will be used during the coronation ceremony
The coronation ceremony has several stages:
•الاعتراف: While standing next to the 700-year-old Coronation Chair the King is introduced to those gathered at the Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury as the audience will exclaim “God Save the King” and sound the trumpets.
•القسم: The king swears to respect the law and the Church of England.
•المسحة: The king’s robe is removed and he sits on the coronation chair surrounded by a golden cloth to hide the king from view. The Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the king’s hands, chest and head with holy oil made according to a secret recipe, but known to contain amber, orange flower oil, rose, jasmine and cinnamon. The oil that was made will not contain Prepare it for Charles contains no animal source ingredients.
•التنصيب: The king is given the instruments of state including the royal orb representing religious and moral authority, the scepter representing power, the king’s scepter which is a rod of gold topped with a white enamelled dove which symbolizes justice and mercy, and finally, the archbishop places St. Edward’s crown on the king’s head.
Sitting and glorifying: The King leaves the Coronation Chair and moves to the Throne, where the members of the House of Lords bow before the King in homage.
The queen consort is then anointed in the same way and crowned.
image copyright Average AP
Restoration expert Krista Plessley restores the “extremely fragile” coronation chair ahead of the ceremony
How do I watch the coronation ceremony?
The ceremony will likely be broadcast live, as was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
image copyright Universal History Archive
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne following the unexpected death of her father, King George VI
A global audience of hundreds of millions is expected to watch the coronation ceremony.
What crowns will be used during the ceremony?
The King will be crowned with St. Edward’s Crown which is solid gold and dates back to the 17th century, is exceptionally heavy, and is used only at the moment of coronation.
The Queen’s death has reignited the debate over how the British Empire acquired some of the royal gems.
There is much debate regarding the diamonds found in two other crowns.
image copyright Archyde.com
St. Edward’s Crown will be placed briefly on the King’s head during the ceremony
One is the Imperial State Crown, which the king will wear towards the end of the coronation ceremony, and which he will also wear when he appears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
It contains the Cullinan II diamond, sometimes called the Second Star of Africa, which was awarded to Edward VII on his 66th birthday by the government of Transvaal, a former British crown colony, in what is now South Africa.
The other controversial gemstone is the Kohinoor diamond, which was part of the Queen Mother’s coronation crown and is one of the largest diamonds in the world. Claims have been made by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Kohinoor will not appear at King Charles’ coronation.
Instead, the queen consort will be crowned with Queen Mary’s tiara, which was moved from the Tower of London to be resized before the ceremony.
It is believed to be the first time in modern history that an existing crown was “recycled” for a coronation.
How much will the coronation ceremony cost?
As a solemn occasion, the coronation will be paid for by the UK government.
While the government is likely to come under pressure to show sensitivity during the current cost of living crisis, the government is expected to use the ceremony as an important diplomatic opportunity to introduce Britain to the world.
What do we know regarding the music that will be presented at the coronation ceremony?
The king personally chose the music for the concert, which will feature 12 pieces composed by the newly commissioned palace, including an ode by Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer of the musical Cats.
Part of the coronation ceremony will be sung in Welsh, and the soloists will include world-famous Welsh opera singer Sir Bryn Turfle.
There will be Greek Orthodox music in memory of the king’s father, Prince Philip, who was born in Greece.
A church choir, as well as a choir from Westminster School, will perform paragraphs.
Separately, a campaign was launched to recruit thousands of bell-ringers to celebrate the coronation under the “Ring for the King” programme.