After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, on 8 September 2022, Charles (the Prince of Wales at the time) immediately became King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. In spring 2023, King Charles III will be formally coronated and here's everything we know about the ceremony so far...
When and where is King Charles III's coronation?
The Coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023. The coronation ceremony, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, will take place at Westminster Abbey in central London. It is believed that King Charles' coronation ceremony will be much shorter than previous ones however, lasting only around one hour.
The date was apparently agreed together by the government, the Church of England and the Royal Household. Although there's been no formal confirmation as to why that particular date was chosen, some have flagged the date's potential symbolic references to family members.
6 May is the birthday of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son, Archie, the King's grandson. He will turn four on the day. It's also the wedding anniversary of the late Queen's sister, Princess Margaret. The coronation of George VI, King Charles' grandfather, also took place in May.
When is the Coronation bank holiday?
While the King's coronation is set to take place on a Saturday, Rishi Sunak announced last November that the whole of the UK will get an additional bank holiday on Monday 8 May 2023 to mark the occasion. The Prime Minister stated that "in line with the bank holiday to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953, this will be an opportunity for families and communities across the country to come together to celebrate."
Where can I watch the Coronation 2023?
The coronation ceremony and other related events will be broadcast live on BBC television and radio channels.
What time is The King's Coronation 2023?
The King's Procession (The King and Queen Consort's journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey) will take place at 10.20am on Saturday 6 May.
The Coronation ceremony itself begins at 11am and lasts for two hours, finishing at 1pm. The Royal Family will then travel back through London to Buckingham and are expected to arrive there at 1.30pm. There will then be the traditional balcony appearance shortly after their arrival back at the Palace, in the early afternoon, where there will be a ceremonial flypast and military salute.
What will happen during the coronation?
The ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort, Camilla Parker Bowles. The Palace have stated that the ceremony would "reflect the monarch's role today and looks towards the future", while staying "rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry". Read more about the traditions and rituals of Charles' coronation ceremony.
Who will be attending the Coronation?
King Charles' coronation is a state occasion, which means the government is in charge of the invitations. Alongside the Royal Family, the UK prime minister, representatives from the Houses of Parliament, heads of state and other royals from all around the world will be in attendance.
For Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, Westminster Abbey was closed for five months to allow extra seating to be built for the 8,251 guests that attended. The Abbey's normal capacity is around 2,200 and it seems likely that the guest list will be nearer that total this time round.
Will there be King Charles III coronation medals?
Upon their coronation, it's tradition that each monarch has a special commemorative medal. These are given to members of the royal family and other selected members of the household and state, as well as public servants, mayors, army, police and other special services. The King's coronation medal will be issued after his coronation.
Are there any public coronation events planned?
It was announced in January that a Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May. This will be broadcast live by the BBC, with several thousand pairs of tickets to be made available via a public ballot in the coming months. On the same day, The Coronation Big Lunch will take place, encouraging communities all around the UK to come together and celebrate over food.
Then, on Monday 8 May, the public are invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which is encouraging people spend the day volunteering or help out with community projects in their local areas.
In the same vein, The Queen Consort has announced The Coronation Champion Awards, which will honour and celebrate 500 of the UK's volunteers.
