When is the coronation of King Charles III? Everything we know so far about the historic event
It'll be a day to remember.
This year is a big one for the Royal Family – as King Charles III’s coronation takes place in May 2023.
The first portrait of the monarch has been revealed ahead of the occasion, ditching ceremonial garbs and picturing the King in a lowkey blue suit as a step away from tradition.
Similarly, the impending coronation has been described as a service that will ‘reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,’ according to the palace.
The coronation will the first ceremony of its kind since 1953, when Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned – and the celebrations are set to last for several days, Buckingham Palace has revealed.
Yep, there’ll be the ceremony, along with a balcony appearance – plus a concert at Windsor Castle, and a bank holiday to enjoy after the festivities have taken place.
But just when is the coronation exactly, and what else can we expect from the historic occasion?
Here’s all we know about King Charles’ coronation so far.
When is King Charles III’s coronation?
The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
The King acceded the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother – but it is traditional for a full ceremony to be held a significant time later as a mark of respect to the late monarch.
In addition to the day of the coronation, Buckingham Palace has announced a special Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, which will air on the BBC on Sunday, May 7.
What will happen at the coronation?
There are several different stages to the coronation:
- The recognition – While he is standing next to the coronation chair, the Archbishop of Canterbury will present the monarch to the congregation in the abbey, who will shout ‘God save the king!’ as trumpets sound.
- The oath – King Charles III will swear to uphold the Church of England and the law.
- The anointing – The sovereign sits in the coronation chair after having his ceremonial robe removed. A gold cloth then conceals the king, and the Archbishop anoints the king with holy oil (containing ambergris, orange flowers, roses, jasmine and cinnamon and more).
- The investiture – The king is handed the ceremonial objects, including, the Royal Orb (representing moral and religious authority), the Royal Sceptre (representing power), and a gold-topped rod with a white enamelled dove (representing justice and mercy). Finally, the Archbishop will place the crown on the King’s head.
- The enthronement and homage – The final stage of the process sees the king move from the coronation chair to the throne as the peers kneel before him.
Where will it be held?
It has been confirmed that the ceremony will be held in Westminster Abbey.
It is tradition for the coronation of monarchs to take place at the Abbey, as every King or Queen since 1066 has been crowned there – including Queen Elizabeth II.
It has also been the venue for many Royal Weddings, including the 2011 marriage of William, The Prince of Wales and Catherine, The Princess of Wales.
The ceremony will be conduced by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and will also include two processions to and from the Abbey – along with an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace afterwards.
Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, meanwhile, was an extravagant affair, with the new Queen being crowned in front of 8,000 guests, while more than 40,000 troops were involved in the parade.
Westminster Abbey has now confirmed that it will close in the weeks prior to the coronation in order to make the necessary preparations.
The Abbey will be closed from Tuesday, April 25 until Monday, May 8 2023.
This is a relatively short period when compared to previous coronations – the Abbey shut for around ten months before Queen Elizabeth II officially took to the throne.
Will it be televised?
As a major royal event, it’s almost certain that the coronation will be televised.
It’s likely that it will be aired on BBC and on ITV – as has been the case for royal occasions such as Prince William’s wedding, and the funerals of the late Queen and Prince Philip.
Expect news channels such as Sky News to also air extensive coverage of the ceremony.
Will we get a bank holiday?
Downing Street has confirmed that the UK will be getting a bank holiday for the coronation.
The UK-wide holiday falls on Monday, May 8, two days after Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Buckingham Palace has said Monday will be billed ‘The Big Help Out’ – and people will be encouraged to volunteer for good causes and help out in their local communities.
Who will perform at the coronation?
The list of performers have not yet been confirmed, though it looks like Take That will be set to hit the high notes on stage for the occasion.
According to reports, Gary Barlow, 52, Mark Owen, 51, and Howard Donald, 54, are planning a spectacular set for the Windsor Castle bash in May.
There were even talks of ex-bandmate Jason Orange joining them for the occasion.
There have been plenty of reports over which other stars will take to the stage for the celebration, with the likes of Lionel Richie also in the mix.
A source told The Sun: ‘The biggest names and acts in world music are being approached for the concert.
‘If you draw up a list of the most popular acts in the world over the past 30 years then they are all being considered.
‘But Take That were right near the top of that list and are a massive coup for the organisers to get over the line so early.
‘Nothing is signed yet as there is still production and scheduling to work out.’
A number of artists are believed to have turned down an appearance, including Adele and Ed Sheeran.
Who could get invited?
The final guest list for the coronation is yet to be confirmed, but it will be filled with Royal Family members and various dignitaries – including Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been invited, after a spokesperson told The Times they had received ’email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation’.
The representative added: ‘An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.’
So far, Prince Albert II of Monaco has confirmed that he and Princess Charlene will be there.
The monarch told People magazine in January 2023 that they will ‘definitely go’, adding: ‘I’m certain that it’s going to be an incredible ceremony and a very moving one…’
Others who have indicated they will be there include actor Tom Cruise.
According to reports, the 60-year-old is set to push back filming on the forthcoming eighth Mission: Impossible movie so that his schedule will allow him to attend.
‘It is a hugely prestigious event and Tom is a real royalist – plus he is now close with Prince William and Kate,’ a source told The Sun.
‘Tom has told film bosses to shut down the production on Mission: Impossible over the Coronation weekend to make sure he can attend… It shocked some people on the film, as Tom is so dedicated to his craft and would never normally deviate from his intense production schedules.
‘But something as important — and grand — as King Charles’s Coronation is something he would not want to miss out on. It is a huge thing for Tom to be invited and he is honoured.’
Attendees are likely to include other royals from around the world, as well as representatives from other Commonwealth nations and their spouses, those in Government including the Prime Minister and all members of the Cabinet, and hereditary peers.
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 paid host to no less than 8,000 guests – who were so tightly packed into Westminster Abbey that each attendee had only 18 inches of seating space.
What music will be played?
King Charles III commissioned 12 new pieces of music for his coronation, including a composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Iain Farrington, Sarah Class, Nigel Hess, Paul Mealor, Tarik O’Regan, Roxanna Panufnik, Shirley J. Thompson, Judith Weir, Roderick Williams and Debbie Wiseman are other composers who have been selected.
Part of the service will be sung in Welsh, a gospel choir will sing, and the ceremony will reportedly contain Greek Orthodox music in tribute to Prince Phillip, the king’s late father.
Pieces by William Byrd, George Handel and Sir Edward Elgar have also been selected to be performed.
A concert and light show are also due to take place on the Sunday of the coronation, and both Adele and Ed Sheeran reportedly turned down invitations to perform.
What will King Charles III wear?
As with previous coronations, you can expect to see The King wearing coronation robes during the ceremony.
The ceremony involves the monarch wearing several different sets of robes, and tradition dictates that most of these are made new for each monarch.
These include:
- the Robe Of State, worn when entering Westminster Abbey
- the Shroud Tunic, worn during part of the ceremony
- the Supertunica, which is worn during the investiture
- the Robe Royal, which the monarch dons during the crowning
- the Imperial Robe, worn at the conclusion of the ceremony.
All of these are traditionally new, according to Historic UK – except for the Supertunica and the Robe Royal, which have been worn since the coronation of George IV in 1821.
A source has claimed The King will ditch wearing traditional silk stockings and breeches at the ceremony, though.
What crown will King Charles III be coronated with?
The King will be coronated with St Edward’s Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels.
The version currently in use was made for King Charles II in 1661 after the previous, medieval crown was melted down in 1649 following the dissolution of the monarchy.
It is also likely that the crowns previously associated with The Queen will need to be resized ahead of Charles’ coronation.
Charles’ head is larger so it’s only logical that the crowns will need to be resized and, in some cases, restyled.
The circlets on the crown may need to be enlarged significantly and additional stones will be added – the opposite of what was done to make them smaller for the late Queen in order to achieve a more feminine look.
Will Queen Consort Camilla be crowned at the coronation?
Yes, Queen Consort Camilla will also be crowned during the same ceremony as her husband.
While many expected Camilla to be crowned with the Crown of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, it has instead been revealed that she will wear the Queen Mary crown without the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond.
It will instead feature several of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite jewels – the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds, which the monarch often wore.
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