King Charles: When is the Coronation and is there a bank holiday?
- Published
Watch: Brolly or sun cream? Your weather forecast for Coronation weekend
King Charles III's Coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London.
During the ceremony, the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.
Here is what we know about the plans, code-named Operation Golden Orb.
What time is the Coronation?
The ceremony is due to start at 11:00, with the King's procession expected to arrive at Westminster Abbey shortly beforehand.
What is a coronation?
A coronation is both the symbolic religious ceremony during which a sovereign is crowned and the physical act of placing a crown on a monarch's head.
It formalises the monarch's role as the head of the Church of England and marks the transfer of their title and powers.
However, it is not actually necessary for the monarch to be crowned to become King.
Edward VIII reigned without a coronation - and Charles automatically became King the moment Queen Elizabeth II died.
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When is the Coronation bank holiday?
There will be an extra bank holiday across the UK on Monday 8 May.
Buckingham Palace has announced various events for the weekend, including a concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May featuring Katy Perry, Take That and Lionel Richie.
Pubs, clubs and bars across England and Wales will be able to stay open for an extra two hours on Friday and Saturday of the Coronation weekend.
People are also being invited to hold street parties, and to take part in volunteering projects in their local community, as part of the Big Help Out initiative.
Who will go to the Coronation?
The Coronation is a state occasion, which means the government controls the guest list.
In addition to the Royal Family, those invited will include the prime minister, representatives from the Houses of Parliament, heads of state, and other royals from around the world.
The Duke of Sussex has confirmed that he will travel from the US for the coronation, but his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, will not attend.
The event will be the first time Prince Harry will be seen in public with the Royal Family since his controversial memoir Spare was published in January.
The date of the Coronation is also the fourth birthday of the couple's son, Prince Archie, who will remain in the US with his mother.
The Duchess of York will also not be there, after sources confirmed she was not invited to the ceremony.
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, who was married to the duchess until their divorce in 1996, is expected to go.
Camilla's grandchildren will be among the pages at Westminster Abbey, alongside the King's grandson, Prince George.
US President Joe Biden will not attend the event, but First Lady Jill Biden will go on his behalf.
In addition, 850 community representatives have been invited to the ceremony in recognition of their charitable contributions.
What happens at a coronation?
Coronations have remained much the same for more than 1,000 years. The British ceremony is the only remaining event of its type in Europe.
However, it is likely to be shorter and smaller in scale than Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation, with a wider range of religions represented.
The Coronation Procession is also expected to be more modest. Queen Elizabeth's procession had 16,000 participants, and took 45 minutes to pass any stationary point on the 7km (4.3 miles) route.
This time, the King and Camilla, the Queen Consort, will travel to Westminster Abbey in a relatively modern horse-drawn carriage which has electric windows and air conditioning.
They will ride in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, first used in 2014, before returning in the Gold State Coach used in every coronation since the 1830s.
More than 6,000 armed forces members will take part, making it the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years.
Personnel from across the UK and the Commonwealth will join processions in London.
Thousands of veterans have also been invited to watch the coronation from a special viewing platform. They will join NHS workers on a stand in front of Buckingham Palace.
What happens during the service at the Abbey?
There are several stages to the service:
- The recognition: While standing beside the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, the monarch is presented to those gathered in the Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The congregation shouts "God Save the King!" and trumpets sound
- The oath: The sovereign swears to uphold the law and the Church of England
- The anointing: The King's ceremonial robe is removed and he sits in the Coronation Chair. A gold cloth is held over the chair to conceal the King from view. The Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the King's hands, breast and head with holy oil made according to a secret recipe, but known to contain ambergris, orange flowers, roses, jasmine and cinnamon. The oil created for Charles will not contain any ingredients derived from animals
- The investiture: The sovereign is presented with items including the Royal Orb, representing religious and moral authority; the Sceptre, representing power; and the Sovereign's Sceptre, a rod of gold topped with a white enamelled dove, a symbol of justice and mercy. Finally, the Archbishop places St Edward's Crown on the King's head
- The enthronement and homage: The King leaves the Coronation Chair and moves to the throne. Peers kneel before the monarch to pay homage
The Queen Consort will then be anointed in the same way and crowned.
How can I watch the Coronation?
The ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC radio.
Charles' Coronation will also be available via BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
A signed version of the programme will be shown on BBC Two, while accessible coverage for people who are blind or partially-sighted will be on the Red Button.
Sunday night's coronation concert will also be broadcast live.
A number of BBC programmes will feature special episodes, including Countryfile, Songs Of Praise, Bargain Hunt, The One Show, EastEnders, Antiques Roadshow and Coronation Kitchen.
Which crowns will be worn during the ceremony?
The King will be crowned with the solid gold, 17th Century St Edward's Crown. It is exceptionally heavy and only used at the moment of coronation.
The Queen's death reignited the debate about how some royal gemstones were obtained by the British empire.
Much of the controversy centres around diamonds found in two other crowns.
One is the Imperial State Crown, which the King will put on towards the end of the coronation ceremony, and which he will also wear when he appears on Buckingham Palace balcony.
That crown contains the Cullinan II diamond, sometimes called the Second Star of Africa. It was given to Edward VII on his 66th birthday by the government of the Transvaal - a former British crown colony - in what is now South Africa.
The other controversial stone is the Koh-i-Noor, which is part of the Queen Mother's coronation crown. It is one of the largest-cut diamonds in the world. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have all made claims to it.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the Koh-i-Noor will not feature in the coronation.
The Queen Consort will instead be crowned with Queen Mary's Crown, which has been taken out of the Tower of London to be resized ahead of the ceremony.
How much will the Coronation cost?
As a state occasion, the Coronation will be paid for by the UK government.
While it 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 present the UK to the world.
What is the official Coronation dish?
Chief Royal chef Mark Flanagan's Coronation Quiche has been announced as the official party dish. The recipe - featuring spinach, broad beans and fresh tarragon - has been shared on The Royal Family's social media platforms.
This quiche is the latest addition to the list of royal dishes, after Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Chicken - created in 1953 specially for the occasion - and her Platinum Jubilee Pudding, a lemon and almond trifle.
What do we know about the music?
The King has personally chosen the music for the ceremony, which features 12 newly-commissioned pieces, including an anthem from Cats composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Part of the service will be sung in Welsh, and soloists will include world-famous Welsh opera singer Sir Bryn Terfel.
There will be Greek Orthodox music in memory of the King's father, Prince Philip, who was born in Greece.
A gospel choir will also perform, as will choristers from Westminster School.
Separately, a campaign has been launched to recruit thousands of bell-ringers to mark the coronation under the "Ring for the King" scheme.
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- Published1 March
