The coronation of King Charles will take place on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey — the same day as his grandson, Archie Harrison’s, birthday. AP
It’s confirmed. The coronation of King Charles will take place on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. The historic ceremony will also see the crowning of Camilla, the Queen Consort.
Next year’s coronation will be the first for almost 70 years — the last being for Elizabeth II in June 1953 — and the first held on a Saturday since Edward VII in 1902.
Incidentally, King Charles‘ coronation will take place on the same day his grandson Archie Harrison, Prince Harry’s son, celebrates his fourth birthday.
A spokesperson for the Palace said, “The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look toward the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry.”
But why is it that Charles’ coronation is taking place much after he was declared king? Why will the coronation ceremony take place nine months after he ascended the throne? What should we expect from the coronation ceremony?
We take a deep dive into royal family history and procedures and give you all the answers.
Becoming King Charles and the coronation
Following the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, the throne passed to her eldest son and heir Charles, former Prince of Wales, without any ceremony, as per the laws of British succession.
British law specifies that the heir to the throne immediately becomes king or queen after the death of the previous monarch. There is no period without a reigning queen or king.
The official process of ascending the throne began on 10 September — two days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II — when the Accession Council met at St James’ Palace to proclaim King Charles III as the new sovereign of Britain. The two-part session of the Privy Council was the first official ceremony for the new king, where he swore an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland.
From then on, began the many stages of becoming king, including the necessary visits to Northern Ireland and Wales.
Until May, King Charles and the royal family will be working on the minutest details of ‘Operation Golden Orb’ — the name given for the plans of the coronation ceremony.
The official website of the British monarchy notes that a new sovereign’s coronation “follows some months after his or her accession, following a period of mourning and as a result of the enormous amount of preparation required to organize the ceremony.”
That is why Queen Elizabeth II also sat on the throne 16 months later on 2 June 1953, though her father — King George VI — died on 6 February 1952.
File image of (from left to right) Queen Mother Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Princess Margaret attend the ceremony of coronation of the Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953, in Westminster Abbey, in London. AFP
What to expect from the coronation
At 74, King Charles will be the oldest monarch to be crowned.
The ceremony, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, will see Charles being anointed with holy oil, receiving the orb, coronation ring and sceptre, then being crowned with the majestic St. Edward’s crown — made from 22-carat gold, diamonds, rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topazes, and tourmalines — and then being blessed.
The service will be held at Westminster Abbey where coronations have been held for the past 900 years. The BBC reports that it was William the Conqueror who was the first crowned as a monarch there, while Charles will be the 40th.
It is reported that King Charles’ coronation will look markedly different from his mother’s. In the press release confirming the coronation date, Buckingham Palace added that while the ceremony “has retained a similar structure for over a thousand years, and next year’s coronation is expected to include the same core elements” it will also recognise “the spirit of our times” and “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”.
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Palace insiders have revealed to some media outlets that the ceremony will be shorter than the three hours allotted for the Queen’s coronation. It is said that the formality will be of an hour’s duration.
Also, it will also be less expensive and will include more representatives from different faiths. The guest list is likely to be slashed from 8,000 to 2,000. Discussions have also been held about a more relaxed dress code, with peers possibly allowed to wear lounge suits instead of ceremonial robes.
It is said that King Charles will not follow in his mother’s footsteps when it comes to multiple outfit changes and also modify the language so as to be understandable to a more modern audience.’
The Mail reported that some key rituals will be retained, including the anointing of the monarch, who will swear to be the ‘defender of the faith’, not ‘defender of faith’ as previously speculated. The 1762 Gold State Coach, which was refurbished at great expense for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, will also once again be part of the Coronation procession.
Will the coronation be broadcast live?
It is almost certain that King Charles’ coronation will be broadcast live.
In fact, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was the first ceremony of its kind to be shown on TV and drew in an estimated 277 million viewers across the world.
Most royal watchers expect that this number will be easily surpassed in 2023 as many in the public will want to see how King Charles adapts to the modern times and also his balancing act between pomp and pageantry and the country’s economic turmoil.
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