King Charles III’s coronation date has officially been announced.
While he has been the sovereign for the last month since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died, a coronation is a historic occasion to honour the start of a new reign.
Few Brits will have seen one in their lifetime, considering the last monarch to be crowned was the Queen, aged 27, back in 1953.
So, it’s quite big news that the next one will be held in just seven months’ time.
When will it be?
Buckingham Palace has just confirmed the coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6, in 2023.
This ceremony is always held some time after the monarch’s actual accession to the throne, to allow time for both national and royal mourning, and for the preparations.
For instance, the Queen was crowned in June 1953, despite ascending the throne upon her father’s death in February 1952.
There was previous speculation that Charles would chose the 70th anniversary of his mother’s coronation, but he has chosen the month before.
The King is expected to sign a proclamation formally declaring the date of the coronation when he meets with the Privy Council later this year.
This is a body of advisers to the monarch, usually made up on senior politicians, senior royals, members of the Church of England, senior judges, and leading Commonwealth representatives.
What happens during a coronation?
The sovereign is “anointed, blessed and consecrated” by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It’s a “solemn, religious service” paired with an “occasion for celebration and pageantry”, according to the Palace.
If he follows tradition, Charles will dress in his finery and enter Westminster Abbey.
He will then take a coronation oath, be anointed with consecrated oil, and receive the orb and sceptre, while the Archbishop of Canterbury puts the St Edward’s Crown on his head. You might remember these symbolic gestures were done in reverse during the Queen’s official funeral and removed from her coffin to signify the end of her reign.
He is then likely to make an appearance on Buckingham Palace’s famous balcony, alongside his wife, Queen consort Camilla, his eldest son Prince William and his wife Kate – also known as the new Prince and Princess of Wales – and their three children.
It’s not yet clear if Charles will invite any other family members to join them on the balcony, especially as he wants a slimmed down monarchy.
Since Charles’ official proclamation as King in front of the Accession Council was televised for the first time in history, it’s likely he will do the same for his coronation.
The Queen’s ceremony was actually the first one to ever to be televised, and is estimated to have brought in around 27 million viewers for the UK.
Where will the ceremony be?
The Palace has confirmed that it will take place in Westminster Abbey in London, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
For the last 900 years, every coronation has taken place at the Abbey and since 1066, it’s almost always been conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Although more than 8,000 guests went to the Queen’s coronation, it’s unclear how many will attend Charles’s.
What about Camilla?
The Queen Consort, Camilla, will be crowned alongside her husband.
The Queen announced earlier in 2022 that it was her “sincere wish” the former Duchess of Cornwall becomes the Queen consort – the first person to hold the role since 1937.
Prince Philip did not have that honour as a man, and so kept his title as the Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen did, however, make him an official prince of the UK in 1957 (a title he did not have before).
Will there be a bank holiday?
Even though the Queen’s coronation was a bank holiday back in 1953, the decision to hold this coronation on a Saturday suggests there won’t be one.
The Telegraph previously reported that this might be down to the government’s concerns about how this could affect the economy.
It comes after experts feared that the bank holiday for the Queen’s funeral would push the UK into a recession in September.
Still, don’t expect any confirmation about bank holidays until closer to the time.
What else do we know?
Further details about the coronation have not been revealed yet.
In a statement, the Palace said: “The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
This – along with the promise to “include the same core elements while recognising the spirit of our times” – suggests Charles is keen to have a more lowkey coronation than seen previously.
According to The Telegraph, the coronation preparation is under the name “Operation Golden Orb” and will show Charles’s desire for a slimmed down monarchy. It may also be shorter than his mother’s three-hour ceremony, and include more representatives from the UK’s ethnic diversity.
The Queen’s coronation was seen as a morale boost for the UK after the struggles of the Second World War, despite the ongoing rationing. However, as the pageantry of the Queen’s ornate funeral received some backlash, Charles might choose not to follow in his mother’s footsteps.
How much will it cost?
The government will pay for the coronation, but it remains unclear exactly how much that will be.
The Telegraph’s sources previously said it would be “less expensive” than the Queen’s coronation, as the King reportedly wants it to be considered “good value”.
It’s hard to compare it to the costs for the Queen’s funeral, too, because the cabinet office have not confirmed the official cost to the taxpayer yet.
In response to HuffPost UK’s Freedom of Information request, the cabinet office said that “the precise costs for the events leading up to and including the state funeral are still being worked through”.
It added: “The funeral costs will be part of the overall departmental spend, published in next year’s annual reports and accounts. Any additional costs from the funeral that cannot be absorbed by departments will also require authorisation from parliament, which will be done through the ‘supplementary estimates’ process early in 2023.”