Coronation of Charles III: What you need to know

 A coronation of Charles III is an event set to take place on May 6, 2023, symbolizing the ascension of Charles III to the British throne. At the same event, Camilla, wife of the King, will be crowned Queen Consort of the United Kingdom. It will be the first time the event has been held in the UK in 70 years.

The event will happen in Westminster Abbey, where British coronations have taken place since the 11th century. The English king will leave Buckingham Palace and make a journey of about 2.1 kilometers to the abbey. Around 2000 people are expected to attend, and the duration of the event will be shorter.

Read too: Which names are in the line of succession to the British throne?

Topics of this article

  • 1 - Summary about the coronation of Charles III
  • 2 - Date of coronation of Charles III
  • 3 - How will the coronation of Charles III be?
  • 4 - Guests at the coronation of King Charles III
  • 5 - Curiosities about the coronation of Charles III

Summary on the coronation of Charles III

  • The coronation is the event that symbolizes the accession of Charles III to the British throne.

  • This event was scheduled to take place on May 6, 2023.

  • The coronation of Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey, the site of coronations in England since the 11th century.

  • This event will also mark Camilla's coronation as queen consort.

  • An estimated 2000 people attended the ceremony.

Date of coronation of Charles III

The coronation of Charles III is a event scheduled to take place on May 6, 2023, being the event that symbolizes Charles' accession to the British throne. The accession of Charles III to the British throne took place on September 8, 2022, the day on which the Queen Elizabeth II died. With the death of the longest reigning monarch in the history of the British Crown, Charles was proclaimed king and, with that, became Charles III.

A coronation is an event that, in addition to crowning Charles III as King of the United Kingdom, will crown his wife, Camilla, as Queen Consort of the United Kingdom. The coronation of Charles III will take place because he was the eldest son of Elizabeth II, having the right to assume the British throne with the death of his mother.

Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)

A distance between the proclamation of Charles III It is her coronation is a measure taken out of respect the death of the queen Elizabeth II. That's because Charles III's coronation site is Westminster Abbey, the same place where Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was held. Like this, the monarchy I didn't want to turn this place into a space of celebration so soon after the Queen's funeral.

Westminster Abbey, site of King Charles III's coronation.
Westminster Abbey, site of King Charles III's coronation.

How will the coronation of Charles III be?

As quoted, the heart of Charles III will be held at Westminster Abbey, London. This is where the coronations of British monarchs have taken place since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066. Despite the traditional venue, the British monarchy promises to deliver a more modern ceremony.

The proposal for the coronation of Charles III is to carry out a shorter duration ceremony. The coronation of Elizabeth II, in 1953, lasted more than three hours. Charles III's coronation ceremony is planned to last over an hour. In addition, the number of people present at the coronation will also be smaller.

In all, the ceremony will have about two thousand people, a much smaller number than in relation to the coronation of Elizabeth II, when eight thousand people were present. ANDispredicted that, nthe day of the ceremony, Charles III and Camilla leave Buckingham Palace and make their way to Westminster Abbey in a carriage. The established route is 2.1 km long and will pass through the following locations in London:

  • The Mall Avenue;

  • Trafalgar Square;

  • Whitehall Avenue;

  • Parliament Square;

  • Westminster Abbey.

On the way out, the King and Queen will travel in the Diamond Jubilee Carriage, and on the way back, the carriage used will be the Golden Chariot of State, used at coronations since 1830.

Diamond Jubilee carriage, which will be used at the coronation of King Charles III.
Diamond Jubilee carriage, which will be used at the coronation of King Charles III.

King Charles III's coronation ceremony will feature some traditional elements, although the king's priority is a more modern, simple and inexpensive ceremony. The Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Church of England, will be in charge of conducting the ceremony and will anoint Charles and Camilla with an oil called Holy Chrism.

At the end of the ceremony, Charles III will receive the royal instruments, such as the King's scepter and St Edward's crown. The crown is placed on the king's head only after he has taken the coronation oath. The crown of São Eduardo was collected in December 2022 and sent to be remodeled to adapt to the king's measurements.

Read too: Princess Diana — the biography of the first wife of King Charles III

Guests at the Coronation of King Charles III

 Prince Harry, youngest son of Charles III, and his wife Meghan Markle, who will not be present at the coronation ceremony. [2]
 Prince Harry, youngest son of Charles III, and his wife Meghan Markle, who will not be present at the coronation ceremony. [2]

Among the guests, are confirmed tos presences of figures as:

  • Prince Harry: His presence is quite significant, especially as the king's youngest son has had a series of clashes with the royal family in recent years. Months ago, it was anyone's guess if he would be there. His wife, Meghan Markle, will not be in attendance.

  • The current president of Brazil, Luís Inácio Lula da Silva.

  • Current British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy.

  • Representatives of other monarchies, such as monarchs of Spain, Denmark, Japan and Jordan.

  • Current heads of state, such as Emmanuel Macron, current president of France.

  • The current First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, wife of current President Joe Biden.

Curiosities about the coronation of Charles III

 Prince William
Prince William is the successor to the British throne and the only duke who will be sworn in to the king at the coronation ceremony. [3]
  • Camilla's coronation as Queen Consort will be the first since the coronation of Elizabeth, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1937.

  • At the coronation of Charles III, only one duke will be sworn in to the king: Prince William.

  • The Queen Consort's crown will feature a diamond that was worn by Elizabeth II.

  • Charles III's coronation anthem was composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber, composer of musicals such as cats It is The Phantom of the Opera.

  • Pope Francis donated two pieces of wood from the cross of Jesus Christ to be part of Charles III's coronation ceremony.

image credits

[1] I T S / Shutterstock

[2] lev radian / Shutterstock

[3] 360b / Shutterstock

By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

SILVA, Daniel Neves. "Coronation of Charles III"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/coroacao-de-charles-iii.htm. Accessed on April 28, 2023.

Discover the history of Westminster Abbey. See when this church appeared, details about the coronations and curiosities.

Check out more details of the trajectory of Charles III, the British monarch who was proclaimed King of the United Kingdom at the age of 73.

Access and discover the life of Elizabeth II, such as her marriage, her participation in the Second World War and her coronation as Queen of the United Kingdom.

Click on the link to learn more about the British monarchy, ruled by the British royal family. See when the Windsor dynasty emerged and who its members are.

Click on the link to access this text and understand what the British line of succession is. Know the laws that organize the succession and know the successors.

Visit for details of Princess Diana's life. See how she became a princess of the United Kingdom and learn about her end of life.

See here the story of Queen Victoria, responsible for the English industrial acceleration, for the end of slavery in the British Empire and for laws that helped workers.

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