Alongside Charles, 73, his queen wife Camilla (75) will also be crowned. The ceremony takes place on the fourth birthday of Charles’ grandson Archie, the eldest son of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan.
Charles has been King of Great Britain since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 September. The queen expressed her wish during her lifetime for Charles’ wife Camilla to become queen. Westminster Abbey has been the site of British coronations for 900 years. Since William the Conqueror in 1066, the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Anglican Church, has always led the service.
The fact that Charles is not crowned until eight months after taking office is not uncommon. “The coronation of the new sovereign traditionally takes place a few months after his accession to the throne and follows a period of state and royal mourning,” the palace said. For example, Queen Elizabeth II was King George VI since her father’s death. Queen on 6 February 1952. However, her coronation did not take place until 2 June 1953.
Preparing for the ceremony takes a lot of time, he said. The king will likely officially set the date later this year with his signature.
The coronation is a service and an opportunity for celebration and pomp, he said. “The character of the ceremony has carried a similar structure for over 1,000 years, and next year’s coronation will contain the same core elements, also reflecting the spirit of our time.”
Several media outlets had previously reported that Charles wanted a much smaller coronation than his mother 70 years ago. As for the Queen’s funeral in September, around 2,000 guests are expected to be invited, as reported by the “Chron” tabloid. In 1953, 8,000 participants attended the ceremony.
As 6 May 2023 is a Saturday, the date could also end the discussion over whether Coronation Day will be a unique holiday for Brits. Corresponding demands had already been raised, and Economy Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also spoke out in favor of this.
More recently, the British were given an additional day off on the occasion of the Queen’s state funeral on 19 September. That the coronation takes place on a weekend is quite unusual. The queen was crowned on a Tuesday.