After more than 70 years as Crown Prince, Charles ascends the British throne.
Since the death of his mother, the beloved Queen Elizabeth II, Charles is officially King of Great Britain. Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022 after more than 70 years as monarch. Her reign was one of the longest in history.
Although Charles is already king, the official coronation ceremony does not take place until six months later.
All information and details about Coronation of Charles III. read here!
When and where will the coronation take place?
On Saturday May 6th, 2023 Charles III. officially crowned. As has been the tradition since 1066, the coronation takes place in Westminster Abbey.
The ceremony will be presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Church of England.
By the way: May 6th is also the fourth birthday of King Charles III grandson Archie, the son of Harry and Meghan and the wedding anniversary of his late Aunt Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s sister.
On the occasion of the coronation, the British get a day off. The Monday after the coronation, i.e. May 8th, will in future be considered a “bank holiday” in Great Britain, i.e. a new public holiday.
procedure of the coronation
Overall, Charles’ ceremony is divided into six sections:
- First, the archbishop proclaims Charles king.
- He then takes the oath to govern the country according to the laws and to protect the church. To testify, he kisses the Bible and signs the oath.
- He is then anointed with holy oil.
- The highlight of the ceremony is the coronation, where the archbishop places the crown on the king’s head.
- This is followed by the accession to the throne of King Edward. This was made in 1300 and has been used by every sovereign since 1626.
- Finally, the princes and archbishop swear allegiance to the king.
In addition to Charles, his wife will also become king’s consort Camilla, to be crowned. Elizabeth had wished for this during her lifetime and also announced it to the public in a statement on her 70th anniversary of the throne.
The crowning of Queen Elizabeth II. in 1953 was a worldwide media event and the first royal event to be covered by camera crews and televised. A total of 27 million people watched the ceremony on television at the time.
Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation in 1953, next to her then 4-year-old Charles
He indicated that his coronation should be given an individual touch. The core elements of the thousand-year-old ceremony are retained, but the “spirit of modernity” should also resonate alongside tradition.
Where to see the coronation
On the occasion of the coronation, German television stations offer a variety of live broadcasts and accompanying programs. Here is an overview:
- RTL: The private broadcaster shows a complete theme day on the occasion of the coronation. Already at 4:45 a.m. you can watch the documentary series “The Real Crown: Love, Duty and Burden in the House of Windsor”. At 9 a.m. the seven-hour live broadcast “Exclusive Special: Finally King – Charles ascends the throne!” will start. The broadcast will be moderated by Frauke Ludowig. After the ceremony at 4 p.m. the documentary “King Charles III. – Between love and vocation”.
- Sat.1: Sat.1 also broadcasts the coronation live and even sends a team of celebrity experts to London. At 9:30 a.m. the special broadcast “This is the coronation” starts and shows the entire ceremony. The whole thing will be moderated by Marlene Lufen.
- The first: The public broadcaster will also broadcast the ceremony live. Julia-Niharika Sen accompanies the broadcast of this historic event for five hours in total.
Which crown will Charles III. carry
Like his predecessors, Charles is crowned with the Edwardian crown. What is special about this crown is that it is only worn at the coronation and is otherwise kept safe at the Tower of London.
Manufactured in 1661 from solid gold and adorned with 444 gemstones and pearls, the 30 centimeter high crown weighs over two kilos. Buckingham Palace announced that Edward’s crown was enlarged for the ceremony to fit Charles.
The Edwardian crown is only worn for coronations
After his coronation, however, Charles will not leave Westminster Abbey wearing the Edwardian crown. Instead, the crown is ceremonially changed. With the “Imperial State Crown”, which is smaller and lighter, he will greet his people as officially crowned king for the first time.
Most recently, the “Imperial State Crown” was draped on her coffin at the commemoration of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Camilla will wear the Queen Mary’s Crown, according to Buckingham Palace. Set with a total of 2,200 diamonds, the piece of jewelery was last worn by Queen Mary in 1911.
Who comes to the coronation of Charles III.
So far, 2,000 guests are expected at Charles’ coronation. That would be 6,000 fewer than at his mother’s coronation.
Because the coronation is a state event, the guest list is determined by the state. A similar attendance list to that at the Queen’s State Funeral on September 19, 2022 is expected.
At that time, heads of state such as US President Joe Biden and royals from all over the world attended the event. Head of State Frank-Walter Steinmeier will attend the coronation ceremony as a representative from Germany.
Of course, the rest of the royal family also plays a big part in the coronation. The son of Prince William and Princess Kate even has a very special task for the ceremony. The nine year old Prince George is said to be one of the page honours, wearing his grandfather’s royal robes.
It is now known that Charles III. also invited his son Harry and his wife Meghan. However, it remains to be seen whether the couple will appear at the coronation.
Will Prince Harry and his wife Meghan attend the coronation?
The two caused a stir when they left the royal family. In several interviews, documentaries and most recently Harry’s memoirs, they have made serious allegations against the Royal Family.
Perhaps the coronation is a good occasion to talk to the family and reconcile!
