King Charles III’s Coronation will take place on Saturday 6th May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Eyes around the world will focus their attention once more on this magnificent London institution where the King will be crowned – alongside the Queen Consort, Camilla – in a ceremony overseen by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

This opulent ritual is the last of its kind in Europe and has remained largely unchanged for the past 1,000 years. It is an honour, of course, but for a King who wants to be a modern monarch there are a few wrinkles to iron out. Buckingham Palace have confirmed that although the Coronation will be ‘rooted in long-standing traditions’, it will also reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future.

For starters, it will be a relatively modest affair, even compared to Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation that came in the recent aftermath of World War II. The ceremony itself is expected to last around two hours – rather than the three for Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne – and guests will be limited to 2,000 due to health and safety restrictions. This is considerably less than the 8,000 dignitaries from 129 nations who attended Westminster Abbey in 1953.

Swapping stockings and breeches for a military uniform

There will also be less pomp and formality. Prince William is the only Duke expected to carry out the traditional gesture of kneeling and swearing allegiance to the King, and His Majesty has apparently decided to swap the stockings and breeches worn at coronations by his male predecessors for a military uniform, possibly that of Admiral of the Fleet, which he wore for the State Opening of Parliament last May.

As for the crown, Charles will wear the solid gold 17th Century St Edward's Crown. It is exceptionally heavy and contains the Cullinan II diamond, sometimes called the Second Star of Africa.

At its heart, however, the ceremony must fulfil its key role as being the symbolic religious ceremony during which a sovereign is crowned, as well as fulfilling the physical act of placing a crown on a monarch's head.

And despite cementing His Majesty’s role as Head of the Church of England, it is thought that representatives of different faiths will also be present – to uphold the King's wish to reflect the ethnic diversity of modern Britain. He will also still pledge to be “Defender of the Faith”, but further words will be added that allow the King to show he serves all religious faiths.


5 memorable Coronation moments

As we look forward to the Coronation of King Charles III, we take a moment to reflect on the most memorable crowning moments in Britain’s great history.

The one with the unwelcome guest
When it comes to organising large gatherings, there is always at least one family member you hope won’t show up. In the case of George IV at his 1821 Coronation, it was his estranged wife Caroline of Brunswick.

Having wed in 1795, the union had long been acrimonious, with the couple separating only a year into their marriage. George IV had sought various avenues for divorce, but with the pair still very much wed on the date of his Coronation, his only option was to lock his queen out. She was jeered by the awaiting crowds and died two weeks later.

The one where they lined the streets
Having ascended to the throne in 1377 at the tender age of 10, Richard II’s crowning was already a rare moment in the annals. His Coronation ceremony featured the first ever procession when he rode on horseback from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey and back, amidst the cheering crowds and streets bedecked with banners and decorations.

The one who did it his way
Keen to step out of his father’s shadow, George II was determined to make an impression on his subjects from the very get-go. Subsequently, the task of writing four new coronation anthems fell to famed composer George Frideric Handel. Needless to say, the songs were instant classics and are still performed around the world today.

The one with sibling rivalry
For Mary I, the coronation was not just about becoming Queen, but about setting order right in the country. A staunch Catholic, Mary I was convinced that her late brother, Edward VI, had tainted several aspects of the ceremony with his Protestant beliefs.

She demanded new coronation oil sent from the Catholic Bishop of Arras, along with an alternative chair to the ancient one usually sat in by incoming monarchs. Naturally, her wishes were granted, for few dared say no to ‘Bloody Mary’ (a nickname she would earn after burning 280 protestants at the stake).

The one where everyone forgot their lines
Queen Victoria’s Coronation was tainted by poor organisation. During the ceremony, an elderly peer fell down the stairs on his way to pay homage to the Queen; the coronation ring was forcefully shoved onto the wrong finger (taking an hour to remove); and at one point, a bishop told her the service was over when it was still ongoing, leading to her being called back to finish the ceremony.