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Coronation of Charles III and Camilla

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Coronation of Charles III and Camilla
The then Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in 2019
Date6 May 2023
VenueWestminster Abbey
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Participants

The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Compared to previous coronations, the ceremony will undergo some alterations to represent multiple faiths, cultures, and communities across the UK and will be much shorter than Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. The ceremony will begin with the anointing of the King, symbolising his spiritual entry into kingship, and then his crowning and enthronement, representing his assumption of temporal powers and responsibilities. The Queen Consort will be crowned in a shorter and simpler ceremony. The royal family will travel to Buckingham Palace in a state procession and appear on the balcony to celebrate the occasion.

The coronation will mark not only a sacred anointing and formal crowning, but also include public celebrations. On 7 May, the Coronation Big Lunch will take place, providing the public with the opportunity to mark the occasion with street parties. The Coronation Concert will be held on the same day at Windsor Castle with representatives of the King and the Queen Consort's charities as well as members of the general public in attendance. On 8 May, the Big Help Out initiative will take place to encourage community service and volunteering. Both the coronation at Westminster Abbey and the concert at Windsor Castle will be broadcast on television.

Preparation

Background

Charles III became king immediately upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, at 15:10 BST on Thursday 8 September 2022. He was proclaimed king by the Accession Council of the United Kingdom on Saturday 10 September,[1] which was followed by proclamations in other Commonwealth realms.[2] Due to Elizabeth's advanced age, Charles's coronation has been planned for years, under the code name Operation Golden Orb.[3][4][5] During Elizabeth's reign, planning meetings for Operation Golden Orb were held at least once a year, attended by representatives of the government, the Church of England and Clarence House staff.[3]

Planning

St Edward's Crown

The Duke of Norfolk, by tradition, is in charge of organising the event as Earl Marshal. The current earl marshal is the 18th Duke, Edward Fitzalan-Howard.[6] A committee of Privy Counsellors will arrange the coronation.[7][5]

In October 2022, the date of Charles and Camilla's coronation was announced: Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey.[8] Buckingham Palace set the date to ensure sufficient time to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II before holding a joyous ceremony.[7][5] In November 2022, the government proclaimed that an extra bank holiday would occur on 8 May 2023, two days after the coronation.[9] On 20 January 2023, Buckingham Palace announced plans for the coronation weekend between 6–8 May 2023.[10]

As a state occasion, the coronation is paid for by the British government. The government thus also decides the guest list,[11] which will include members of the British royal family, the British prime minister, representatives of the houses of Parliament, representatives of the governments of the Commonwealth Realms and foreign royalty and heads of state.[12] After the ceremony, Charles and Camilla are expected to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony.[5]

For the first time, a Coronation Claims Office within the Cabinet Office has been established instead of the traditional Court of Claims to handle claims to perform a historic or ceremonial role at the coronation.[13]

Speculation

It has been reported that unlike previous coronations, only the Prince of Wales will pay his personal homage and allegiance to the King, while other royal peers will not be asked to do the same.[14]

The press has speculated that even though Charles and Camilla will invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the coronation, they would probably not attend, citing some other reason.[15] The coronation is the same day as the fourth birthday of their son, Archie.

Coronation

Procession to the abbey

On the day of the coronation, Charles and Camilla will travel to Westminster Abbey in a procession known as "The King's Procession".[10][16]

Regalia

St Edward's Crown, which was removed in December 2022 from the Tower of London for resizing,[17] is to be used to crown the King.[11][5] A crown referred to as St Edward's Crown (the crown of England) is first recorded as having been used for the coronation of Henry III of England in 1220, and it appears to be the same crown worn by Edward.[18][19] The King will also wear the Imperial State Crown during the ceremony.[20]

In October 2022, there was speculation in the British press about whether the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is currently set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, would be worn at the coronation. Indian politician Rakesh Sinha claimed that the use of the jewel, which was acquired during the British Raj, would symbolise the "unapologetic legacy of colonialism" and the "exploitation of India." Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that it was a matter for Buckingham Palace officials to decide. The diamond is also claimed by Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Afghanistan.[21]

Service

The service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.[10] A coronation oath is required by statute; the anointing, delivery of the orb, and enthronement are also expected to be performed.[5] Charles will sit in King Edward's Chair referring to its first user Edward I of England, who had it built in 1300 to house the Stone of Scone that the English took from the Scots in 1296.[22][23][24] Historic Environment Scotland announced in September 2022 that the Stone of Scone would be moved from the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle to London for Charles's coronation at Westminster Abbey and returned to the Castle after the ceremony.[25]

Charles's wife, Camilla, will be crowned alongside him as queen consort. When Charles married her in 2005, it was announced by Clarence House that it was not intended that Camilla would assume the title of queen upon his accession.[26] Charles, however, had long wished for her to be so titled and crowned alongside him and, in February 2022, with Camilla's popularity rising, Elizabeth II declared her "sincere wish" that Camilla be known as queen consort upon Charles's accession.[27] This will be the first coronation of a consort since that of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) in 1937.[5]

State Procession to Buckingham Palace

The King, the Queen Consort, and the royal family will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as "The Coronation Procession", before appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.[10][16]

Public celebrations

On 7 May, the "Coronation Big Lunch", organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project, will take place with people signing up to host Big Lunches and street parties across the United Kingdom.[10] The "Coronation Concert" will be held on the same day at Windsor Castle's East Lawn.[10][16] In addition to performances by singers, musicians, and stage and screen actors, the show will also feature "The Coronation Choir" composed of community choirs and amateur singers such as Refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups, and deaf signing choirs.[10][16] The BBC will produce, stage, and broadcast the event, and hold a national ballot to distribute pairs of free tickets for the public.[10] Volunteers from the King and the Queen Consort's charities will also be among the audience.[10]

On 8 May, the Big Help Out initiative will take place to encourage volunteering and community service.[10][16] It is organised by the Together Coalition in partnership with The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the United Kingdom.[10]

Reactions

The anti-monarchist organisation Republic has announced plans to protest in the lead up to the ceremony.[28]

Guests

William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales

See also

References

  1. ^ Rhoden-Paul, Andre; Heald, Claire (10 September 2022). "Charles praises Queen's reign as he is formally confirmed as king". BBC. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  2. ^ Ratcliffe, Rebecca; McClure, Tess; Badshash, Nadeem; Taylor, Harry; Zeldin-O'Neill, Sophie (11 September 2022). "Proclamations read out in Commonwealth countries – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b Pepinster, Catherine (2022). "Chapter 9: Vivat! Vivat! Vivat Rex! the next coronation". Defenders of the Faith: Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will see Christianity take centre stage. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1399800068.
  4. ^ Mahler, Kevin (14 February 2022). "Ghosts? Here's the true tale of things that go bump in the night". The Times. Retrieved 9 September 2022. the codename for the coronation planning: 'Operation Golden Orb'
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Dixon, Hayley; Narwan, Gurpreet (13 September 2022). "Coronation for the cost of living crisis as King expresses wish for 'good value'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  6. ^ Davies, Caroline (10 September 2022). "Earl marshal: the duke coordinating the Queen's funeral and King's coronation". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b Donaldson, Kitty (5 October 2022). "King Charles III Set to Be Crowned on June 3 Next Year in London". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  8. ^ Coughlan, Sean (11 October 2022). "Coronation on 6 May for King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort". BBC News. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Bank holiday proclaimed in honour of the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III". gov.uk. 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Coronation Weekend plans announced". The Royal Family (Press release). 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  11. ^ a b "King Charles III, the new monarch". BBC. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  12. ^ "King Charles III's coronation: What we know so far". BBC News. 8 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Coronation Claims Office to Look at Historic and Ceremonial Roles for King Charles III's Coronation". gov.uk (Press release). Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Prince Harry book Spare: King Charles has had Harry omitted from his coronation". The New Zealand Herald. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Harry and Meghan 'will be invited to King's coronation. but not expected to attend'". The Independent. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d e Coughlan, Sean (21 January 2023). "King Charles's coronation plans include Windsor concert". BBC News. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  17. ^ "St Edward's Crown leaves Tower of London ahead of Coronation". BBC. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  18. ^ "How much is St Edward's Coronation Crown worth?". British Heritage. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  19. ^ Ronald Lightbown in Blair, vol. 1. pp. 257–353.
  20. ^ "Historic crown to be modified for King Charles's coronation". Reuters. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  21. ^ Adam, Carla; Masih, Niha (13 October 2022). "Will Camilla wear the diamond that India — and others — want back?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  22. ^ "King Charles's coronation will be an occasion for 'celebration and pageantry' - find out all the details". Sky News. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  23. ^ "The Coronation Chair". Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  24. ^ Lambdin, Laura C.; Lambdin, Robert T. (3 April 2013). Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature. Routledge. p. 512. ISBN 978-1-136-59425-0.
  25. ^ "Stone of Destiny to return to Westminster Abbey for coronation". BBC. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  26. ^ "Clarence House press release". Clarence House. 10 February 2005. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  27. ^ Boffey, Daniel (8 September 2022). "Camilla to be crowned Queen beside King Charles III at his coronation". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  28. ^ Quinn, Ben (13 September 2022). "Republican campaign group planning new protests after arrests of anti-monarchists". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  29. ^ Stacey, Danielle (17 January 2023). "Prince Albert and Princess Charlene confirm attendance at King Charles's coronation". Hello!. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
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