King Charles III coronation: Everything we know about 2023 ceremony

King Charles III’s coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May, 2023.

In a statement, representatives said: “Buckingham Palace is pleased to announce that the coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023.

“The coronation ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

“The ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside the Queen Consort.

“The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”

The last time Britain held a coronation ceremony was 70 years ago, when the Queen was crowned on 2 June 1953 at the age of 27.

Prior to that, her father King George VI’s coronation ceremony took place 16 years earlier in 1937, when Her Majesty was just 11 years old.

Here’s everything we know about King Charles’ forthcoming coronation.

When will King Charles III’s coronation be?

King Charles III will be coronated on Saturday 6 May, 2023, alongside his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort.

It will take place at Westminster Abbey in London where there are expected to be 2,000 guests in attendance, a stark contrast to the 8,000 guests present at the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

Charles will turn 74 years old in November 2022, making him the oldest person to be crowned in British history.

William, Prince of Wales is expected to play an important role in the committee organising his father’s coronation.

Will there be a bank holiday?

Yes! The weekend of the King’s coronation will be a bank holiday weekend. The bank holiday will fall on Monday 8 May.

Buckingham Palace announced the programming that will take place across the long weekend, including a balcony appearance by the royals, a concert featuring international stars and a day of volunteering.

On the day of the coronation, after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the King and Queen Consort will return to the palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as “the coronation procession”, joined by other members of the royal family.

They will then be joined on the palace balcony to conclude the day’s events. It has not been confirmed which royals will appear on the balcony, or whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been invited to the occasion.

On Sunday 7 May, “global music icons and contemporary stars” will appear at Windsor Castle for the coronation concert, which will be broadcast live on the BBC.

Why does King Charles III want a ‘slimmed-down’ coronation?

The new monarch is said to be “very aware” of the cost of living crisis, which is impacting many people throughout the UK.

A source told the Daily Mirror that the event “will be shorter, smaller and less expensive” than the Queen’s in 1953.

The source was quoted as saying: “The King is very aware of the struggles felt by modern Britons so will see his wishes carried through that although his coronation ceremony should stay right and true to the long-held traditions of the past, it should also be representative of a monarchy in a modern world.

“The King has long been an advocate of a streamlined of slimmed-down monarchy and this project could certainly be said to fit with his vision,” they continued.

“He has already spoken of his wish to continue his mother’s legacy and this includes continuing to recognise what the people are experiencing day by day.”

What does a ‘slimmed-down’ coronation look like?

It has been reported that Charles’ coronation ceremony will last just over an hour, a stark departure from his mother’s coronation, which lasted more than three hours.

The Queen’s coronation was attended by a total of 8,251 guests, with 129 nations and territories officially represented at the service.

But according to the Mail on Sunday, the guest list for Charles’ ceremony will be slashed from 8,000 to just 2,000.

Some rituals will be foregone to save time, but others will reportedly still remain, such as the anointing of the monarch.

It is said that the ceremony will also include a more relaxed dress codes, possibly allowing peers to wear lounge suits or morning suits instead of luxurious ceremonial robes made with crimson velvet and ermine.

In terms of what the King himself will wear, it has been reported that he has been advised to forego the traditionally opulent dress that the coronation ceremony is known for, and instead to opt for his military uniform.

The more modern coronation is also expected to be more religiously and culturally diverse, with plans reported to include a multi-faith congregation composed of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist figures.

The King confirmed he will take an oath to the Church of England at his coronation, but made it clear he wants to head a Britain that respects all faiths.

While many aspects of the ceremony are expected to change, the 1762 Gold State Coach will be seen in the coronation procession as it usually is at such major royal events.

The ornate gilded carriage was last seen during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant on 5 June.

Another aspect that will remain the same is that the King’s coronation will be televised, as his mother’s was.

The Queen’s coronation was the first ever to be televised and was watched by 27 million people in the UK alone, alongside millions more around the world.