Everything We Know About The King's Official Coronation

It’s hard to believe that so many months have passed already since we lost Queen Elizabeth II. Of course, now that the UK and the wider world have been through a reasonable mourning period for the monarch, it’s time to crown her replacement. King Charles III has effectively been doing his late mother’s job since she passed away but now is the time to really make things official.

On Saturday, May 6, he and his wife Camilla will have their coronation, marking a day that Charles has probably waited most of his life for. In the build-up to the special occasion, we’ve heard quite a lot about what’s set to happen on Saturday. So, here is everything we know about the King’s official coronation.

Charles and Camilla’s coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey

Like plenty of notable occasions in the Royal Family, the coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey. Of course, this won’t be where proceedings start on the big day. Instead, it will begin with Charles and Camilla leaving Buckingham Palace and heading to the historic location in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The pair will reportedly ride in great comfort, given that the carriage apparently comes with air conditioning, good suspension, and electric windows. Their journey will take them down The Mall, through Whitehall, and then along Parliament Square before they arrive at their destination. Waiting for them will be the Archbishop of Canterbury, who’s been responsible for conducting coronations since 1066.

Proceedings will start early in the morning for those in the UK

According to the schedule for the coronation, Charles and Camilla will leave Buckingham Palace at around 10:20 am UK time. Understandably, that means many Americans will likely still be asleep when they set off, with those on the west coast reportedly eight hours behind those in London. Of course, by this point, we’ll already be several hours into the proceedings of the big day. Public viewing areas along the main procession route apparently open at 6 am, with invited guests free to arrive from 7:15 am. A few hours later, political figures and members of the Royal Family are expected to show up, with Charles and Camilla set to make their big entrance at around 11 am.

The coronation will include pledges, music, and St. Edward’s crown

Many people watching the coronation won’t have experienced one before, so they probably won’t know what to expect from the service itself. Apparently, it will include Charles making a pledge in a coronation oath, one that will supposedly be updated to reflect Britain’s diversity. He will also be given St. Edward’s Crown to wear, which will officially mark him as the new monarch. Around a dozen musical pieces will reportedly play during the ceremony, including one composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and another that will pay tribute to Charles’ father. This will reportedly be enjoyed by roughly 2,000 guests in Westminster Abbey itself, a drop from the 8,000+ that apparently attended Queen Elizabeth’s. 

After two hours, the couple will head back to Buckingham Palace

The coronation itself will reportedly take around two hours, with Charles taking precedence in the event, given he’s the monarch. After he takes to the coronation chair, it will then be his wife’s turn to be anointed and crowned in what will apparently be a shorter ceremony. Once everything’s official, the pair will then head back to Buckingham Palace, reportedly doing so in the much less comfortable Gold State Coach. They should be back by 2:15 pm, as this is when they - along with roughly a dozen family members - will appear on the palace balcony. They’ll then watch the flypast of British Armed Forces aircrafts and wave to the many people watching down below.

Harry will reportedly attend the coronation, but Meghan won’t be there

Other than Charles and Camilla, it’s unclear exactly who will stand on the balcony on May 6, although it’s hard to imagine a world where William and Kate aren’t up there. One person we definitely won’t be seeing in the mix is Prince Harry, whose presence at the coronation was still up in the air just weeks ago. However, the King’s youngest son has confirmed that he will be in attendance, although he’ll be on his own. Meghan opted to turn down the invitation, which is understandable given that May 6 is also their son’s birthday. Her absence will likely be a source of gossip throughout the day, given how at odds the couple has been with the monarchy in recent years. However, that probably would have been the case regardless of whether she attended the event with Harry or not.

Considering the last coronation for a UK monarch was back in the 1950s, it’s safe to say that these events don’t come around too often. So, this special occasion is not one to be missed - who knows when it will happen again.