Buckingham Palace has announced new details about the coronation of King Charles III, which will take place in less than a month. The British monarch and his wife, Camilla, will be crowned in a religious service at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
Two processions will take place that day: one leading the king to his coronation, followed by a sweeping parade back to Buckingham Palace, where the monarch and members of the royal family will make an appearance on the balcony.
Article summary
King Charles Coronation
Travel to Westminster Abbey
King Charles III will travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Carriage to address the service. This carriage, which is one of the newest in the royal collection, was given to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2014 and features exquisite primrose yellow silk upholstery.
According to Sally Goodsir, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Royal Collection Trust, it is a true “microcosm of British and world history. The carriage has wood from royal residences, expeditions, and other countries and nations. In addition, it has a huge gold crown on top carved in oak from HMS Victory, one of the flagships of the British Royal Navy in the 18th century, the expert revealed.
The procession will leave Buckingham Palace and will travel along the Mall accompanied by the sovereign’s escort of the Royal Household Cavalry. It will pass through Admiralty Arch before turning into Whitehall and along Parliament Street to Westminster Abbey, where the service will begin at 11 a.m. (London time).
Royal Procession
After the service, the procession will follow the same route back to the palace where the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories will be present. In addition, all the services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, along with the sovereign’s escort and the royal boatmen.
Charles and Camilla will travel in the Golden State Coach, which has been used at every coronation since that of William IV in 1831. For expert Sally Goodsir, the carriage in which Charles and Camilla will travel will add majesty and nobility to the grand royal procession.
The carriage is almost four meters high, more than seven meters long, and weighs four tons. Few monarchies have retained working antique carriages.
Once at Buckingham Palace, the Armed Forces will offer a royal salute to the King and Queen, followed by three cheers from the assembled service personnel.
New coronation emoji
A new emoji has been designed for the celebrations, based on St. Edward’s crown. This illustration will appear on Twitter when coronation hashtags are used over the festive weekend.
Concert at Windsor Castle
A major music concert will take place at Windsor Castle over the weekend, similar to the star-studded spectacle that took place during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. There will also be street parties around the country and a volunteer day.
Special guests
It has also been announced that around 850 community representatives and key workers will be invited to the festivities in recognition of their philanthropic work. The guest list will include 450 British Empire Medal winners, as well as 400 young people from organizations selected by Charles and Camilla. All will have a special private viewing of the coronation from nearby St. Margaret’s Church.
