King Charles III’s coronation: Everything we know so far

King Charles’ coronation is set for next May (Picture: AP)

Following the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, Charles III has now become sovereign – while Camilla has, in line with Her Majesty’s wishes, been made Queen Consort.

The country can now begin to look forward to Charles’ coronation, a day of celebration which will see him crowned alongside Camilla – in the first ceremony of its kind since Elizabeth was coronated in early 1953.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed the date of the coronation, which they have said will ‘reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long standing traditions and pageantry’.

Just when is the coronation set to take place – and what else can we expect from the occasion?

Here’s what we know about the day so far…

When is the coronation?

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

The King acceded to the throne on September 8 immediately upon the death of the Queen but it’s traditional for a full ceremony to be held a significant time later as a mark of respect to the late monarch.

Full plans for the day – known as Operation Golden Orb – are still being finalised but the ‘deeply religious’ ceremony will be overseen by the Archbishop of Canterbury, reflecting the King’s role as the head of the Church of England. 

Where will it be held?

It has been confirmed that the ceremony will be held in Westminster Abbey.

It is tradition for the coronation of monarchs to take place at the Abbey, as every King or Queen since 1066 has been crowned there – including Queen Elizabeth II.

It has also been host to many Royal Weddings, including Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 was an extravagant affair, with the new Queen being crowned in front of 8000 guests, while more than 40,000 troops were involved in the parade.

Will it be televised?

It will be the first coronation since Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 (Picture: PA)

As a major Royal event it’s almost certain that the coronation will be televised.

However, at this early stage it’s impossible to say which channels will be screening it and what their plans are for coverage.

It’s likely that it will be aired on BBC and ITV – as has been the case for such royal events as Prince William and Prince Harry’s weddings, and the Queen’s state funeral.

Expect news channels such as Sky News to also air extensive coverage of the ceremony.

Could we get a bank holiday?

At the moment no bank holiday has been confirmed for the coronation, which is taking place on a Saturday – and according to reports ministers have agreed it is ‘highly unlikely’ there will be any extra time off.

However the Palace has not ruled out the possibility of an extra bank holiday to celebrate.

And one option could be to move next year’s May Bank Holiday – which is traditionally on the first Monday in May – to a different date to mark the event.

Further details are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Who could get invited?

Queen Elizabeth and the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony following her coronation (Picture: Getty Images)

The guest list won’t be confirmed until nearer the time, but you can expect it to be filled with dignitaries.

Those attending are likely to include other royals from around the world, as well as representatives from other Commonwealth nations and their spouses, those in Government including the Prime Minister and all members of the Cabinet, and hereditary peers.

Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 paid host to no less than 8,000 guests – who were so tightly packed into Westminster Abbey that each attendee had only 18 inches of seating space.

What will King Charles III wear?

Charles will be coronated with the famous St Edward’s Crown (Picture: Getty Images)

As with previous coronations, you can expect to see the King wearing coronation robes during the ceremony.

The ceremony involves the monarch wearing several different sets of robes, and tradition dictates that most of these are made new for each monarch.

These include the Robe Of State, worn when entering Westminster Abbey, the Shroud Tunic – worn during part of the ceremony, the Supertunica, which is worn during the investiture, the Robe Royal – which the monarch dons during the crowning – and the Imperial Robe, worn at the conclusion of the ceremony.

All of these are traditionally new, according to Historic UK – except for the Supertunica and the Robe Royal, which have been worn since the coronation of George IV in 1821.

What crown will King Charles III be coronated with?

The King will be coronated with the St Edward’s Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels.

The version currently in use was made for King Charles II in 1661 after the previous, medieval crown was melted down in 1649.

It is also likely that the crowns previously associated with the Queen will need to be resized ahead of Charles’ coronation.

Charles’ head is larger so it’s only logical that the crowns will need to be resized and, in some cases, restyled.

The circlets on the crown may need to be enlarged significantly and additional stones will be added – the opposite of what was done to make them smaller for the late Queen in order to achieve a more feminine look.

Will Camilla get coronated?

Camilla will be crowned as Queen Consort on the day of the coronation (Picture: Getty Images)

At the ceremony where she will be acclaimed as Queen Consort, it has been widely reported that Camilla will be given the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, also known as The Queen Mother’s Crown.

The crown belonged to The Queen Mother, who was given it in 1937 for the coronation of her husband, King George VI.

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It’ll be a day to remember.