Buckingham Palace sets coronation date for King Charles III
Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday, Oct. 12, that King Charles III’s coronation date has officially been set.
The King’s coronation will take place on May 6, 2023, almost eight months after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Following the Royal traditions, the ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey in London and will be conducted by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The palace also announced in its statement that the Queen Consort, Camilla, will also be crowned at the ceremony.
The Coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
The Ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort.— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 11, 2022
According to the Palace, coronation usually takes place months after the previous monarch died to allow for a proper period of mourning and a time of preparation for the ceremony.
“The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry” Buckingham Palace said.
King Charles III’s ceremony is expected to be less extravagant compared to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. This is in solidarity with many citizens in the UK who are experiencing the current economic or cost of living crisis.
Unlike the late Queen Elizabeth II’s three-hour coronation, King Charles III’s ceremony will be shorter and last for just an hour.
In addition, the guest list for the event will be reduced from 8,000 to approximately 2,000. Peers are also expected to dress in suits and dresses instead of ceremonial robes. Moreover, some traditions, including the distribution of gold ingots, will also be removed.
According to the palace statement, King Charles is also expected to formally declare the date of his coronation by signing a proclamation at a meeting of the Privy Council later this year.
King Charles III was officially proclaimed UK’s new monarch on September 10, two days after the Queen died.