Charles III became King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms on the 8th September 2022, following the sad passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. His coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023. A three-day UK bank holiday weekend has been granted from Saturday 6th May to Monday 8th May.
The Earl Marshal is responsible for planning and organising the coronation. From the ceremony to street parties across the country, here is everything you need to know about the coronation weekend.
Saturday 6th May 2023
The Coronation of the King and Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on the morning of Saturday 6th May. Their Majesties will travel from Buckingham Palace in The King’s Procession to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach – which was created in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. The King’s Procession, accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, will depart Buckingham Palace and proceed down The Mall, passing through Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall and along Parliament Street to Westminster Abbey. The service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and will ‘reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry’ according to the Palace.
Once the service is finished, the King and Queen Consort will head back to Buckingham Palace in a larger procession, known as ‘the coronation procession’ and will be joined by other members of the Royal Family. The Coronation Procession will take the same route in reverse and will feature Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all Services of the UK’s Armed Forces. Their Majesties will travel in the Gold State Coach, which was commissioned in 1760 and was first used by King George III to travel to the State Opening of Parliament in 1762, and has been used at every Coronation since that of William IV in 1831. To conclude the day, the King and Queen Consort will be joined by family members on the palace balcony.
Sunday 7th May 2023
Produced and broadcast live by the BBC, Sunday 7th May will see The Coronation Concert take place at Windsor Castle. The concert will consist of ‘global music icons and contemporary stars’ as well as a performance by The Coronation Choir, which is made up of community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom, alongside The Virtual Choir, which consists of singers from across the Commonwealth. Iconic locations across the United Kingdom will also be lit up using projections, illuminations and other methods to bring the country together, known as ‘Lighting up the Nation’.
Also taking place on the Sunday is the ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ which will be organised and overseen by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project. This lunch brings together millions of people to boost community spirit, as well as reducing loneliness and supporting charities. The Queen Consort has been patron of the Big Lunch since 2013 and the event is expected to take place in streets and parks around the United Kingdom.
Monday 8th May 2023
Monday 8th May has been granted as a bank holiday and will see communities coming together and encouraging people to try volunteering for themselves, in tribute to the King’s public service, dubbed ‘The Big Help Out’. Organised by The Together Coalition, and partnered with The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and other groups across the United Kingdom, the aim is to create ‘a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend’.
To celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, the first commemorative design gold sovereign coins ever produced for the coronation of a British monarch have been released. Secure yours HERE today.