Guests, dress code and Harry without Megan: the main thing that is known about the coronation ceremony of Charles III

According to tradition, the country must remain in mourning for a certain period after the death of the monarch, so the coronation did not take place immediately. On October 11, 2022, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023. It is interesting that Charles is crowned less than a month before the memorable date – the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth II’s coronation. She ascended the throne on 6 February 1952, but was formally crowned on 2 June 1953.

In addition to King Charles III. and Queen consort Camilla, the entire family of William, Prince of Wales, is expected to attend the coronation, with his eldest son Prince George serving as one of the pages of honor during the service. It has not yet been announced what roles Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be assigned at the ceremony. Meanwhile, after much gossip, Prince Harry has confirmed that he will be present at Westminster Abbey on the festive day, but his wife Meghan Markle will stay at home in California with their children. By the way, their firstborn Archie’s birthday falls on the coronation date.

For the past 900 years, Westminster Abbey has been the site of the coronation of British monarchs and Charles III. would not break this tradition.

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II stated that she “sincerely wishes” that the former Duchess of Cornwall would assume the title of Queen Consort when Charles ascends the throne, so that Camilla would be crowned alongside the monarch. She will become the first royal consort to be crowned since the Queen Mother in 1937, and will be crowned with the diamond-encrusted Queen Mary Crown (as a man, Prince Philip was not entitled to such an honour). By the way, Camilla is listed simply as “Queen” and not “Queen Consort” on the invitation.

Invitations have already been sent to 2,000 guests. Among them will be members of the royal family, representatives of the Houses of Parliament and the Church, prominent politicians from Commonwealth countries and around the world. The number of invitees is actually relatively small, given that the coronation of Elizabeth II. more than 8,000 people attended.

The invitations themselves were created by heraldic artist Andrew Jamieson. The edges of the card are decorated with plants from the British meadows – rosehips, bluebells, wild strawberries and cornflowers. At the bottom center of the invitation is an image of a character from British folklore that symbolizes rebirth.

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Although the ceremony will take place in a traditional location, the event itself will be very different from Carl’s mother’s coronation. According to a press release, the king wants the coronation to be “in the spirit of our time” and also “reflect the monarch’s role today and future prospects.”

Insiders say the ceremony will be shorter than the three hours reserved for the Queen’s coronation, lasting just over an hour in total. It will also cost the state treasury a smaller amount. In addition, Carl wants more representatives of different religions and social groups to participate in order to more fairly represent the ethnic diversity of the nation.

Traditionally peers, i.e. the dukes, marquises, earls and barons who made up the British aristocracy wore their coronation robes of scarlet velvet trimmed with ermine. They were also combined with diademed headdresses that varied in style depending on the individual’s rank. But the new king is said to have demanded that peers wear their “ordinary parliamentary robes”, which they wear each year at the State Opening of Parliament, or just standard business attire.

The King personally commissioned 12 new pieces, including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Coronation Anthem and Patrick Doyle’s Coronation March. Andrew Netsinga, organist and master of choirs at Westminster Abbey, will conduct the musical accompaniment throughout the ceremony, while Antonio Pappano of the Royal Opera House will conduct the coronation orchestra. Also expected to perform are the Ascension Choir, made up of gospel singers, and a Byzantine chant group that will perform Greek Orthodox music in honor of the late Prince Philip.

It is not yet clear whether modern popular artists will perform. Many people Carl would like to see have already turned down the invitation, including Elton John, the Spice Girls and Harry Styles.

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the first of its kind to be televised and attracted an estimated 27 million viewers in the UK at the time. That number could easily be surpassed this spring. After all, in the United States, the coronation will now be broadcast by cable television networks that broadcast the Queen’s funeral live, including NBC, CNN, ABC and Fox News. So Megan will not miss anything at home either.

She was presented on February 10 by Buckingham Palace. The emblem was created by former Apple chief designer Sir Jony Ive and his creative team LoveFrom. The emblem combines the symbols of the four nations of the United Kingdom: the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales and the shamrock of Northern Ireland. Together, the flowers form the shape of St. Edward’s crown, which Charles III would be crowned with.

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