Coronation of King Charles and Camilla

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on May 6, 2023, Buckingham Palace announced in October 2022. King Charles ascended the throne of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on Sept. 8, 2022, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

The ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey and conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The coronation is expected to be a shorter, smaller and more modern affair than Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.

Many people don’t realize a monarch’s name isn’t automatically their first name. Charles was allowed to pick his monarchy title and could have chosen one of his three middle names – Philip, Arthur or George. Instead, he opted to retain his birth name, Charles, following in the footsteps of his mother who also picked her birth name.

If it follows British royal history, King Charles’s reign is expected to be known as the Carolean era. The term Carolean is derived from Carolus, the Latin name for Charles. In fact, former British prime minister Liz Truss referred to King Charles III’s reign as “our new Carolean age” during a speech late last year.

There have been two other kings named Charles: Charles I, who ruled from 1625 to 1649 and used the “Caroline” Age, and Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685 and used the “Carolean” Age.

It still remains unclear how historians will refer to this era. There’s a possibility that historians could go an entirely different direction and use an new name for Charles’s reign instead of sticking to the Carolean precedent.

Camilla will officially be crowned Queen Consort during King Charles’s coronation ceremony. She immediately assumed the title following Queen Elizabeth’s death – though the title wasn’t always a given.

Before Charles and Camilla’s wedding in 2005, Buckingham Palace said she would only be known as Princess Consort when Charles ascended to the throne. When Clarence House quietly removed that detail from the Prince of Wales’s website, speculation started about whether she would indeed get a Queen title.

Queen Elizabeth confirmed the title in 2022, during her Platinum Jubilee message, saying: “It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”

Prince Harry will attend his father's coronation but his wife Meghan will remain in California with the couple’s young children.

King Charles’s coronation falls on a Saturday, but the U.K. has declared a bank holiday on the following Monday – May 8.

Buckingham Palace has announced a list of celebratory events that will be held over the weekend, including a concert and laser light show at Windsor Castle on Sunday, May 7. Thousands of street parties and local events are being planned as part of the Big Help Out initiative. Meanwhile, pubs, clubs and bars will be permitted to stay open for an extra two hours on the Friday and Saturday of the coronation weekend.

There has been no word yet about whether Canada will make King Charles’s coronation date a public holiday.

Ottawa will hold a ceremony on May 6 to celebrate the occasion. The event will include speeches, artistic performances, and special unveilings. Events are also scheduled across Canada for May 6 and May 7, including activities organized at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the governor-general.

The Mounties will be featured during King Charles III’s coronation procession, as part of a prominent Canadian contingent. RCMP riders are to accompany the Household Cavalry as part of the King’s official mounted escort in the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. The RCMP has also gifted the King with a seven-year-old black mare called Noble ahead of the coronation.

The ceremony is to be attended by Governor-General Mary Simon, who is the sovereign’s representative in Canada. She told The Globe and Mail she feels “privileged” and “excited to be there to represent our country.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also expected to attend.

The coronation is expected to be televised live across networks worldwide, including BBC and CBC. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was the first British coronation to be fully televised, and was watched by around 27 million people in the U.K. alone.

The Globe and Mail will cover King Charles’s coronation and live events throughout the day, including a livestream and special coverage from reporters in London and Ottawa.

King Charles has personally commissioned twelve new pieces of music for his coronation ceremony, including a new Coronation Anthem by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.

There will be performances by baritone Roderick Williams, soprano Pretty Yende, Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel and royal harpist Alis Huws. The Choir of Westminster Abbey, The Choir of His Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace and gospel choir The Ascension Choir are also expected to perform.

Media reports, however, indicate that Buckingham Palace has been struggling to find performers for King Charles’s coronation concert on May 7. Elton John and Harry Styles have declined invitations to perform, citing scheduling conflicts. Ed Sheeran, Adele, The Spice Girls and Robbie Williams have also all reportedly declined.

It is not officially confirmed whether a commemorative coronation medal will be issued for King Charles’s coronation.

Historically, however, every monarch receives a commemorative medal which is also given to royals, government officials, military officials and the police. During Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, a medal was made for more than 120,000 individuals.

In addition, the historic St. Edward’s Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels viewed by millions of people every year at the Tower of London, was moved to an undisclosed location in December 2022 for modification in preparation for the coronation.