What to Know About the Coronation of Charles III

This weekend Charles III will officially be crowned King of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms. The coronation will take place on May 6, 2023, which coincidentally falls on the fourth birthday of his grandson, Archie. In preparation of this historic event, here are some interesting facts to know before His Majesty’s coronation.

Image: Charles III / Dan Marsh, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

1. Charles was born on November 14, 1948 in Buckingham Palace and was the eldest child of then Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinbugh (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was christened Charles Phillip Arthur George in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace.

2. When his grandfather, George VI, died on February 6, 1952, Charles immediately became the heir apparent. He has the distinction of being the longest-serving heir apparent, holding the position for 70 years, 214 days.

3. He was four years old at his mother’s coronation on June 2, 1953. The young prince received his very own hand-painted children’s invitation to the coronation. Charles was the first heir to see his mother crowned as Sovereign.

4. His mother’s coronation was the first British coronation to be televised live to tens of millions in Britain and later, aired around the world. Charles’s coronation will be the first to be live-streamed on social media and can be watched from nearly anywhere around the world.

5. The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey, which has been the setting of every coronation since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066. Charles will be the 40th Sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey with the queen consort beside him.

6. His wife, Camilla, will also be crowned queen consort alongside Charles and will be known as Queen Camilla. Unlike the three most recent queen consorts, Camilla did not have a crown made specially for the coronation. Instead, she will wear Queen Mary’s Crown, which was reset with some diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collection to honor her late mother-in-law.

7. During the service, Charles will be anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury, receive the traditional symbols of the monarch (including the orb and scepter), and have the St. Edwards Crown placed on his head for the first time.

8. In comparison to past coronations, Charles’s coronation will be slimmed down. His mother’s coronation ran for more than three hours, while Charles’s ceremony is expected to be about 2 hours. The number of guests is expected to be about 2,800, which is far less than the 8,000 guest invited to view his mother crowned. The procession will also be significantly shorter than Queen Elizabeth II’s five-mile journey to Westminster Abbey.

9. The senior members of the royal family will be present, including William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales and their children, and Harry, Duke of Sussex. Prince George will serve as Page of Honor for his grandfather, making him the youngest heir to the throne ever to participate in a coronation.

10. The coronation will be attended by hundreds of heads of states from around the world. First Lady Jill Biden will also be in attendance. It turns out the first lady is also a distant cousin! According to Geni’s World Family Tree, Jill Biden is Charles III’s 13th cousin once removed. They are both descended from the noble couple Phillippe III de Croÿ and his wife Johanna.