King Charles will be officially crowned in a ceremony on May 6. Photo / AP
The countdown is on until King Charles’ coronation day on May 6.
Maybe you’re already planning a coronation-themed tea party, scrolling the royal website for your favourite merch items or reminiscing with your parents or grandparents about their memories of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 - or maybe all the hype around the new King Charles isn’t really your cup of tea.
Buckingham Palace is slowly revealing more and more details of what to expect from the coronation weekend, from the ceremony itself to the celebrations that are planned to follow.
So if you’re planning to watch along with a cup of Earl Grey in hand as the historic event unfolds, here’s everything we know so far about the coronation of King Charles III.
Charles’ coronation service will start at 11am on Saturday, May 6 (10pm on Saturday NZT) at Westminster Abbey.
A weekend of celebrations will follow, including a concert, a Coronation Big Lunch and a day of volunteering.
The star-studded concert, staged on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, is expected to start in the afternoon and go into the evening UK time. The public ballot for tickets is closed, with people able to find out if they’ve landed one of 10,000 tickets by the end of April.
We still don’t know who will be performing - Sir Elton John,the Spice Girls, Harry Styles, Adele and Ed Sheeran have all reportedly turned down the chance to perform. Lionel Richie and Take That are rumoured to be taking to the stage, while Buckingham Palace has said the line-up will be confirmed “in due course”.
The concert will also include the coronation choir made up of amateur singers from across the UK, an orchestra, light displays, dancers and spoken word artists.
For the most up-to-the-minute coverage, you can follow the NZ Herald for live updates from the coronation, as our Lifestyle and Entertainment Editor Jenni Mortimer reports live from London.
The King’s coronation will be televised all around the world. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 was the first ever to be shown on TV, by her own request. Around 27 million people in the UK watched the ceremony, with 11 million listening on radio.
Kiwis can tune in to watch the ceremony on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.
Charles’ coronation could also mark the first time the anointing of a British monarch is broadcast. The moment when the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the monarch on the hands, head and chest is traditionally the most sacred part of the proceedings and has until now always been hidden from public view with a canopy.
The Daily Telegraph UK reports that a see-through canopy is being made so that the anointing can be seen on camera.
The Coronation Concert will take place on Sunday May 7, with exact timings yet to be announced, and be broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC and shown on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ in New Zealand.
Charles and Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, made to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 60th year on the throne and first used in 2014.
They will be crowned in the Abbey in a service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Buckingham Palace describes the ceremony in a statement as a “solemn religious service, together with an occasion for celebration and pageantry.
“The ceremony has retained a similar structure for over a thousand years, and this year’s Coronation is expected to include the same core elements while recognising the spirit of our times.
“For the last 900 years, the ceremony has taken place at Westminster Abbey, London. Since 1066, the service has almost always been conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
The service will reflect different faiths and community groups. He will still promise to be “Defender of the Faith” - referring to Christianity - in his oath, but further words will be added to show his recognition that he serves all faiths.
Charles has asked for Greek Orthodox music to be played by the Byzantine Chant Ensemble during the service, in tribute to his late father Prince Philip.
Composer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber is writing the King’s Coronation Anthem, in hopes it will “reflect the joyful occasion”. It’s one of 12 new musical items chosen by the King for his ceremony.
We’ll also see the King anointed with oil, given his orb and enthroned.
His guest list is limited to 2000 people for health and safety reasons, with only a few MPs and peers invited. It’s understood Charles wants a diverse congregation present, and has invited representatives from the many charities he works with.
Prince George will become the youngest future monarch with an official role in the coronation, as he’s been named one of Charles’ four Pages of Honour.
Charles will be asked if he will " govern the United Kingdom and other nations of the Commonwealth with law and justice” and if he will “maintain Christianity in the nation”.
He will sit in the Coronation Chair, also called Edward’s Chair, holding the sovereign’s rod and sceptre to symbolise his rule over the nation, and the sovereign’s orb, to represent the Christian world.
He will be anointed, blessed and consecrated by the Archbishop before the St Edward’s crown is placed on his head and he is officially crowned King Charles III.
After the ceremony ends, the King and Queen will travel in the 260-year-old historic Gold State Coach back to Buckingham Palace in the Coronation Procession. This coach is 7 metres long, 3.6 metres tall and weighs a whopping four tonnes - eight horses are required to pull it.
It’s just a 1.3 mile route, avoiding large parts of London unlike Elizabeth II’s five-mile procession in 1953. It will reverse their journey to the Abbey, meaning lucky punters who have already secured a spot to watch the first procession will get a second glimpse.
Charles will then appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with Camilla and other working royals, along with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The list of working royals, revealed last week, includes Charles’s siblings and their spouses but excludes Prince Andrew and the Sussexes - so if you’re hoping for a glimpse of Harry and Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet waving from the balcony, you might be disappointed.
On Sunday May 7 in the UK, people will get involved in the Coronation Big Lunch, where communities and neighbours will be encouraged to share a meal together.
The British government has announced that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will host his own Big Lunch at Downing Street on the day, with guests including community volunteers from around the UK.
Britain’s Culture Secretary is asking the public to point out their local celebrations on a digital map as the countdown to the event begins.
While the Brits are tucking into lunch, Kiwis will likely be getting ready for bed - so why not have a nightcap of a Big Cup of Tea and a Big Biscuit instead?
The coronation concert will kick off in the afternoon on the Sunday and continues into the early evening, starting in the early hours of Monday NZT.
Brits will get a bank holiday or public holiday to mark the coronation on Monday May 8.
On this day, the public will be called on to volunteer in their local area as part of a Big Help Out event, in honour of the King’s passion for community charity.
The Daily Telegraph UK reports that “The King and Queen Consort hope that the impact of the Big Help Out will be felt across the country, creating a lasting legacy and the recruitment of more volunteers.”
Charles will be crowned with St Edward’s Crown, made of solid gold and decked with over 400 gems like sapphires, garnets and rubies. He will leave Westminster Abbey wearing the Imperial State Crown.
Buckingham Palace has also released a new emoji based on St Edward’s Crown.
A special emoji for the Coronation has gone live today! The emoji, based on St Edward’s Crown, will appear when any of the following hashtags are used: #Coronation#CoronationConcert#TheBigHelpout#CoronationWeekend#CoronationBigLunch pic.twitter.com/ueHOpkNn6M
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2023
It’s likely that the King will arrive at the ceremony in his military uniform - a more modern twist on the breeches and silk stockings of his ancestors. He will enter Westminster Abbey wearing the Robe of State, also called the Parliament Robe as it’s traditionally worn for the State Opening of Parliament.
Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation cost about £1.57 million, which today would be £46 million or NZ$92 million. By contrast, organisers estimate Charles’ coronation to be costing around £100million - about NZ$200 million.
A source told The Sun last month, “In today’s money, the 1953 Coronation cost around £50 million, but estimates for King Charles’s are twice that because of things like security, which weren’t such a big issue back then.
“But worldwide TV rights will more than cover the cost and it will be a massive boost to tourism.”
Charles has reportedly said he hopes his service is considered “good value” since it comes amid a cost of living crisis in the UK.
During Charles’ coronation, his wife Camilla will also be crowned Queen. Her new title was used for the first time by the Palace on the official coronation invite.
Until then, she had been referred to as Queen Consort since Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022.
The coronation will also see Prince William formally take on his new title of Prince of Wales.
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