King Charles III Coronation: What’s Happening In London Over The Bank Holiday Weekend?

When is Charles III’s coronation?

Saturday 6 May 2023. The coronation will take place at 11am at Westminister Abbey, following a ‘King’s Procession’ from Buckingham Palace.

The Coronation Regalia

The heart of the Crown Jewels and housed in the Tower of London where they are kept on public display, the Coronation Regalia are sacred and secular objects which symbolise the service and responsibilities of the monarch. The Regalia have played a central role in Coronation Services for hundreds of years and, in keeping with tradition, will be used at Westminster Abbey on the 6 th May. As part of the Royal Collection, the Regalia are held in trust by the Monarch on behalf of the nation.

What’s the coronation route?

On the morning of the 6th May, Their Majesties will travel from Buckingham Palace in The King’s Procession to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. Created for Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Her late Majesty’s reign in 2012, the coach has only ever conveyed the Sovereign, occasionally accompanied by the consort or a visiting Head of State.

The King’s Procession, accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, will depart Buckingham Palace through the Centre Gate, and proceed down The Mall, passing through Admiralty Arch and south of King Charles I Island, down Whitehall and along Parliament Street. The King’s Procession will travel around the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary to arrive at the Sanctuary of Westminster Abbey, where the Coronation Service will begin at 11 o’clock.

After the crowning the route takes place in reverse. The procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, The Coronation Procession, will be much larger in scale, taking the same route in reverse. The Coronation Procession will include Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all Services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen. The public are invited to line the way (see the purple bits in the map above), and there will be toilets, water refills, first aid stations, etc set up. If you’re planning on heading down there, it’s a good idea to get there early.

More detailed info on the Government website.

Who will be attending?

The Royal Family

Prince William and Princess Kate will, of course, be in attendance and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis along with most of the Royal Family, including Prince Harry.  It is expected that Prince William and Prince George will have major roles in the event. William will kneel and pledge allegiance to Charles, along with touching the St Edward’s Crown and kissing his father’s right cheek.  After the ceremony, William will then take part in the ‘The Coronation Procession’ back to Buckingham Palace before making an appearance on the balcony. Prince George will take on the roles of both Page Boy and Page of Honour at the King and Queen’s coronation.

With Camilla having such a prominent role, royal traditions have been changed to accommodate the couple’s special moment – and a role that is typically performed by duchesses, will now be carried out by Camilla’s five grandchildren during the Westminster Abbey service. All five children will hold the canopy over the Queen Consort as she is anointed with holy oil – possibly one of the most sacred roles of the entire ceremony. Her son Tom Parker Bowles has two children Lola, 15, and Freddy, 13, and her daughter Laura Lopes has Eliza, 15, and twins Louis and Gus, 13.

The King of Jordan, the Sultan of Brunei, the Sultan of Oman and the Scandinavian royals, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark along with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark;  King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden; King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway; along with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain; King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians; and many more.

British politicians

 Some of the politicians who’ve been invited to the coronation include: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; Chancellor Jeremy Hunt; Home Secretary Suella Braverman; Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer; and the newly-appointed First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, among others. Several former Prime Ministers will also be there including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Theresa May, David Cameron, John Major, Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown.

World leaders

As well as British politicians, foreign heads of state will also be at the coronation, with representatives from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cyprus, Malta and plenty more are expected to attend.

Celebrities

Celebrities attending include David and Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney, Joanna Lumley, Rowan Atkinson, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Dame Kelly Holmes, Amanda Holden and Bear Grylls.

What else is happening on coronation weekend?

Sunday May 7 sees a big Coronation Concert, although that’s at Windsor Castle. As part of the concert, there’ll be a ‘Lighting up the Nation’ moment, which London landmarks will take part in.

Monday May 8 sees The Big Help Out, where people across the UK are invited to roll up their sleeves and do a shift for a local group or national charity.

A Coronation Big Lunch is taking place over the bank holiday weekend (and right through into June in fact), with communities across the country encouraged to hone their coronation chicken recipe, and eat sandwiches with their neighbours.

For more information visit royal.uk/