King Charles III's coronation: When it will happen, who's invited
The excitement to celebrate King Charles III's upcoming coronation is increasing with each passing day as the event nears. Although the 74-year-old King became the UK's monarch after the demise of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022, the official coronation ceremony is set to take place in May. In anticipation of this grand ceremony, we answer all the questions for you.
King Charles's coronation to take place on May 6
On October 11, 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles's coronation would take place on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey. The statement further mentioned his wife Camilla would be crowned as the Queen Consort during the ceremony. Earlier, it was widely speculated that the King would choose June for the ceremony—the month when Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953.
Official invitation for coronation unveiled
Hear ye, hear ye—the official coronation invitation has been unveiled, too! The beautifully illustrated invitation, designed by Andrew Jamieson, has been sent to around 2,000 guests. As per the royal family's Twitter handle, "The invitation features the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign." To note, it has been printed on recycled paper.
Check out the Twitter post here
Who are among attendees?
Apart from the members of the royal family, an array of foreign royals, politicians, and heads of states will grace the ceremony with their presence. The final list is yet to be confirmed, but US President Joe Biden is reportedly among those who will not attend the coronation. Meanwhile, some international royals have already suggested they would be present, including Prince Albert of Monaco.
Will Prince Harry-Meghan Markle attend ceremony?
Earlier, The Sunday Times reported that in March, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did receive an invitation to the coronation. However, the decision on whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will return to the UK to attend has not been disclosed as of now, the report further stated. Another report suggested that King Charles wants his younger son to attend the ceremony.
Which crowns will King, Queen Consort use at coronation?
The highlight of the ceremony is, of course—the crown! Reportedly, King Charles will wear the St. Edward Crown, which was first created for Charles II in the year 1661. Meanwhile, the Queen Consort will wear Charles's great-grandmother Queen Mary's crown, which is set with a whopping 2,200 diamonds. Queen Mary wore this crown during her coronation beside her husband, King George V, in 1911.
