Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III’s coronation will be held on Saturday 6 May, 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
Just like his mother, King Charles will be crowned in the presence of faith leaders, peers, MPs, and foreign heads of state.
King Charles III became monarch after his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II died.
The King’s coronation will be the first within the past 70 years. The last was for the late Elizabeth II in June 1953 – and the first held in 1902 for Edward VII.
Being conducted differently from the previous celebrations, next year’s event is expected to have fewer guests.
Queen Consort, Camilla, will also be crowned, in the historic ceremony .The crowning unlike other King’s wives has been made possible after the Queen announced Camilla as the Queen Consort on her platinum jubilee.
Following Royal of traditions, the service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,” Buckingham Palace stated.
King Charles, 74, will be the oldest monarch that has been crowned. The date will also be the fourth birthday of his grandson Archie, son to Prince Harry and Meghan.
There are six parts to the coronation; the recognition, oath, anointing, investiture, enthronement and homage.
During recognition, the monarch stands in the central part of the Abbey and shows himself to the people.
For the coronation oath, the King promises to reign according to law, exercise justice w and maintain the Church of England.
He is presented with the Sword of State and declared at the altar: Before signing the oath he says, “the things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.”
The third part, which is the anointing follows. This part involves the process of blessing and consecrating the new monarch with holy oil .The King removes his crimson robe and sits in King Edward VII’s Chair.
The investiture occurs next. The King is dressed in special robes and is dispensed with the orb, coronation ring, scepter and rod.
This is followed closely by enthroning, which involves the monarch being lifted onto a different throne by archbishops and the bishops.
The final stage of the coronation is homage. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Prince of Wales and other Royal Princes pay tribute to the King.
After the ceremony, the King and Queen Consort are expected to appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace, just as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did after their coronation in 1953.
BY STACY ODHIAMBO