Whether you’re watching or not, King Charles III’s coronation is upon us. Charles will be crowned as king of Britain on Saturday, May 6.
The coronation ceremony promises to be, according to CNN, “magnificent and deeply religious.” Since this is Britain’s first coronation in 70 years, you might not know the ins and outs of Britain’s most prestigious ceremony. Here’s everything you need to know.
Where can I watch the coronation in the U.S.?
According to CNN, the coronation starts at 6 a.m. EDT — or 4 a.m. MDT. If you’re an early bird, you can catch the coronation on BBC News site or app, per BBC. The coronation will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the U.K., per CNN.
What time does coronation coverage start in the U.S.?
CNN’s coronation coverage begins an hour before the ceremony, 5 a.m. EDT or 3 a.m. MDT. Other networks, such as CBS, are starting their coronation coverage at 5 a.m. EDT as well.
Is King Charles’ coronation a public holiday?
According to The Telegraph, the British government announced last year that an “additional bank holiday will take place to mark the coronation.” The bank holiday is on May 8, the Monday after Saturday’s coronation ceremony.
Per The Telegraph, the additional bank holiday is an “an opportunity for families and communities across the country to come together to celebrate.”
“The public will also be encouraged to join the Big Help Out initiative, in tribute to the king’s many decades of public service,” per The Telegraph.
Commenting on the bank holiday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, “The coronation of a new monarch is a unique moment for our country. In recognition of this historic occasion, I am pleased to announce an additional bank holiday for the whole United Kingdom next year.”
“I look forward to seeing people come together to celebrate and pay tribute to King Charles III by taking part in local and national events across the country in his honor.”
What is a coronation?
A coronation is “the formal investiture of a monarch with their regal powers,” according to the Royal Collection Trust. In the U.K., a coronation occurs when a new monarch is crowned.
According to Westminster Abbey, new monarchs are crowned in part of a Holy Communion service, or Eucharist, “at which Christians commemorate Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper.”
During the coronation ceremony, the new monarch will make promises to both God and “the people they serve.” As Westminster Abbey puts it, “the words and actions are a visible representation of the invisible duty and responsibility of the monarch.”
How much does the coronation cost?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the coronation is costing the U.K. a pretty penny. According to CNBC, the coronation is adding up to $125 million, or 100 million pounds.
With that said, it looks like King Charles has made an effort to scale things back, with a “smaller, less expensive and more representative” ceremony, per CNBC.
What happens at a coronation?
According to CNN, there are six main components of the coronation service: “the recognition, oath, anointing, investiture, crowning and homage.” The service will be conducted by Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury.
The most sacred part of the ceremony is when Charles takes the coronation oath, which, according to the U.K. Parliament website, is an oath “in which the monarch swears to govern the peoples of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms ‘according to their respective laws and customs.’”
Following this, Charles will be “anointed with holy oil by the archbishop,” per CNN. Because this part of the service is considered to be sacred, we won’t see it on screen.
The king will then be dressed in “sacred coronation robes” and will be “presented with symbols of the monarchy,” including the orb, coronation ring, scepters and more. At the end of the ceremony, “St. Edward’s Crown is placed atop the monarch’s head” and Prince William and the public will make homage, which is swearing allegiance to King Charles.
How long is the coronation ceremony?
According to CBS News, the coronation is expected to last about two hours.
Is Camilla going to be crowned queen?
According to CNN, Camilla will be crowned queen. The coronation invites created a stir in April — according to BBC, the invitation officially used the title “Queen Camilla” for the first time.
Per BBC, “A royal source suggested that in the initial part of the new reign it made sense to use ‘Queen Consort’ as a way of distinguishing her from the late Queen Elizabeth. But from the coronation it would be an ‘appropriate time’ to officially change to ‘Queen Camilla’.”
Unlike the previous three queen consorts, Camilla won’t have a crown made “specially for her coronation,” per CNN. Instead, she’ll wear Queen Mary’s crown, which was intended to “serve as the permanent crown of future consorts.”
What is the coronation route?
After the coronation service, Charles will begin the coronation procession “from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace,” per BBC. This isn’t to be confused with the king’s procession, which occurs before the coronation service — and is only “fraction of the length of his late mother’s,” per The Telegraph.
The king’s procession is 1.3 miles. In comparison, the queen’s route in 1953 was five miles long, per CNN.
Per CNN, “The procession will pass through Admiralty Arch before turning on to Whitehall and traveling along Parliament Street and on to the abbey. It will return using the same 1.3-mile route, with the monarch traveling this time in the Gold State Coach.”
When was the last coronation?
According to CNN, the last coronation was Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
Differences between Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and King Charles’ coronation
Unsurprisingly, there will be a few differences between Queen Elizabeth’s and King Charles’ coronations. Firstly, per CNN, “Charles’ coronation is expected to be shorter than his mother’s seven decades ago.” Queen Elizabeth’s coronation reportedly lasted over three hours. On the other hand, experts speculate that Charles’ ceremony will be two hours.
There’s also been speculation on how inclusive Charles’ coronation will be. While not much has been confirmed — we’ll likely have to wait until the coronation to find out — some details about Charles’ coronation have emerged.
According to CNN, Buckingham Palace announced last week that “faith leaders would lead the first processions into Westminster Abbey,” followed by “representatives from each of the 15 realms where the king is head of state.” The governors general and prime minister will join their nation’s flagbearers in the procession.
Per CNN, “This is the first time non-Protestant faith leaders have been given a role in a coronation.”
There are a few other key differences, including a whittled down guest list, the inclusion of “religious leaders from other faiths” and female clergy and “the incorporation of other languages spoken in the British Isles.” The king will also reportedly pray out loud during the ceremony.
Who’s performing at the coronation concert?
King Charles’ Coronation Concert will take place on Sunday, May 7, according to BBC. The concert will “showcase the country’s diverse cultural heritage in music, theatre and dance.”
According to People, the Coronation Concert will be “a star-studded concert,” with Lionel Richie and Katy Perry headlining at Windsor Castle.
As Richie told People, he’s “just as excited for the pomp and circumstance of Charles’ coronation as everyone else.”
“I mean, you don’t get in the business and say, ‘You know what? I’ll be at the king’s coronation.’ That just never comes up,” Richie said. “(It’s) A, a surprise. B, what an honor. And C, the fact of all the names that are out there that he could have had for this, he called my name.”
Richie told People that he’s known Charles “for a long time.”
“He’s been in that prince role for a long time,” Richie said, “but I’m anxious to see what he’s going to now change as far as his reign.”
Per People, Perry also has a “close relationship” with Charles — she was “appointed an ambassador of The British Asian Trust in 2020,” which was founded by the king.
Other stars expected to take the stage are Andrea Bocelli, British band Take That, Freya Ridings, Sir Bryn Terfel and Alexis Ffrench. A coronation choir will also perform, per People, that comprises of members of amateur troupes in the U.K. It will include members of “refugee choirs, National Health Service choirs, LGBTQ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.”
The coronation choir will perform along a virtual choir that includes “singers from across the Commonwealth,” according to People.
Will Prince Harry be at the coronation?
As the Deseret News reported, Prince Harry will attend Charles’ coronation alone. Meghan Markle and their two children will stay behind in California.
Whether or not Harry will have a role in Charles’ ceremony remains uncertain. But several sources have claimed that Harry will only be in London for 24 hours. According to Deadline, Harry will arrive in London on Friday, attend the coronation until 1 p.m. on Saturday and fly home one or two hours after.
This will allow Harry to be in California for the fourth birthday of his son, Archie, which is also on Saturday.