Buckingham unveils the outline of Charles III’s coronation

The veil is gradually being lifted on the coronation of King Charles III, which is scheduled for May 6 in Great Britain. Buckingham Palace said on Saturday 21 January it would like to make “this historical event” a moment of celebration, that gives “an opportunity for people to come together”.

The coronation of Charles III, 74, will take place eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died September 8, 2022 at the age of 96. It is traditionally held in the months following accession to the throne. This period made it possible to observe national and royal mourning, and to hold ceremonies.

That of Charles III would take place on the morning of May 6, at Westminster Abbey, as the previous coronations of English monarchs for 900 years. It will, as tradition dictates, be presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Anglican Church.

Camilla will also be crowned

“A coronation is a solemn religious ceremony, as well as an occasion for celebration and procession”, said Buckingham. Ceremony “will be forward-looking, while steeped in old traditions and pageantry”. Charles III’s wife, Camilla, will also be crowned.

Charles III and Camilla will arrive in Westminster from Buckingham Palace at the so-called “king procession”. After the ceremony, they would return there as part of “coronation procession”, where they will be joined by other members of the royal family. To conclude this first day, the king and queen consort, accompanied by members of the royal family, will appear on the Buckingham Balcony, to greet the crowd.

The following day there will be a concert at Windsor Castle, west London, together “an international music icon and contemporary star”. It will be broadcast on the BBC. Buckingham, however, did not name the artist who would appear on stage. Among the attendees will be found notably volunteers from the charities supported by Charles III and Camilla.

A “The Coronation Choir” will also feature concerts featuring singers from refugee choirs, community health services, LGBTQ+ and deaf singing groups. At night, iconic locations across Great Britain will be illuminated.

Residents will also be invited, on May 7, to participate in “The Great Coronation Breakfast”neighborhood party for “celebrate friendship”. “Thousands of Events” a must do in streets, gardens, parks, according to Buckingham.

Will Harry and Meghan be there?

This popular celebration is reminiscent of the celebrations that took place in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, during her 70 year reign. Across Britain, tens of thousands of lunches and picnics were held to celebrate this immensely popular monarch.

On Monday, May 8, which is a public holiday, people will be encouraged to become volunteers. This approach aims to “bringing people together and creating a movement that will take place after coronation weekend”palace said.

But will the royal family themselves gather for this extraordinary event? Buckingham did not say in his statement whether Harry and his wife Meghan, who are exiled in California, would attend. The palace never officially reacted to the prince’s explosive book, Alternativewas published on 10 January, in which she made strong accusations against several members of the royal family, in particular against her brother William and the Queen Consort Camilla.

The last coronation, that of Elizabeth II, took place on June 2, 1953. For the first time, the grandiose ceremony was broadcast on television and watched by 27 million Britons, for the then 36 million population. . It lasted just over three hours, in front of a crowd of 8,251 gathered at Westminster Abbey; 129 countries and territories are officially represented.