Westminster Abbey in London has been the coronation site for British monarchs for 900 years. It’s almost that time again – now the date for the coronation of Charles III is set. Celebration.
London – The British King Charles III. will be crowned on May 6, 2023. The ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey in London and will be presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury. “The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look to the future, while at the same time finding its roots in ancient traditions and splendour,” the palace said on Tuesday.
At the side of the 73-year-old Charles, his queen wife Camilla (75) will also be crowned, it was said. The ceremony falls on the fourth birthday of Charles’ grandson Archie, the elder son of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan.
Charles becomes king, Camilla queen
Charles has been King of Britain since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8th. The Queen had expressed her wish during her lifetime that Charles’ wife Camilla would one day become Queen. Westminster Abbey has been the site of British coronations for 900 years. Since William the Conqueror in 1066, the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Anglican Church, has always led the service.
The fact that Charles is not crowned until eight months after taking office is not unusual. “The coronation of the new sovereign traditionally takes place a few months after his accession to the throne and follows a period of state and royal mourning,” the palace said. For example, Queen Elizabeth II had been King George VI since the death of her father. Queen on 6 February 1952. However, her coronation did not take place until June 2, 1953.
Elaborate preparations
The preparation of the ceremony takes a lot of time, it said. The king will probably officially set the date later this year with his signature.
The coronation is both a service and an opportunity for celebration and pageantry, it said. “The character of the ceremony has carried a similar structure for more than 1000 years, and next year’s coronation will contain the same core elements but also reflect the spirit of our time.”
Several media had previously reported that Charles wanted a much smaller coronation than his mother did 70 years ago. As for the Queen’s funeral in September, around 2,000 guests are to be invited, such as the tabloid “Daily Mail” reported. In 1953, 8,000 participants attended the ceremony.
holiday or not?
Since May 6, 2023 is a Saturday, the date could also end the discussion of whether the coronation day will be a one-off non-working holiday for Brits. Corresponding demands had already been raised, and Economics Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg had also spoken out in favor of this.
Most recently, the British were given an additional day off on the occasion of the Queen’s state funeral on September 19. That the coronation takes place over a weekend is rather unusual. The Queen was crowned on a Tuesday. dpa
