The King’s coronation will be a chance to “showcase the very best of the United Kingdom”, ministers have promised. The plans were considered as Rishi Sunak chaired the final Cabinet meeting of 2022.
Despite the current walkout by some NHS nurses and looming ambulance strikes in England and Wales on Wednesday, planning for the ceremony in May was one of the main items on the Cabinet agenda. Downing Street said the Prime Minister described the coronation as a “unique moment for the country”.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden told ministers it would be a “moment of constitutional significance which will allow us to showcase the very best of the United Kingdom”, No 10 said. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Buckingham Palace was taking the lead on what is a “significant planning event”.
“We are expecting a huge number of foreign heads of state, international dignitaries and of course there will be a huge amount of involvement from the public as well,” the spokesman said.
The “massive” planning operation will involve work “across all government departments”. Cabinet was updated by both Mr Dowden and Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan about the work ahead of the May 6 coronation.
“At its core, it is a moment of constitutional significance and one to, obviously, acknowledge the new King. That will be at the heart of it,” the spokesman said. “Obviously, there will be a great deal of attention on the United Kingdom at that time. It will be a moment for us to show the best of Britain in many different aspects.”
Arrangements for the coronation – like those for the Queen’s funeral in September – will be diplomatically sensitive, given the likely presence of leaders from scores of different countries. But it could also pose difficulties for the royal family, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reported to be on the invitation list despite the damaging row over their Netflix show.
Harry and Meghan will have a place at Charles’ historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey if they wish to attend, according to The Daily Telegraph. The scale of the event could be even larger than the Queen’s funeral in September, partly because overseas leaders will have more time to plan their travel.
The funeral saw leaders from most countries receive an invitation. But representatives from Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan were not invited, while Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua were invited only at ambassadorial level.
The coronation will take place on a Saturday, but Monday, May 8, will be a bank holiday. The Government has already launched a consultation on extending pub opening hours throughout the coronation weekend. That could mean pubs in England and Wales being allowed to stay open until 1am on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
