It's been a matter of weeks since King Charles III became Britain's new monarch - and next summer he will be officially crowned during his coronation.
Taking place at Westminster Abbey, the ceremony is an occasion for pageantry and celebration, steeped in religion and thousand-year-old traditions. Charles' coronation will be Britain's first in 70 years.
His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was just 25 years old when she was crowned at a ceremony in Westminster Abbey on 2 June, 1953. When his coronation takes place next year, King Charles will be 74, making him the oldest person to be crowned in British history.
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The King acceded to the throne on September 8, immediately on the death of Elizabeth II – the nation’s longest reigning monarch. Here is everything we know about the King's coronation so far, including the date, whether there will be bank holiday and what the ceremony will entail.
When is the King's coronation?
The ceremony will be held on Saturday May 6 next year, with the Queen Consort being crowned alongside Charles. The coronation will take place in Westminster Abbey, eight months after the death of the Queen.
The coronation falls on the birthday of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son Archie. Charles’ grandson will be turning four on the day of the ceremony next year.
Will it be a bank holiday?
It's not yet known whether or not the celebration will be marked with a bank holiday. Downing Street indicated it was keeping an open mind on the issue.
The government is considering all options, including creating an extra day off or moving the scheduled May 1 bank holiday to May 8 to give people a long weekend to mark the occasion. There have been calls from some MPs for the May bank holiday at the start of the month to be moved to coincide with the coronation weekend or for an additional bank holiday to be announced.
In response, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Obviously this will be a historic event. We are carefully considering our plans. All options remain on the table.”
Labour backed moving the May bank holiday to coincide with the King’s coronation. Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said: “That would certainly be a good way for the country to be able to celebrate the coronation. Moving the May bank holiday that there is for that weekend would be a good idea.”
Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said he expects the coronation will be honoured with a bank holiday, according to The Telegraph. It comes amid reports that some government officials were afraid a bank holiday would stifle economic growth, after the additional bank holiday for the Queen's Jubilee this summer was blamed for a fall in GDP in June.
But Rees-Mogg said: "The coronation is an important symbolic act with constitutional resonance about the stability of our system. To have a day off for that is perfectly reasonable and the effect on growth will not be enormous."
What will happen at the coronation?
Charles’s coronation is expected to be on a smaller scale and shorter than traditional crownings. There are suggestions that it could last just one hour rather than more than three.
It is expected to be more inclusive of multi-faith Britain than past coronations but will be an Anglican service. Guest numbers will be reduced from 8,000 to around 2,000, with peers expected to wear suits and dresses instead of ceremonial robes, and a number of rituals, such as the presentation of gold ingots, axed.
Coronations have not traditionally been held on a weekend, with the late Queen’s taking place on a Tuesday. Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg dismissed suggestions the ceremony would be a cut-price affair, saying the coronation must be “sufficiently dignified”.
The Palace said the ceremony will be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry” but also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”. During the event, Charles will be anointed with holy oil, receive the orb, coronation ring and sceptre, be crowned with the majestic St Edward’s Crown and blessed during the historic ceremony.
Camilla will also be anointed with holy oil and crowned, just like the Queen Mother was when she was crowned Queen in 1937. Guest lists have yet to be confirmed for the spectacle, including whether or not the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be invited or be able to travel from California to attend.
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