The nation will come together to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday in front of a global audience of around 300 million people. It has been more than 70 years since the last coronation in the UK, when the King’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1953.
The ceremony was watched by around 12 million people in the UK, with the coverage then broadcast around the world, with 85 million people watching recorded highlights in the United States alone. Now in the digital age, the global audience will be even larger for King Charles III’s coronation, with coverage streamed on computers, smartphones, and other handheld devices.
You can be part of British history and join in with the celebrations as the nation unites. Our interactive cheer map lets you send your Coronation Day good wishes for King Charles III with a few clicks of a button. Simply select your country, fill in your name, leave your message and submit. The interactive map will also let you view messages of support left by others all around the world. It's a great way to feel even more part of a truly historic occasion that most of us have never seen before.
The eyes of the world will be on Westminster Abbey on Saturday, as Britain’s new monarch retraces his mother’s footsteps on his way to being crowned alongside his wife Camilla, who will become Queen. In addition to the television cameras, the historic occasion will be watched by around 2,000 dignitaries including representatives from the government, church, and the Commonwealth.
It will certainly be a memorable day for the King. His ancestor Queen Victoria called the day of her coronation “the proudest of my life”. Writing in her journal, she described the cheers of the crowd as she arrived at Westminster Abbey and the “most beautiful impressive moment” when the crown was placed on her head.
King George V, meanwhile, called his coronation a “great and memorable day”, but acknowledged the “sad memories” it brought back of his parents’ coronation. King Charles III was only three years old when his own mother was crowned Queen, but he may well feel similar emotions given the loss of both his parents in the last two years.