Will King Charles's coronation be a bank holiday for…

Will King Charles's coronation be a bank holiday for Brits?

Perhaps the biggest day in the calendar for 2023 is the upcoming coronation of King Charles III.

For weeks commentators have been trying to predict the day the coronation will take place and now it has finally been confirmed. His Majesty will be crowned in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6 next year which is also when Harry and Meghan's son Archie will turn four.

And while thousands are expected to fill the Abbey to see the King along with the Queen Consort, Camilla be crowned, it is not yet clear whether Harry and Meghan will be among those invited, or whether they will be able to attend since it will be their eldest child's birthday.

With the events set to take place in May 2023, many people are already wondering if it means they will get an extra bank holiday as the nation marks the occasion. The Government previously declared that September 19 would be a bank holiday to allow people to observe the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

It allowed individuals, businesses, and other organisations to pay their respects to Her Majesty and commemorate her reign while also marking the final day of the period of national mourning. But will the nation see another bank holiday for the King's coronation?

Will there be a bank holiday to mark the coronation of King Charles III? (PA)

Coronations have not traditionally been held on a weekend, with the late Queen's taking place on a Tuesday. It has not yet been confirmed whether there will be any arrangements for a bank holiday.

Further details are due to be released in due course, but the Government and the royal household will be conscious of the scale of the event in light of the cost-of-living crisis facing the country.

The late Queen’s coronation took place on June 2 1953 – 16 months after she became monarch, and there had been speculation Charles would opt for a June date close to or even on the 70th anniversary of his mother’s ceremony.

The Palace said the King's coronation will be "rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry" but also "reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future".

Charles III 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.

In a statement, the Palace said: "Buckingham Palace is pleased to announce that the coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on Saturday 6th May 2023. The coronation ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

"The ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside the Queen Consort. The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."

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