King Charles III's coronation is set to take place on May 6th in London, alongside his wife, Camilla. The coronation service will be held at Westminster Abbey and will be deeply religious. Two processions will take place through London's streets, with one carrying the King to be crowned and the other, a much larger parade, carrying him back to Buckingham Palace, where he and members of the royal family will make a balcony appearance. A new emoji, based on St Edward's Crown, has been designed for the occasion, which will appear on Twitter when coronation hashtags are used.
The Journey
The new British sovereign will ride in the Diamond Jubilee State coach for the drive to the service. The carriage was built in Australia and delivered to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2014. It is significantly taller than any car on the road today, and it has a huge gold crown on the top, carved with oak from HMS Victory, one of the Royal Navy’s 18th-century flagships. The procession will leave Buckingham Palace and head down the Mall accompanied by The Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry. The service will start at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. ET).
The Procession
Following the service, the coronation procession will take the same route back to the palace, but this time it will be much larger in scale. It will feature armed forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all services of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, alongside The Sovereign's Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.
King Charles and Camilla will be conveyed in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every coronation since William IV in 1831. It is nearly four meters tall, over seven meters long, and weighs four tons. Because of its weight, it can only be used at a walking pace, which adds to the majesty and stateliness of the great royal procession.
The coach is covered in painted panels that exemplify what George III, who was monarch when the coach was built in 1762, believed he would bring to the nation. There are figures of Mars and Minerva, the classical gods of war, but they're not at war. They're actually holding the British Crown aloft. So, there are lots of messages and symbolism in the panels.
Once back at Buckingham Palace, the armed forces in the parade will offer a royal salute to the royal couple, followed by three cheers from assembled service personnel.
The Royal symbols
The coronation regalia, which are held in trust by the monarch on the nation’s behalf, have played a principal role in coronation services for centuries. Among the treasures to be used will be the Imperial State Crown, which is only used at ceremonial events and was made for the King George VI’s 1937 coronation. Charles will exchange it for St Edward’s Crown at the end of the service. Made of solid gold and trimmed with ermine and velvet, it is famously heavy – weighing more than five pounds (2.23kg).
Camilla will reuse Queen Mary’s Crown rather than commission a new one to be made. Two heavy maces made of silver gilt over oak and several ceremonial swords – The Sword of State, the Sword of Temporal Justice, the Sword of Spiritual Justice, and the Sword of Mercy – will also be used. Additionally, several instruments of state will feature, including the Sovereign’s orb and two scepters, which represent the monarch’s temporal power and spiritual role.
Also read: New emblem for King Charles, banknotes to bear his photo
The Guests
Over 850 guests are invited to the coronation, including international leaders, members of the royal family, and representatives from the Commonwealth countries. The occasion will also feature a music concert at Windsor Castle, similar to the star-studded show during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last summer.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
