His Majesty King Charles III and the Queen Consort Camilla will celebrate coronation day on Saturday, May 6 with ceremonial events throughout London.
Their Majesties will travel from Buckingham Palace in The King's Procession to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was created for the Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 60th anniversary of her reign in 2012.
The Queen died in September at the age of 96. She's the second longest-reigning monarch in history, and served England and the Commonwealth for 70 years.
Coronation services begin at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a "much larger in scale" procession back to the Palace, including Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories alongside The Sovereign's Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.
The King and Queen Consort will travel in the Gold State Coach, last seen during the Pageant of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022. The coach, which was commissioned in 1760 and first used by King George III, has been used at every coronation since that of William IV in 1831, according to the Palace.
A royal salute followed by three cheers from the assembled service personnel is expected upon arrival at Buckingham Palace.
During the coronation, the King and Queen Consort will be anointed with the chrism oil, which was consecrated in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and will be animal cruelty-free.
The sacred chrism oil has been reformulated and won’t include waxy substances from the intestines of sperm whales or secretions from glands of small mammals like civets, the BBC reported. Instead, the mixture will consist of olive oil, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, orange blossom and sesame.
A silver-gilt Coronation Spoon is the oldest object in use at coronations, having been first recorded in 1349 among St. Edward’s Regalia in Westminster Abbey, and is the only piece of royal goldsmiths’ work to survive from the 12th century. Spurs, which symbolize knighthood, were made in 1661, and the Sword of Offering was made in 1820.
Two Armills are "bracelets made from gold, champlevé and basse-taille enamel, lined in velvet, and are thought to relate to ancient symbols of knighthood and military leadership." The Sovereign's Orb represents power and symbolizes the Christian world.
The Sovereign's Ring is a symbol of kingly dignity, and was made for the coronation of King William IV in 1831.
St. Edward's Crown will be used to crown His Majesty the King, according to tradition. Queen Elizabeth II wore the crown for her coronation in 1953, and the piece has been "removed from the Tower of London to allow for modification work ahead of the coronation."
Camilla will wear the Queen Consort's Ring, a ruby in a gold setting, which has been worn by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
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She chose Queen Mary's Crown for the coronation, marking the "first instance in modern times of an existing crown being used for the coronation of the Consort."
The Palace hasn't revealed the guest list, but said that "2,000 guests" will form the congregation.
In February 2022, several months before her death, the late queen marked the 70th anniversary of her rule with support for Camilla. At the time, the monarch expressed her "sincere wish" that Charles’ wife should be known as "Queen Consort" when her son succeeds her.
The King’s Pages of Honour will include His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales, Prince William's eldest son.
Prince George is second in line to the throne behind his father, the Prince of Wales.
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Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Master Nicholas Barclay and Master Ralph Tollemache will also be included in the King's Pages of Honour. The Queen Consort’s Pages of Honour will be Her Majesty’s grandsons, Master Gus and Master Louis Lopes, and Master Freddy Parker Bowles, in addition to her great-nephew, Master Arthur Elliot.
The invitation for the Coronation was designed by Andrew Jamieson, a heraldic artist and manuscript illuminator. Mr Jamieson is a Brother of the Art Workers’ Guild, of which The King is an Honorary Member.
While it's still unclear if they will attend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were extended an invitation to the coronation, according to the Sunday Times.
May 6 is a particularly important date for Prince Harry and Meghan as the day coincides with their son Archie's fourth birthday. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex removed themselves from royal responsibilities in January 2020 and moved to Canada before settling in Southern California.
