King Charles' coronation: plans, rituals and guests (Harry yes, Meghan no)

The date of May 6, 2023, is here, and what a good deal of news, hype, and press has surrounded the build-up to this historic event. Many have been wondering what celebrations are planned, what will be different from the Late Queen Elizabeth's coronation, and, of course, if Harry and Meghan will be attending. We have the answers.

The date for the coronation may seem quite a wait after the day King Charles III was pronounced king, but the official coronation was never meant to take place so near to The Queen’s death. There must be a significant period of mourning following the death of a monarch.

And now, on the death of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, her son Charles was automatically pronounced King. The previous Prince of Wales had waited over 70 years as heir apparent. Now, the King and his wife, Camilla, prepare to celebrate their coronation.

In fact, the Queen’s own coronation took place over a year after her accession in February 1952. Elizabeth was finally crowned in June 1953.

Charles fondly remembers his mother preparing for Her big day. In an interview with the Guardian, the then-Prince of Wales said, "I remember my Mama coming, you know, up, when we were being bathed as children, wearing the crown. It was quite funny – practising.”

In the same tradition as his mother before him, his grandfather - and for more than 900 years - the ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey in London. Buckingham Palace confirmed the location in a statement, “The Coronation Ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

According to an interview with royal expert, Marlene Koenig, in Town and Country, the Archbishop of Canterbury will lead the proceedings and place a ‘replica of St. Edward’s crown from 1689 on the sovereign’s head.’

The grandeur of the event will lead to the major elements of the coronation. The first being the coronation oath, which promises to "rule according to law, to exercise justice with mercy - promises symbolised by the four swords in the coronation regalia (the Crown Jewels) - and to maintain the Church of England,’ according to the royal family’s website.

Charles will then, as history tells us, be anointed, blessed and consecrated by the Archbishop. The orb and sceptre will be placed in the ascending King’s hands and homage will be paid to the new King.

Both items were created in 1661. The orb actually a symbol of ‘Godly power’ - that the monarchy’s power is derived from God. The sceptre represents the crown’s power and governance and contains the largest cut white diamond in the world.

After the formal public announcement, Holy Communion will be celebrated. Despite the service remaining in the proceedings and faith of the Church of England, there will be other faiths included in the ceremony, according to Koenig.

The royal expert goes on to tell Town and Country that, due to the UK and Commonwealth’s, numerous beliefs, there will be elements from other faiths. She says, ‘other religious leaders could give readings, for example.’

Buckingham Palace’s statement on the coronation regarding the modernising of the royal family read as follows, “The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.” So we can still expect some good British pomp and grandeur.

The day after the sacred ritual, there will be a Coronation Big Lunch, followed by a Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. The BBC is broadcasting the concert and giving away 10,000 free tickets to the British public. But the concert has given the media plenty to speculate...

Many media are accusing celebrities of 'snubbing' the royals and the coronation event, due to turning down the offer of performing at the concert. Earlier this year, Marie Claire claimed Adele and Ed Sheeran both declined the invitation. According to the publication, Sheeran is already on stage elsewhere - in Texas - while Adele didn't give any reasons reasons.

The Daily Mail reported that Elton John, Harry Styles, and the Spice Girls also turned down the chance to perform at the historic event due to scheduling clashes. Of course, it could just be unfortunate timing, but has certainly put a more negative media focus on the event.

This coronation means more than the celebrities that attend. In fact, contrary to tradition, Charles will be inviting royals from all over the world, as reported by Tatler. This should allow for a glittering spectacle of Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses on parade - a certain eye catcher for the public.

‘For centuries, convention dictated that no other crowned Royals should be present at the Coronation of a British monarch because the sacred ceremony is intended to be an intimate exchange between the monarch and their people in the presence of God,’ explained the Mail On Sunday. ‘But as part of his plan to bring the ceremony up to date, King Charles has decided to move on from the 900-year-old tradition by inviting his crowned friends, including European royals and rulers from Arab states.’

Prince Albert of Monaco has already publicly announced he will attend. As have Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco. Many are hoping to see Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, as well as Queen Letizia of Spain. Finally it is thought Queen Margrethe II may be in good enough health to attend, according to Tatler.

However, despite Queen Elizabeth's coronation having a huge attendance (over 8,000 guests), King Charles has opted for a maximum 2,000 guests for his big day. Ah now we know if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend...

Harry and Meghan were invited - which was the first hurdle. Tensions growing within the family have left many wondering if the couple would have even been on the guests list. A spokesperson for the Sussexes said: “I can confirm the duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty’s office regarding the coronation."

The coronation date brought about another issue - the 6th May is Archie Mountbatten’s birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan’s son will turn four years old on the same day as the little boy’s grandfather is crowned.

Some royal fans, after rumours relationships between the King and his younger son are not too cordial, believe it is a swipe against Harry and Meghan.

Tom Bower, author of ‘Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors’ said, “Archie’s birthday was the last thing they thought about. The date was chosen because it’s just before the State Opening of Parliament and Charles will want to appear as king with his crown and the whole ceremonial [robes],” according to Marie Claire.

Now it has been confirmed who will be attending: Harry, the King's son, will be present; but Meghan, his wife and his two children will not travel to the UK for the event.

The couple issued a statement along the same lines as the palace: "The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."

Of course, the King’s wife, Camilla, will also have a role to play on the day of the coronation. The pair were married in 2005 and it was the Late Queen’s wish to see her son’s partner sit by his side on the throne, naming her Queen Consort.

Out of respect for the late Princess Diana, Camilla never took the title that would go hand-in-hand with Charles’ ‘Prince of Wales’. Instead, she has always been known as the Duchess of Cornwall.

‘The Ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort’, the royal Twitter account confirmed.

Of course, the next in line to the throne, Prince William, will be attending the ceremony. As will his wife, Princess Catherine and their children.

The British Prime Minister which, at the moment, is Rishi Sunak, should be in attendance. There will be other representatives from the Houses of Parliament, the Church of England and leaders from the Commonwealth.

As the cost of living increases, one in five Brits are currently living in poverty. The cost of the Queen’s funeral caused many to question the exaggerated funds needed to put on such a show. Could this coronation be cheaper than, at least, Her Late Majesty's coronation, to appease the people?

A source told the Mirror that Charles’ coronation will be "shorter, smaller and less expensive" than the Queen’s own coronation, back in 1953. Charles is clearly eager to be a King of the people, as his mother was.

The guest list and the coronation final plans will be seen in time. Until then, the British people seem to be more focused on surviving a difficult winter and dealing with the costs of living crisis.