While Charles officially became King as soon as his mother the Queen passed away, the official Coronation of King Charles III took place on Saturday 6 May 2023. King Charles III was crowned alongside his wife, Queen Camilla.
Prior to coronation day, Buckingham Palace said that "the Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."
On Sunday, 7th May 2023, a special Coronation Concert was staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC and BBC Studios, with several thousand pairs of tickets made available via public ballot.
Where did the Coronation happen?
As it has for the past 900 years, the coronation took place in London’s Westminster Abbey. This is also where Queen Elizabeth II had her Coronation in 1953.
The Service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort arrived at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as ‘The King’s Procession’.
After the Service, Their Majesties returned to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as ‘The Coronation Procession’. Their Majesties were joined in this procession by other Members of the Royal Family.
The Princess Royal was among those riding behind the coach, while the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, were among the royals in the three carriages and first car following.
At Buckingham Palace, The King and The Queen Consort, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, appeared on the balcony to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.
Who was at Coronation?
Those attending King Charles II coronation included members of the House of Lords, the lord mayor, aldermen and other leading citizens of the City of London, as well as the high commissioners in London of member nations of the Commonwealth. Prince William and Harry were also in attendance.
In addition to all the guests there were in attendance, the coronation was watched by an average of 18 million viewers in the UK on TV, with the ceremony being televised by the BBC and other TV news outlets. Beyond the UK, it's estimated that 400 million people in total worldwide tuned in to watch the coronation.
You can watch the coronation highlights from the day on ITVX.
What happened during the Coronation ceremony?
The King entered the abbey through the Great West Door at 10:53 wearing a red velvet robe of state. Underneath he chose to wear a military uniform.
The ceremony began at 11:00 and was punctuated with music selected by the King, with 12 newly commissioned pieces, including one by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Greek Orthodox music in memory of the King's father, Prince Philip.
The King's grandson, Prince George, was among the pages, alongside Camilla's grandchildren, Lola, Eliza, Gus, Louis and Freddy.
Some of those who walk ahead of the King through the abbey before the service carried the regalia, with most items that were used from the crown jewels collection placed on the altar until needed in the ceremony.
The traditional Coronation ceremony was conducted by Archbishop of Canterbury, and was quite a long process. The ceremony has remained the same for 1000 years.
The ceremony began with the Archbishop confirming Charles' acceptance of becoming King by reading the Coronation oath.
Charles was then asked to govern the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations with law and justice while maintaining Christianity in the nation.
King Charles III then sat in the Coronation Chair which is also known as Edward’s Chair, holding the Sovereign’s sceptre and rod and the Sovereign’s orb.
He was then anointed, blessed and consecrated by the Archbishop, and had the crown of St Edward placed on his head.
As well as Charles being anointed King, his wife Camilla was also crowned as Queen.
To celebrate the occasion, a King Charles coronation medal was awarded to other royals, government officials and members of the Armed Forces.
King Charles coronation cost
It's no surprise that with all these very grand plans, the coronation costs a lot of money. It's estimated that the coronation cost £50 million to £100 million which is paid for using public funds. Although this is a huge cost, King Charles slimmed down the original coronation plans inviting fewer guests than originally planned, reducing how long it was and less expensive outfits.
Coronation concert at Windsor Castle
On the Sunday, a special Coronation Concert took place at Windsor Castle. Produced, staged and broadcast live by the BBC and BBC Studios, the Coronation Concert brought global music icons and contemporary stars together in celebration of the historic occasion.
The line-up included British pop group Take That, international superstar Lionel Richie, global pop icon Katy Perry, international opera star Andrea Bocelli, Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, singer/songwriter Freya Ridings and classical-soul composer/producer Alexis Ffrench.
Alongside the stars of the concert, the show also saw an exclusive appearance from The Coronation Choir. This diverse group was created from the nation’s keenest community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom, such as Refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.
The Big Help Out
The Coronation weekend ended with The Big Help Out, organised by The Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the United Kingdom. The Big Help Out highlighted the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation.
In tribute to His Majesty The King's public service, The Big Help Out encouraged people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of The Big Help Out was to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend.
Lorna White is a Senior Digital Writer at Yours.co.uk. She was previously a writer at Yours Magazine writing features and news stories before joining the digital team. Lorna loves the great British countryside and likes to spend her spare time out and about in her home of Nottinghamshire walking her dog, Pippin.