Britain鈥檚 King Charles III (L) and Britain鈥檚 Camilla (R), Queen Consort, greet wellwishers from the balcony of the city Hall, in Hamburg, northern Germany on March 31, 2023. Britain鈥檚 Royal Couple is on a three-day tour in Germany for Charles鈥� first state visit as king, with the trip billed as 鈥渁n important European gesture鈥� to maintain strong ties after Brexit. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)
London, United Kingdom 鈥斅燱ith around a month until King Charles III鈥檚 coronation, plans are at an advanced stage to mark his historic accession to the throne 鈥� Britain鈥檚 first in seven decades.
Charles, 74, immediately became king when Queen Elizabeth died aged 96 last September, ending her record-breaking 70-year reign following a period of declining health.
But a British monarch鈥檚 coronation traditionally takes place some months later, after national and royal mourning as well as intense preparation.
Three-day celebration
The early May coronation weekend will feature a star-studded concert, nationwide 鈥渂ig lunch鈥� and volunteering initiative, as well as the traditional ceremony and royal processions.
The three days of ceremonial, celebratory and community events have been heralded by Buckingham Palace as a chance for 鈥減eople to come together in celebration of the historic occasion鈥�.
It will begin with Charles鈥� formal crowning at London鈥檚 Westminster Abbey on Saturday May 6, in a tradition dating back more than 900 years.
The next day will then see a 鈥渟pecial coronation concert鈥� staged at Windsor Castle, west of London, to be produced and broadcast live by the BBC and featuring 鈥済lobal music icons and contemporary stars,鈥� the palace has said.
Also on May 7, neighbors and communities will be invited to host thousands of 鈥渃oronation big lunches鈥�, billed as a 鈥渘ationwide act of celebration and friendship鈥�.
The final part of coronation weekend, dubbed 鈥渢he big help out鈥�, will be held on Monday May 8 鈥� designated a UK public holiday this year.
Organized by community forums and various faith groups, it will 鈥渉ighlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation鈥�.
Scaled-down ceremony
In another sign of Charles鈥檚 eagerness for a streamlined monarchy, his coronation ceremony will be shorter and less elaborate than the one staged for his late mother in 1953.
Then, proceedings lasted almost three hours, drew 8,251 official guests crammed into temporary tiers and included representatives from 129 nations and territories.
Instead, the palace confirmed Tuesday it will be inviting a mere 2,000 guests, while the service is set to last around an hour.
Alongside releasing a new photograph of Charles and Queen Consort Camilla taken last month, Buckingham Palace also unveiled the formal invitation to be dispatched 鈥渋n due course鈥�.
Designed by heraldic artist and manuscript illuminator Andrew Jamieson, it features the motif of 鈥渢he Green Man鈥�, an ancient figure from British folklore, 鈥渟ymbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign,鈥� the palace noted.
Guest list
Set to be watched worldwide, various global dignitaries including political leaders, heads of state and other monarchs and civil society representatives will be in attendance.
The palace is yet to release a list of those invited.
Britain鈥檚 royal family will obviously be well represented.
The palace also announced Tuesday that Charles鈥� eldest grandson Prince George 鈥� Prince William and wife Kate鈥檚 nine-year-old son 鈥� will be one of four Pages of Honor for the king.
Meanwhile, some foreign royals, including Prince Albert of Monaco and Prince Fumihito and his wife Kiko of Japan, have confirmed their attendance.
Several European leaders are expected and the United States will be represented by First Lady Jill Biden but without her husband, according to reports.
Among the members of the public invited is a teenager who has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for a hospice by camping in his garden every night for three years.
Harry and Meghan?
Suspense remains around whether Prince Harry and wife Meghan will travel from their US home to be at the coronation.
The controversial California-based couple are increasingly estranged from the rest of the British monarchy, after giving a series of incendiary interviews criticising aspects of the institution.
Harry also published an autobiography earlier this year which, like a prior Netflix docuseries made with his wife, revealed deep rifts within the family.
A spokesperson for the pair confirmed last month that they have been invited, but would not say if they had agreed to attend.
Talks are taking place with the palace about their roles and over security, according to British media.
Camilla
Queen Consort Camilla will also be formally crowned on May 6 鈥� wearing Queen Mary鈥檚 Crown. More than a century old, it was commissioned by Queen Mary for her 1911 coronation alongside King George V.
Charles will wear the St Edward鈥檚 Crown.
Camilla鈥檚 family, through her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, will also be involved, with three of her five grandchildren and a great-nephew serving as her Pages of Honor at the service.