The royal family is preparing for the coronation of King Charles III. They’re getting ready for the big day by holding rehearsals in a special Buckingham Palace “coronation theater.” Here’s what we know about their plans.
When is King Charles’ coronation?
King Charles’ coronation will take place Saturday, May 6, 2023. Roughly 2,000 people are on the guest list. King Charles will reportedly do away with tradition and invite his counterparts from other countries, reports The Telegraph.
“At the queen’s coronation there were no crowned monarchs, only the protectorate rulers like the Queen of Tonga,” a source tells Mail on Sunday (via The Telegraph). “It’s been a tradition for centuries. Inviting the King of Jordan, the Sultan of Brunei, the Sultan of Oman, and the Scandinavian royals—who are all friends of Charles—will be a good bit of soft power and diplomacy.”
The royal family is getting ready for the coronation of King Charles III
Preparations for King Charles’ coronation are underway. The ballroom at Buckingham Palace will be used as a practice space, reports People. The ballroom will act as a stand-in for Westminster Abbey ahead of the big day.
The Buckingham Palace ballroom is like the top of Westminster Abbey just below the High Altar. This will allow participants to familiarize themselves with the layout of the area that will be used for the ceremony. It’s also an ideal practice space because the royals will be able to practice privately. Westminster Abbey will be closed to the public starting April 25 and will reopen on Monday, May 8.
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Coronations at Westminster Abbey
Coronations typically take place as part of a communion service. The order of the service is printed in a booklet, so attendees know when certain parts of the ceremony take place and what they’re expected to do and say.
“The monarch is crowned in the name of God, surrounded by prayer, and the first thing that the newly crowned monarch does is receive Holy Communion as a sign of his dependency on God,” says the description on the Westminster Abbey website. “Although coronations take place in Westminster Abbey, it is usually the Archbishop of Canterbury who has the duty of preparing the order of service as the person who leads the ceremony, supported by the Dean of Westminster.”
Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend King Charles’ coronation?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were invited to King Charles’ coronation. As of this writing, it is unclear whether the duke and duchess will attend the ceremony. A royal expert says it would be in Meghan and Harry’s best interest to attend. Public relations expert Edward Coram James believes they could hurt their relationship with the royal family if the invitation is declined.
“In a universe in which the damage already caused by the rift is still recoverable from, at least in part, a no-show would be the fatal, irreversible blow, both in the public perception as well, potentially, as within the family itself,” James tells Express. “It risks drawing out the conflict over the long term.”
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