Buckingham Palace has tonight released plans for three days of coronation celebrations in May – with millions around the world set to watch King Charles crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The monarch will take centre stage on Saturday, May 6, after a difficult start to his reign, which has seen a deep family feud thrown wide open in public following a string of revelations and allegations by Prince Harry.
Huge crowds are expected to descend on London for the ceremony on Saturday, May 6, which will also see Queen Consort Camilla officially crowned.
A special celebratory concert will be held the following day at Windsor Castle – while festivities will continue into a Bank Holiday Monday.
Members of the public will have the chance to attend Sunday’s celebration by entering a ballot, the palace announced – with “some of the world’s biggest entertainers” set to perform.
On Monday members of the public are being urged to take part in ‘The Big Help Out’ by volunteering to do good work in their community, the palace said.
The coronation itself will take place almost eight months after the death of the Queen – a tradition dating back centuries to make sure it is a joyful occasion.
Although the crown passed automatically to Charles, the historic service will see him take an oath before being anointed and blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury while sitting on the 700-year-old King Edward’s chair.
Hundreds of dignitaries from around the world are expected to pack into Westminster Abbey, as they did for the Queen’s funeral in September, while huge crowds line the streets.
According to the palace, it will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry”.
It claims that the coronation will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”.
How The Event Will Take Place
Saturday, May 6
The main event will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.
Charles and Camilla will arrive in a procession from Buckingham Palace, known as “the King’s procession”, and after the service, they will return to the palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as “the coronation procession”.
There they will be joined by other members of the royal family.
At the palace, Charles and Camilla will be joined by family members on the balcony to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.
Officials have not said exactly which family members will appear in the coronation procession or on the balcony.
In a statement, the palace said: “The Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As previously announced, the Service will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said tens of thousands of people are expected to visit London to experience the coronation.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said the coronation is “a huge milestone in the history of the UK and Commonwealth”, adding that the weekend of events will bring people together to celebrate “the mixture of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great”.
Sunday, May 7
A special Coronation Concert will be staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC and BBC Studios, with several thousand pairs of tickets to be made available via a public ballot.
The audience will also include volunteers from the King and Queen Consort’s charity affiliations.
The show will feature a world-class orchestra playing interpretations of musical favourites fronted by “some of the world’s biggest entertainers, alongside performers from the world of dance”, the palace said.
The performances will be supported by staging and effects located on the castle’s east lawn and will also include a selection of spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen.
The Coronation Choir, a diverse group that will be created from the nation’s keenest community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs, will also make an appearance.
A new documentary exploring the formation of The Coronation Choir will tell the stories of the people representing the many faces and voices of the country.
The Coronation Choir will appear alongside The Virtual Choir, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth, for a special performance on the night.
The palace said the centrepiece of the coronation concert, dubbed “lighting up the nation”, will see the country join together in celebration as landmarks across the UK are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
Monday, May 8
The bank holiday has been set aside for volunteering and is being billed as “the big help out”.
Organized by The Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the UK, the big help out aims to highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities.
The palace said in tribute to the King’s public service, the big help out “will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas”.
The aim of the day is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.
