The coronation of Britain’s King Charles III will take place on Saturday 6th May, eight months after he ascended to the throne.
The coronation will see the 74-year-old crowned with a solid gold crown made in 1661 in front of 2,200 invited guests from across the political, royal and celebrity worlds.
Prince Harry to attend…but not Meghan
Among them will be his eldest son Prince William and his wife Catherine, while his second son Prince Harry, who recently fell out with the rest of the family, will be flying in for the event from the United States without his wife Meghan Markle.
The guest list also includes British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, plus a number of other royal families, including Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will not be attending the coronation as he will be attending a summit in Bujumbura, Burundi. Minister Naledi Pandor has been delegated to attend the coronation.
The coronation will be marked with events across the UK and a concert at Windsor Castle.
The Coronation Service
The coronation of The King and The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey.
The Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
Their Majesties will arrive at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as ‘The King’s Procession’.
After the Service, Their Majesties will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as ‘The Coronation Procession’. Their Majesties will be joined in this procession by other Members of the Royal Family.
At Buckingham Palace, The King and The Queen Consort, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.
A sustainable affair…
The King will reuse historic items of clothing from the Royal Collection, worn by previous monarchs at past Coronations, during the service. The ‘vestments’ will be worn as His Majesty is crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Coronation Chair.
Also in the interest of sustainability, Their Majesties have chosen to use Chairs of Estate and Throne Chairs from the Royal Collection made for previous Coronations. These have been conserved, restored and adapted as required.
The crown jewels…
Some South Africans are calling for the United Kingdom to return the world’s largest diamond, known as the Star of Africa, which is set in the royal sceptre that King Charles III will hold at his coronation on Saturday.
The diamond, which weighs 530 carats, was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and presented to the British monarchy two years later…
Following the coronation, a special concert will be staged on Sunday 7th May and broadcast live at Windsor Castle. Several thousand pairs of tickets were made available via public ballot.
Homegrown talent, Pretty Yende, will perform.
VIDEO | One of South Africa's opera stars, Pretty Yende, will perform at the coronation of King Charles III in the United Kingdom this week.https://t.co/MaNTV9lYS8 pic.twitter.com/QAQXy3UykA
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 3, 2023
The Coronation Big Lunch, at which neighbours and communities are invited to share food and fun together, will take place across the UK, also on Sunday.
On Monday 8th May, members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.
Fancy a job as a bell ringer?
Ahead of the coronation, the UK reported a shortage of bell ringers.
After a nationwide appeal was issued, more than 1,000 people eagerly signed up as recruits for Church Bell Ringers.
What exactly does it entail becoming a Church Bell Ringer?
The Ryan O’Connor Breakfast Show caught up with St George’s Cathedral bell ringer (officially called a campanologist!) Mark Ogilvie to find out what it takes.
One day to go….#Coronation
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 5, 2023
With: Aljazeera
