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When Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in September, Charles automatically became King. During the First Proclamation at St James’s Palace on September 10, Charles was announced as King and given the title King Charles III.
Now, the date of the new monarch’s official coronation has been announced – and the UK is getting another bank holiday to celebrate. Here’s everything we know so far.
When will Charles be crowned King?
The coronation of King Charles III will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday May 6 2023. Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside the king in the historic ceremony.
According to the royal family’s website, the ceremony is ‘an occasion for pageantry and celebration, but it is also a solemn religious ceremony, has remained essentially the same over a thousand years.
‘For the last 900 years, the ceremony has taken place at Westminster Abbey, London. The service is conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose task this has almost always been since the Norman Conquest in 1066.’
Will we get a bank holiday for King Charles III’s coronation?
Yes, it has been confirmed that we will be getting an extra bank holiday to mark the occasion. This is scheduled for Monday May 8 2023, two days after the service at Westminster Abbey.
Will the May bank holiday be moved for King Charles’s coronation?
A number of MPs had called for the May 1 bank holiday to be pushed back until Monday May 8, giving the country a long weekend. Meanwhile, other MPs called for an additional bank holiday, arguing that adding an extra day off for the coronation would not impact economic growth. Now it seems the latter have prevailed, as the government has confirmed we will be getting two days off – both May 1 and May 8.
ICYMI: here are some pictures of coronations of British kings and queens through the years.
Plus: King Charles is hiring a garden manager for Buckingham Palace.