Everything You Need to Know About King Charles’ Coronation
Ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, Park HQ has put together the ultimate guide to celebrating this historic occasion.
Date:
3 May, 2023
King Charles III's Coronation
For more than 950 years, British monarchs have been crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. The royal church was specifically built for the occasion, with William the Conqueror the first King crowned there in 1066.
King Charles III’s coronation is the first to happen since 1953. Then his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was part of the first ever televised coronation. 27M people in the UK (out of the 36M population) watched Her Royal Majesty's ceremony on television, and 11M listened on the radio. Hundreds of millions of people from all over the world are expected to watch King Charles’ coronation, and many cities across the globe will show the momentous event on big screens. For UK residents, we can find out where our nearest screen is by clicking here.
To mark the King’s coronation, people up and down the UK will celebrate in a variety of ways. From street parties with neighbours to large parades, across the country there are events planned across all three days of King Charles’ coronation bank holiday weekend. Park’s saving experts have put together the ultimate coronation guide to keep the good times rolling. No matter whether we’re a huge royal fan or just looking to have a good time, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this coronation weekend.
When is the King’s Coronation?
The King’s coronation date is Saturday 6th May. We also get an extra bank holiday on Monday 8th May. This day has been billed as ‘The Big Help Out’, aiming to encourage us to volunteer within our local communities by pitching into home-grown projects. Learn more by clicking here.
On the day itself, the procession of King Charles and Queen Camilla will begin when they begin making their way towards Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace – aptly named the King’s Procession. As customary, the new King and Queen will be travelling to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, and will return to Buckingham Palace in the Golden State Coach. For more details on the full route, Sky News has a detailed map of the exact course.
The coronation ceremony will start at around 11am and coverage of the day is expected to start at 7:30am courtesy of various news stations. The BBC, ITV and Sky News will all be broadcasting live coverage. Later in the afternoon King Charles and Queen Camilla, alongside other members of the royal family, will greet the public from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
On Sunday 7th May, communities across the UK are being asked to take part in ‘The Coronation Big Lunch’, which aims to bring people together in the name of food, fun, and good company. From 8pm, a huge concert showcasing music, theatre, and dance will taqke place featuring Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and a host of other big name stars.
At the same time various national landmarks throughout the UK are to be lit up with projections, drone displays and illuminations in a spectacle called ‘Lighting Up The Nation’.
How to celebrate the King’s coronation
- Enjoy an afternoon tea party. Is there anything more quintessentially English than enjoying a cup of tea? M&S has a whole range of coronation-themed goodies to indulge in, so check out their selection for everything needed to mark the occasion in style. Our personal favourite is the Royal Afternoon Tea Hamper (£55.00), which includes Victoria sandwiches, buttered shortbread, Devon scones and limited edition King Colin the Caterpillar cake bars.
- Watch the coronation on the TV. Kick back and watch the coronation on TV – for only the second time ever – on the BBC, ITV or Sky News. Radio coverage is expected on Radio 2, Radio 4, 5 Live, Radio 3, World Service and BBC Sounds. Wanting a treat to snack on? Check out the range of sweet treats available at Sainsbury’s.
- Throw a street party. It’s estimated over 3,000 street parties will be thrown for the King’s bank holiday If we’re not throwing a street party ourselves, we can see where our closest one is, courtesy of Yahoo UK, by clicking here.
- Be there in person. If you happen to be in London for the King’s coronation, check out this resource for the low-down on activities, featuring the likes of screenings, street parties, and other fun events. Metro has compiled a list of the best places to stand during the coronation, which you can read here.
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