King Charles III is set to be coronated on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey, according to an announcement made by Buckingham Palace. Charles had already became the monarch of the United Kingdom after the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. He will now be formally coronated in a ceremony that is happening almost 70 years later, where the crown will be placed on his head. Along with the king, the Queen Consort Camilla will also be officially crowned.

The ceremony is set to serve as the symbolic beginning of King Charles III’s reign. 

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For the first time in 120 years, the coronation will be taking place on a Saturday, with the last person honoured on the day being King Edward VII. A bank holiday has been scheduled on May 1, 2022, for the occasion. However, the British government has not yet confirmed whether an extra bank holiday will be added to the coronation weekend.

According to the statement released by Buckingham Palace, the ceremony will be “rooted in longstanding traditions” while it will also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”.

On the day of the coronation, King Charles III will be 74 years of age. He will thus become the oldest king to have been coronated at said event. May 6 is also the birthday of Archie, the king’s grandson and the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Since the couple have formally withdrawn from active royal service, it is not yet clear whether they will be present at the ceremony.

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As is tradition, The Archbishop of Canterbury will be presiding over the ceremony. Once the king is officially crowned with the 17th-century St Edward’s Crown, he will also sit on the King Edward’s Chair, that has been the traditional seat of the British monarch since the 14th century.