Coronation on 6 May for King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort

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King CharlesImage source, Hugo Burnand

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King Charles's coronation work volition beryllium a premix of past and modern

By Sean Coughlan

Royal correspondent

King Charles III's coronation is to beryllium held connected Saturday 6 May, astatine Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Camilla, the Queen Consort, volition beryllium alongside the King and volition besides beryllium crowned successful the historical ceremony.

King Charles became monarch erstwhile his parent the precocious Queen died, but the coronation volition people a symbolic solemnisation of his caller reign.

With overmuch pageantry and ritual, the King volition beryllium anointed arsenic sovereign and a crown placed connected his head.

Next year's coronation volition beryllium the archetypal for astir 70 years - the past being for Elizabeth II successful June 1953 - and the archetypal held connected a Saturday since Edward VII successful 1902.

It is not yet known whether determination volition beryllium an other slope vacation added oregon moved to the coronation weekend, with a slope vacation already scheduled for earlier that week connected Monday 1 May.

Image source, Oli Scarff

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The medieval coronation seat volition beryllium utilized again for the crowning of Charles III

Buckingham Palace has indicated that the ceremonial volition harvester the past and modern - saying it volition beryllium "rooted successful longstanding traditions" but volition besides "reflect the monarch's relation contiguous and look towards the future".

Camilla, the Queen Consort volition beryllium crowned arsenic portion of the service, successful a akin but simpler ceremonial to the crowning of the King.

King Charles volition beryllium 74 astatine the coronation - the oldest that a caller monarch has been crowned. The day volition besides beryllium the 4th day of his grandson Archie, the lad of Prince Harry and Meghan.

Coronations person been held astatine London's Westminster Abbey for much than 900 years, with the medieval religion the mounting for a ceremonial that is simply a substance of spiritual and law symbolism.

The Archbishop of Canterbury volition preside implicit the anointing, blessing and consecration of King Charles.

Elizabeth II's coronation work lasted astir 3 hours but royal sources suggest that adjacent year's ceremonial volition beryllium shorter, much divers and with a overmuch smaller fig of guests.

Image source, PA

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Elizabeth II was aged 27 astatine her coronation, aft becoming Queen pursuing the decease of her begetter King George VI

In 1953 impermanent stands were built wrong the Abbey which allowed 8,000 guests. But the existent capableness of the Abbey is astir 2,200, which is apt to beryllium the bounds for adjacent year.

The past Prince Charles, astatine the property of four, was among the guests watching his mother's coronation.

Attention volition beryllium paid to however helium mightiness accommodate the ceremonial for his ain coronation - specified arsenic the wording of his oath oregon whether determination volition beryllium a multi-faith constituent to the service.

Many of the rituals person been portion of the ceremonial for centuries - and it is understood the "core elements" volition stay successful place, portion acknowledging the "spirit of our times".

Monarchs traditionally beryllium successful the 14th-Century King Edward's Chair and are crowned with the coagulated golden 17th-Century St Edward's Crown.

Image source, PA

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King Charles attended his mother's coronation, aged four

They are fixed emblems of their royal relation - an orb, sceptre and ringing - and, if the template of erstwhile coronations is followed, determination volition beryllium a procession done the capital, featuring the horse-drawn Gold State Coach.

Later that day, the newly-crowned monarch usually makes an quality connected the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

"Coronations, similar each rituals, are tailored to acceptable the times," says royal historiographer Robert Lacey.

He expects adjacent year's coronation to beryllium shorter and smaller standard than successful 1953 and with a wider scope of religions represented.

There volition besides person to beryllium a sensitivity to the cost-of-living pressures facing galore people, helium says.

"King Charles has a precise hard balancing act. What to keep, what to abolish, what to change successful a modern way," says Mr Lacey.

Elizabeth II's coronation became a turning constituent for tv audiences for large events, with much than 20 cardinal radical successful the UK watching the work being televised for the archetypal time.

For King Charles III's coronation, a imaginable worldwide tv assemblage of hundreds of millions could beryllium expected.

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