When Will Charles's Coronation Take Place?

The moment Queen Elizabeth II died, her eldest son, Charles, became king. However, Charles's official coronation won't take place for months, following a period of mourning for the Queen and after the necessary preparations have been made. A coronation is not necessary to become king—Edward VIII reigned as King without ever being crowned.

After Queen Elizabeth's accession on February 6, 1952, her coronation was on June 2, 1953, over a year later. In October, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles's coronation will take place on May 6 in a ceremony that will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future.”

“Buckingham Palace is pleased to announce that the Coronation of His Majesty The King will take place on Saturday 6^th May, 2023,” the Palace said in a statement. “The Coronation Ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort. The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”

The Palace has yet to confirm what time specifically the service will begin, but Queen Elizabeth's coronation began at 11:15 a.m local time (6:15 a.m. eastern time, 3:15 a.m. pacific time). We can expect the service to begin around then.

Per the British royal family's website, the coronation 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."

King Charles was just 4 years old at his mother's coronation in 1953; there, he sat in the royal box at Westminster Abbey between his grandmother, the Queen mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret.

The King's family, including Prince William and possibly Prince Harry, are likely expected to be in attendance. Also in the audience will be representatives of the Houses of Parliament, the Church of England, and United Kingdom. World leaders and citizens from around Commonwealth also attend the coronation ceremony. The British government pays for the coronation, and has ultimate control of the guest list.

Camilla, as new Queen consort, will also be crowned during the ceremony.

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