All of the famous faces at King Charles III's coronation
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Today's the day! It's King Charles III's coronation – and millions (possibly even billions) of people worldwide are expected to tune in to watch the historic event, which will also include a special concert. Alongside the celebrities who'll be performing on the stage at the concert (including Katy Perry and Lionel Richie), there'll also be plenty of famous faces in the crowd at the coronation itself.
So, who are the coronation guests that were lucky enough to score an invite to Westminster Abbey to witness the King's crowning? From the Royal Family to world leaders and even members of the public, here's everything we know about the coronation guestlist...
King Charles III's coronation guests
Royal Family
Although King Charles has made it known that he plans to slim the monarchy down as much as possible, many members of the Royal Family were invited to the coronation.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will, of course, be in attendance and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be too. It is expected that Prince William and Prince George will have pretty major roles in the event.
Prince Harry has also been confirmed to attend, after weeks of speculation. Meghan Markle, however, will not travel to the UK for the event and will instead stay at home with Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie, whose birthday falls on the same day as the coronation.
Other royals expected to attend the coronation include: Princess Anne (along with her daughter and son-in-law, Zara and Mike Tindall) as well as the newly-appointed Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Queen Consort Camilla's family have also been invited to the coronation, including her son, and a number of her grandchildren are taking on ceremonial roles. It's likely that Camilla's six companions (who replaced her ladies-in-waiting) will also attend the event.
Foreign royals
It's not just the British Royal Family who are invited to the coronation, royals from across the world will also be there, in a break from tradition.
According to a source who spoke to The Mail on Sunday: "I believe the rule began because a coronation is meant to be a monarch’s private event with God."
"At the Queen’s coronation there were no crowned monarchs, only the protectorate rulers like the Queen of Tonga. It’s been a tradition for centuries," the insider went on. "Inviting the King of Jordan, the Sultan of Brunei, the Sultan of Oman and the Scandinavian royals – who are all friends of Charles – will be a good bit of soft power and diplomacy," the source added of Charles' invitees.
Other foreign royals expected to attend include: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark along with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark; King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain; King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden; King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway; King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians; and many more.
Celebrities
A long list of celebrities who have strong ties to the Royal Family will also rub shoulders with politicians and world leaders attending the coronation. So far, famous faces we've spotted in the crowd include Ant and Dec, Stephen Fry, Nick and Susie Cave (founder of the Vampire's Wife, a label that Kate Middleton is known fan of), Emma Thompson and Joanna Lumley.
Stella McCartney, the Beckhams, Rowan Atkinson and Bear Grylls are also said to have RSVP'd with a big 'yes!'.
British politicians
Given that much of the coronation is being funded by the government, a number of British MPs and peers will be at the event. Some of the politicians who've been invited to the coronation include: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab; Chancellor Jeremy Hunt; Home Secretary Suella Braverman; Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer; and the newly-appointed First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, among others.
Several former Prime Ministers will also watch Charles be crowned, including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major.
World leaders
As well as British politicians, foreign heads of state will also be at the coronation, with representatives from the likes of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cyprus, Malta and plenty more tipped to attend.
Members of the public
Earlier this year it was confirmed that some members of the public would be invited to the King's coronation, including 450 'COVID heroes' and key workers. They include 13-year-old Max Woosey, who slept in a tent at his home for three years to raise money for his grandmother's hospice during the pandemic, as well as Manju Malhi, a professional chef who offered remote cookery classes during lockdown.
One member of the public who received an invite has recently made headlines over a calendar clash that's caused quite the dilemma. Supermarket delivery driver Geoff Norris has been invited to the coronation as a thank you for his efforts to support the vulnerable during the pandemic. But the historic event clashes with his son's wedding – of which he is also acting as the best man – which is taking place over a thousand miles away in Greece.
And who isn't attending the coronation?
As mentioned, the Duchess of Sussex will not be at the coronation, having decided to stay at home with her two children whilst Harry travels to the UK for the event. Another royal who wont be there is the Duchess of York.
Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, who continues to be a high-profile member of the Royal Family and adopted Queen Elizabeth II's corgis after her passing last year, was noticeably not invited to the coronation. She's since been named as a "VIP attendee" for the coronation concert.
Although an invitation was extended, US President Joe Biden told Charles that he would not be attending either – but confirmed First Lady Jill Biden would take his place. Jill was seen attending with her granddaughter, Finnegan Biden.
Head here for everything you need to know about King Charles III's coronation.
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