King Charles III will be crowned on 6th May 2023 in Westminster Abbey, with The Queen Consort being crowned beside him.
Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066. Before the Abbey was built, Coronations were carried out wherever was convenient, taking place in Bath, Oxford and Canterbury.
His Majesty will be the fortieth Sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
On Christmas Day 1066, William the Conqueror became the first monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The Earl Marshal is responsible for organising the Coronation. Since 1386, this position has been undertaken by The Duke of Norfolk.
The youngest ever monarch was Mary, Queen of Scots, who became Queen in 1542 when she was just six days old.
The contemporary form of the coronation dates from 1902, when King Edward VII was crowned. This consists of a state procession from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey, another procession inside, the Recognition, the Anointing, the Coronation Oath, the Homage and finally another procession from the Abbey back to the Palace.
For hundreds of years, the monarch stayed at the Tower of London two nights before the coronation. The day before the coronation, the monarch then processed through London to Westminster. This last happened in 1661 with Charles II.
Coronation Chicken was invented for the guests who were to be entertained, following Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation. The food had to be prepared in advance, and Florist Constance Spry proposed a recipe of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce with a well-seasoned dressed salad of rice, green peas and mixed herbs. Constance Spry's recipe won the approval of the Minister of Works and has since been known as Coronation Chicken.
The St. Edward’s Crown has been used in the coronation of every British monarch since the coronation of King Charles II.
The hollow gold orb, set with pearls, precious stones and a large amethyst beneath the cross, was made in 1661 and has been used in every coronation since then.
The Sovereign's Ring was originally made in 1831 for William IV, and has a cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) in rubies (thought to represent dignity) against a blue background of a single sapphire.
Also known as 'The Wedding Ring of England', the Sovereign’s Ring has featured in every coronation since King William IV in 1831, when it was made.
A “coronation spoon” has been used at every coronation since 1349 to anoint the monarch with a secret mixture of oils.
The oil which will be used to anoint King Charles III has been consecrated in Jerusalem. Olive oils from the Mount of Olives, not far from His Majesty’s grandmother Princess Alice’s crypt, were mixed as part of making the chrism oil.
Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t the only one who occupied the Coronation Chair on 2nd June 1953. On the morning of her Coronation, a black cat called Matins was found sleeping on the chair in Westminster Abbey.
