Royal fans are eagerly awaiting the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday which will be the first British coronation of this century.
The last British coronation occurred on June 2, 1953, when Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, began her record-breaking 70-year reign. Now a whole generation of new citizens will experience the pomp and ceremony of a coronation, though many aspects of the ceremony will be different than the last one.
Due to the time difference, U.S.-based royal followers wishing to watch the ceremonies will need to tune in to livestreams or news sites beginning at Westminster Abbey starting at 11 a.m. BST, or 6 a.m. ET.
More than 2,000 guests from around the world are expected to attend the coronation, per CBS News. Royals from other nations, heads of state, and most of Charles’ family will be there. U.S. President Joe Biden is not attending.
Before the service, Charles and his wife, Camilla, will participate in the King’s Procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. They’ll greet crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace once the ceremony concludes.
King Charles cut back on the guest list, but the entire production will cost taxpayers an estimated £100 million, or the equivalent of $125 million, per Time. This has caused backlash as the country is currently experiencing rising inflation.
Several big-name performers were invited to perform at the coronation, including Adele, Harry Styles, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and the Spice Girls, but they all declined. The confirmed headliners are Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
Charles’ estranged son Prince Harry will be attending the coronation, but his wife, American actress Meghan Markle, will remain at home. The pair have become extremely controversial following their decision to step back as senior working royals and move to the United States permanently. Earlier this year, Harry released a tell-all memoir, “Spare,” which made tensions even worse.
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The coronation happens to fall on Harry’s son’s fourth birthday. Archie and his little sister Lilibet will remain at home with Meghan during the festivities.
Disgraced royal family member Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will be in attendance, but he will not be performing any traditional ducal duties on that day, per The Washington Post. Andrew had his royal titles and patronages stripped from him after details of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became public.
Prince Andrew stood accused of having sex with an underage girl he met through Epstein. The matter was settled out of court, and ever since the royal has been ostracized by members of the royal family.
During the coronation, Camilla will be crowned queen and will no longer be referred to as Queen Consort. This will be a big change as Queen Elizabeth’s husband Philip had the title Prince Consort. The public opinion of her has also been mixed as many citizens still feel loyal to King Charles’ ex-wife, Princess Diana.
There is no legal requirement for a coronation as Charles automatically became king when Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022. The ceremony is still taking place as a religious ritual as it will serve as a formal confirmation of King Charles’ role as head of state and titular head of the Church of England.
Numerous historical artifacts will be incorporated into the coronation ceremony, including King Edward’s Chair, which has been used in these types of ceremonies for 700 years. This artifact houses the Stone of Destiny, which was built around 1300 and used for centuries to crown Scottish kings.
Another special item being used in the ceremony is a coronation cross which includes shards of wood from the cross that’s believed to have been used to crucify Jesus Christ.