Coronation of Charles III and Camilla
The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, took place on Saturday, 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. It was the first coronation held since Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 nearly 70 years prior.
Date
6 May 2023
- King Charles III
- Queen Camilla
- Great Officers of State
- Bishops of the Church of England
- Selected members of the armed forces of the Commonwealth
- Heralds of the College of Arms and the Lyon Court
- Selected Peers of the Realm
- Faith representatives
The ceremony was structured around an Anglican service of Holy Communion. It included Charles taking an oath, being anointed with holy oil, and receiving the coronation regalia, emphasising his spiritual role and secular responsibilities.[a] Representatives of the Church of England and the British royal family declared their allegiance to him, and people throughout the Commonwealth realms were invited to do so. Camilla was crowned in a shorter and simpler ceremony. After the service, members of the royal family travelled to Buckingham Palace in a state procession and appeared on the palace's rear and front balconies. The service was altered from past British coronations to represent the multiple faiths, cultures, and communities of the United Kingdom. It was shorter than Elizabeth II's coronation, and had a peak UK television audience of 20.4 million, making it the most watched television broadcast of 2023.[1]
The coronation elicited both celebrations and protest in the United Kingdom, with surveys carried out before the event suggesting that the British public was ambivalent towards the ceremony and its funding by taxpayers. The events in London and Windsor drew large crowds, but were also protested against by republican groups; 64 individuals were arrested on the day, which was criticised by the international advocacy group Human Rights Watch. The celebrations included street parties, volunteering, special commemorative church services, and a concert at Windsor Castle on 7 May. The response in the other Commonwealth realms was similarly mixed; while there were many celebrations, some government officials and indigenous groups took the opportunity to voice republican sentiments and call for reparatory justice. It was the first British coronation in the 21st century and the 40th to be held at Westminster Abbey since the coronation of William the Conqueror in 1066.[2][b]
Preparation[edit]
Background[edit]
Charles III became king immediately upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at 15:10 BST on Thursday, 8 September 2022. He was proclaimed king by the Accession Council on Saturday, 10 September,[4] which was followed by proclamations in other Commonwealth realms.[5] Charles' wife Camilla became queen consort.[6]
During Elizabeth's reign, planning meetings for Charles's coronation, code-named "Operation Golden Orb", were held at least once a year, attended by representatives of the government, the Church of England, and Charles's staff.[7][8][9]
Service and procession[edit]
The organisation of the coronation was the responsibility of the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk.[10] A committee of privy counsellors arranged the event.[11][9] On 11 October 2022, the date of the coronation was announced as 6 May 2023, a choice made to ensure sufficient time to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II before holding the ceremony.[12][9]
A Coronation Claims Office was established within the Cabinet Office to handle claims to perform a historic or ceremonial role at the coronation, replacing the Court of Claims.[13] The posts of Lord High Steward and Lord High Constable of England, which are now only named for coronations, were given to General Sir Gordon Messenger and Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, respectively.[14]
The holy anointing oil used in the service was consecrated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on 6 March 2023 by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, under the supervision of Hosam Naoum, the Anglican archbishop of Jerusalem. It was based on the same formula as the oil used in the coronation of Elizabeth II, but without animal products such as civet.[15][16][17]
Reactions[edit]
Public opinion[edit]
Multiple public opinion surveys related to the coronation were conducted in the United Kingdom in the lead-up to the event. In a YouGov survey conducted in April 2023, 46 per cent of respondents stated they would watch the event on television; a similar poll conducted by Ipsos in May 2023 indicated that 40 per cent of British adults intended to watch the ceremony, with 29 per cent stating they had no plans to celebrate the event.[261][262] Another YouGov surveys taken during that period found that 64 per cent of respondents did not care about the ceremony, "very much" or "at all", with 33 per cent caring "a great deal" or "a fair amount".[263] A third YouGov survey found that 51 per cent of respondents believed that the coronation should not be financed by taxpayers.[264]
YouGov also conducted a poll in Australia, where it found that 57 per cent of respondents expressed some interest in the coronation, with 14 per cent being very interested in the event. Among the respondents, 43 per cent expressed no interest in the coronation.[265]
An Angus Reid Institute poll in Canada found that 59 per cent of respondents paid some attention to the coronation, although only 9 per cent of respondents highly anticipated the event. Another 20 per cent of respondents said they would likely watch the coronation, while 29 per cent planned to read about it. Among the respondents, 41 per cent expressed no interest for the coronation.[260][266]
Order of service and liturgy
Government websites