With less than five months to go until King Charles III’s coronation, Buckingham Palace has revealed details about the events that will take place over the course of the three-day coronation weekend.
Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will travel to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace for the coronation ceremony on May 6 in a procession known as “The King’s Procession.” Following the service, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the King and Queen Consort will return to Buckingham Palace in “The Coronation Procession.” Other members of the royal family will join Charles and Camilla in the procession back to the palace, and will then accompany them on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
© Getty ImagesA special Coronation Concert is set to take place at Windsor Castle the day after the coronation ceremony. The event on Sunday, May 7, will “bring global music icons and contemporary stars together in celebration of the historic occasion,” per the palace. The concert will feature an appearance from The Coronation Choir, which is made up of “community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom, such as Refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs.” The Coronation Choir will appear alongside The Virtual Choir—made up of singers from across the Commonwealth—for a special performance.
The “Lighting up the Nation” will be the “centrepiece” of the concert, according to the palace. Iconic locations across the UK will be lit up with projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations. The Coronation Big Lunch, which is described as a “nationwide act of celebration and friendship,” will take place across the UK on the same day as the concert.
The Coronation Weekend will conclude on Monday, May 8, with The Big Help Out. “The Big Help Out will highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation,” the palace stated. “In tribute to His Majesty The King’s public service, The Big Help Out will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend.”
When the date for King Charles’ coronation was announced last year, the palace noted that the coronation would “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.” Charles acceded to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth , on Sept. 8, 2022.
