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When will the Coronation of King Charles III take place?

The accession of King Charles III made history for many reasons. The longest serving heir in British history began his reign under the gaze of billions as TV cameras were allowed into the Accession Council for the first time. And as royal mourning for Her Late Majesty ends, the new Monarchy takes shape. The cypher of Charles III has been revealed while confirmation that he will soon appear on money and stamps was made at the same time. And now minds turn to one of the most important days of his reign, the day he is crowned. So when will the Coronation of King Charles III take place?

Although we tend to think of coronations occurring around a year after the accession of a monarch, history shows us that the majority of those who have reigned over the kingdom now ruled by Charles III have been crowned much sooner than that.

In medieval times, when the succession was sometimes less clear cut and the throne could fall to a number of claimants, getting a crown on your head was the very public way of claiming power. By Tudor times, the wait for a Coronation had extended to around a couple of months.

Interestingly, it was the first King Charles who extended the gap. Charles I was crowned ten months after his accession. His own son and eventual successor, Charles II, waited eleven months for his own coronation. However, he was followed by his brother, James II, who was far from certain of public support and was crowned just two months into his reign.

It wasn’t until the accession of King George III that the now familiar pattern of a year long gap became the norm. King Charles III’s own grandfather bucked that trend. George VI was crowned on May 12th 1937, five months after his accession. However, that was a very deliberate move. The date had already been chosen for the Coronation of Edward VIII, the brother whose Abdication placed George on the throne in the first place. It was decided that it would be more economical and more practical to continue with the Coronation as it was, even if it was another King now being crowned.

Which brings us back to Charles III. The new King has already shown his intent to make the start of his reign as sensible as possible. New stamps, coins and banknotes will all be issued but only once the existing stock already prepared for circulation and featuring Queen Elizabeth II are used up. There is nothing to suggest his Coronation will follow any other pattern.

In fact, before his accession, it was reported that King Charles wanted the moment he is crowned to be part of a simpler day of celebrations. The new Monarch has no intention of spending a small fortune on his Coronation. He is following the pattern of his grandfather which is why one day in particular has become a hot favourite for Charles III’s Coronation Day.

Right now, there is huge expectation that Charles III might be crowned on June 2nd 2023, the 70th anniversary of the Coronation of Elizabeth II. Even before the Platinum Jubilee celebrations took place in the summer of 2022, there were plans for more festivities to mark the seven decade anniversary of the crowning of a Queen. It’s more than likely that events to mark that were already being shaped up. Crowning Charles III on the same day would mean his own celebrations could slot into already well thought out plans.

It would also be a rather special link with his own beloved mother and another sign of the continuity between his own reign and hers which King Charles III has already emphasised.

 It’s also worth bearing in mind that June 2nd 2023 is also a Friday. In all likelihood, Coronation Day will be a Bank Holiday and a Friday or a Monday is always a preferred option for that, allowing people a longer weekend off work. Furthermore, it is also eight days before the expected date for Trooping the Colour. The King’s Official Birthday falls on the second Saturday in June – in 2023, that is June 10th. A Coronation at the start of the month followed shortly by the pageantry of Trooping would put a major spotlight on London and the UK.

There are other significant dates in late spring and early summer of 2023 that might also have a bearing on the choice. The last Coronation of a King in the UK took place on May 12th 1937 when George VI was crowned. That date is also a Friday next year, again allowing for a long Bank Holiday weekend. The first King of the House of Windsor, George V, was crowned on June 22nd 1911 while June 28th 2023 marks the 185th anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Victoria.

In all likelihood, the date will fall in the spring or summer which bring longer days and, usually, better weather although the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was famously one of the wettest days of 1953. However, should Charles III choose to follow the more recent royal pattern of a wait of between twelve and fifteen months, then an early October coronation would be possible. However, it seems unlikely that the wait will be that long.

We do know that the date is already fixed. During a court hearing involving the Duke of Norfolk, who will organise the Coronation, it was confirmed the historic day was already in the diary. The Duke was arguing against a driving ban and his lawyers noted that matters of national security, including the date of the Coronation, would come up in court so the hearing needed to be private. A six month ban was still imposed but the work to organise the Coronation continues.

In all likelihood, the date will be revealed sooner rather than later. Royal mourning is now officially over and eyes turn to the future. The Coronation of King Charles III will be a moment of history and, once the date is known, it will take its own place in the age old royal story.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.