Coronation of Britain’s King Charles to be celebrated with street parties, light shows
- The grand coronation ceremony for King Charles and his wife Camilla will take place on May 6. Britons have been given an extra bank holiday on May 8
- Windsor Castle will host a coronation concert on May 7 and there will be a ballot for tickets to allow several thousand members of the public to attend
The crowning of Britain’s King Charles this May will be celebrated with traditional processions, a concert at Windsor Castle, street parties, light shows and community volunteering, Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday.
Charles, 74, automatically became king on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth last September. The grand coronation ceremony for him and his wife Camilla will take place on Saturday, May 6.
The crowning, the royal family’s major set piece event for 2023, has so far this year been overshadowed by the monarch’s son Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir in which he has made accusations against the king and other family members.
Publishing details of the coronation, Buckingham Palace said Britons, who have already been given an extra bank holiday on May 8 to mark the occasion, will be able to watch the ceremonies and a special concert, plus see iconic buildings lit up with projections, lasers and drone displays.
“Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort hope the Coronation Weekend will provide an opportunity to spend time and celebrate with friends, families and communities across the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Charles is also king and head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
The formal ceremony will take place at London’s Westminster Abbey and will follow the traditional pageantry used for anointing monarchs over the last 1,000 years.