King Charles III Made History When He Formally Became King At His Coronation Ceremony

May 08, 2023

King Charles III acceded the British throne on Sept. 8, 2022, the same day his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed in Balmoral. While it is not necessary for a monarch to be crowned in order to become king, the coronation ceremony is a formality and a state occasion. This means that while Charles may offer his views, at the end of the day, full control of the guest list and other details are with the government as it is footing the bill.

The last time a coronation took place was Elizabeth’s on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey, the setting for every coronation since 1066. It was also the first time the ceremony had ever been televised. An estimated 27 million people in the United Kingdom and millions more around the world watched as the sixth queen of England was crowned. She and her husband, Prince Philip, rode the exquisitely decorated Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey pulled by eight horses.

Elizabeth donned an intricately designed gown embroidered with the emblems of the UK and the Commonwealth in gold and silver thread for the ceremony that lasted almost three hours. The event comprised six parts: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture and crowning, the enthronement and the homage. The affair was witnessed first-hand by 8,251 guests, including a young Charles.

On May 6, 2023, Charles celebrated his own coronation at Westminster Abbey, formally marking his time as king. His wife, Camilla, was referred to as Queen Consort since Elizabeth’s passing, but her title is now officially Queen Camilla. The coronation was marked by the royal family as well as plenty of brilliantly talented guests. Keep reading to learn more about Charles’ historic coronation. 

While Charles was already technically king before his coronation, holding such a ceremony is customary. According to the Associated Press, “There is no legal requirement for a coronation, and other European monarchies have done away with the ceremonies.”

Prior to the coronation, Buckingham Palace’s assurance that the ceremony would be “rooted in longstanding traditions” but would also “reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future,” intensified talk that Charles would make substantial changes to better reflect a modern monarchy.

Many traditions were maintained for the 2023 ceremony. Among them was the use of the Gold State Coach, which was extensively refurbished for the queen's Platinum Jubilee in early 2022 and was used in every coronation since George IV’s in 1821. The elaborate horse-drawn carriage boasts intricate gilded carvings of cherubs and tritons, painted panels, and an interior lined with velvet and satin. The coach is so heavy it has to be pulled by at least eight horses, and even then, only at the pace of a walk.

While a coronation is no doubt an event that conveys grace, elegance and tradition, it is also a fun and joyous occasion for the royal family and everyone in the Commonwealth. According to the Evening Standard, a life-size chocolate bust of Charles was created over the course of four weeks, using more than 3.7 gallons of melted Celebrations chocolate and weighing more than 51 pounds. It was embellished with mini candy bars. Celebrations senior brand manager Emily Owen said, “What better way to celebrate this moment in British history than immortalising HM King Charles III using the nation’s ultimate sharing treat.” 

The Telegraph reported that Charles’ coronation concert, which was held on May 7, 2023, at Windsor Castle, would be filled with “global music icons” and “contemporary stars,” including Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Nicole Scherzinger, Olly Murs and Take That. The Coronation Choir, which consists of 300 singers from diverse backgrounds, also performed at the event. Other notable stars who attended the event included Dame Joan Collins and Tom Cruise, with Sir Tom Jones joining in via video message.

Royal UK reported that the Coronation Big Lunch also took place on May 7, 2023. Neighbors and community members were “invited to share food and fun together.” The Big Help Out took place the following day, which encouraged people to volunteer and do their part to support their local areas.

The Royal Collection Trust has continued to pique interest in the event by posting fun facts on Instagram. For instance, one post stated the most popular month for holding a coronation is April, with King Charles II being one of the royals who had his coronation that month. There have also been eight coronations that took place on a Thursday.

Camilla sat beside Charles when he was formally crowned as king. And while Elizabeth had stated that she wished Camilla would be called Queen Consort following Charles’ accession, Buckingham Palace used “Queen Camilla” on the coronation invitations, ahead of her official name change after the ceremony. After Charles’ six-part coronation ceremony was completed, Camilla had a “similar, but simpler ceremony," as per Sky News.

Prince William and Princess Catherine attended, alongside all three of their children, including Prince George, who was one of Charles' four pages. Prince Harry also attended, however, Meghan Markle wasn't there as it coincided with Archie's birthday.   

Charles' coronation ceremony was steeped in tradition but also reflected 21st-century values as the king became the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey, where every coronation for nearly 1,000 years has been held. Having made history as the longest-serving heir to the throne — at a whopping 70 years and 214 days — Charles was officially made king when the St Edward's Crown was placed on his head. He was the first king crowned in Britain in nearly 90 years after his grandfather George VI took the throne in 1936, and he also made history by being the oldest person to become a British monarch at 73 years of age.

Tens of thousands of well-wishers came out to support the king and queen, having camped out for days in a line that spanned over 1.42 miles. When the newly crowned king and queen made their first appearance on the balcony, the crowd greeted them with cheers. Charles' response, according to The Telegraph, was to tell Camilla, “Oh my goodness, it’s wonderful this is.”

Despite it being Charles and Camilla's big day, eyes were also on the rest of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children. Prince Louis stole hearts once again with his adorable antics, while Prince George made history himself as the youngest future king to be involved in a coronation.

Meanwhile, Harry made his first public appearance with the royal family since his tell-all memoir "Spare" was released in January 2023. He appeared without his wife by his side, and jetted off from the UK 28 hours after he arrived, in order to make it back to California in time for Archie's 4th birthday.

As expected, Charles’ ceremony sure was one for the history books.  

Did you watch King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation? What surprised you the most about the event? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to any royal family fans you know!