The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort will be marked with three days of events across the country and a concert at Windsor Castle. Their Majesties want to encourage people to spend the Coronation Weekend celebrating with friends, families and their communities. Read our Coronation Ultimate Guide so as not to miss any of the festivities.
The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023.
There are six basic phases to the coronation: the recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture (which includes the crowning), the enthronement and the homage.
During the ceremony, King Charles will swear to uphold the law and the Church of England, be anointed with holy oil, receive the Royal Orb and sceptres and be crowned with the solid gold St Edward’s Crown.
The Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
Timing
Timing information is sparse at the of posting, but will be updated as available.
Viewing areas are open from 6am. Government advice is not to arrive before 6am. Viewing areas will be closed when they are full.
The ceremony starts at 11am, before which their Majesties will arrive at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as ‘The King’s Procession’. They will travel down The Mall via Admiralty Arch, take the south side of Trafalgar Square, then go along Whitehall and Parliament Street, take the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary, before arriving at the Abbey.
After the Service, Their Majesties will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as ‘The Coronation Procession’. Their Majesties will be joined in this procession by other Members of the Royal Family. They will travel in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach on their way to the ceremony and use the 260-year-old Gold State Coach for the return journey.
After the Coronation Procession has passed down The Mall, the police will open the route to allow people to move onto the road. People will be able to walk down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, to watch the balcony appearance. The police will monitor crowd numbers and gradually open the viewing areas, to ensure that everyone stays safe and secure.
The image below shows a map of the procession route: the King’s Procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, and the Coronation Procession back to Buckingham Palace. The procession route is marked in gold.
View or download a larger copy of the map here.
There are viewing areas along the procession route, on both sides of The Mall and Whitehall. The public viewing areas are marked on the map in purple.
The image also shows the facilities at the viewing areas and along the route. There are first aid points, water refill stations, toilets and accessible toilets, welfare points, accessible viewing spaces and quiet spaces. There are concession kiosks along the route where you can buy food and drinks.
The map also shows the nearby screening sites in The Green Park and St James’s Park, where you can watch the processions and the Coronation service on large screens.
