God save THE KING!

Operation Golden Orb has been in full flow since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September. Now the plans have become reality with the crowning of the King. Here's everything you need to know about the coronation...

- TIFFANY WALLIS

Date for the history books

King Charles III is the 62nd British monarch and his coronation on Saturday 6 May, 2023 will be the 40th to take place at London’s Westminster Abbey, where Royal coronations have taken place for 900 years. The venue has witnessed 16 royal weddings and several royal funerals, including that of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Just as there was for the late Queen in June 1953, we’ve been granted an extra bank holiday for the event on Monday 8 May.

It’s likely the ceremony will reflect the King’s vision for ‘a smaller, more modern monarchy’. His wife, Camilla, will be the first Queen Consort to be crowned at the Abbey in nearly 100 years.

The guest list

Ahead of the event, the question on everyone’s lips was whether Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, would attend. The couple, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 to relocate to California, confirmed in March that they’d received an invite. In addition to the family, those on the guest list include members of the government, Church and the Commonwealth, as well as heads of state and royals from around the world. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 saw more than 8,000 guests invited to Westminster Abbey while King Charles is keeping numbers to around 2,000.