King Charles's coronation: When is the bank holiday and what will happen?

King Charles III follows the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during the Ceremonial Procession for the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held at Westminster Abbey, London. Picture date: Monday September 19, 2022.
King Charles III's coronation will take place on 6 May. (PA)

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on 6 May in a service that will also see Camilla be crowned Queen alongside him.

As the coronation gets closer, more details have emerged about what it will look like, including what music has been commissioned, how the procession will unfold, when the bank holiday is and who will be taking part in the ceremony.

Prince George has been tapped to act as one of his grandfather's pages of honour and will be the youngest royal ever to take part in such an important ceremony, at just nine years old.

It remains to be seen exactly how the ceremony will compare to the late Queen Elizabeth's coronation, but so far we know the service will be significantly shorter and smaller - with over 2200 guests compared to the more than 8000 people who attended in 1953.

Initial reports suggested it would be significantly less lavish, but in December, it was claimed the coronation would instead be a spectacle intended to work as an "advertisement" for the UK internationally.

It's slowly being confirmed who will be attending the ceremony, with Prince Harry announcing he will be there, although Meghan will be staying back in California with Archie and Lilibet as they celebrate Archie's fourth birthday.

Here is everything we know about what's planned for the coronation so far:

When is King Charles III's coronation?

King Charles III's coronation will take place on the morning of Saturday, 6 May.

It will take place at Westminster Abbey, where the coronation service has taken place for the last 900 years.

Queen Elizabeth II after her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London.    (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II after her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London. (Getty Images)

The coronation will be rooted in traditions that are more than 1,000 years old while staying in the spirit of what the monarch's role is in the modern world.

They will arrive at the Abbey in a formal procession that leaves from Buckingham Palace at 10.20am in the Diamond Jubilee State Carriage — dubbed the king's procession.

The service will begin at 11am, and at midday the historic St. Edward's Crown will be placed on Charles's head by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

There will be gun salutes across the country to mark this moment.

Once the solemn, religious service is completed at 1pm, they will process back to Buckingham Palace in the notoriously uncomfortable, but grand Gold State Coach, accompanied by other members of the Royal Family.

The day will end with an appearance by the King and his family on the palace balcony at 2.15pm, where they will watch a flypast.

Will there be a bank holiday?

The coronation falls on a Saturday and the following Monday – 8 May – has been declared a bank holiday.

Pubs, clubs and bars in England and Wales have been given the go-ahead to continue serving customers for two hours beyond their usual closing time to celebrate the new King.

The Red Arrows Aerobatic Team of the Royal Air Force (RAF) fly over London in a 70 formation after the Trooping of the Colour ceremony that coincided with the queen's Platinum Jubilee, on 1st June 2022 in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II has been on the UK throne for 70 years, the longest-serving monarch in English history and crowds flocked to central London to view this annual event during the Jubilee weekend. Tens of thousands however, were unable to view any of the ceremonial pageantry because the Mall was closed to more of the public by police, staying instead around surrounding streets and in Trafalgar Square. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)
Last year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations also saw the nation get an extra bank holiday. (Getty Images)

The extended licensing hours will apply from 11pm on Friday, 5 May, Saturday, 6 May and Sunday, 7 May.

While the extra day off will give people a chance to relax or enjoy the long weekend, the palace also has a community event planned for this day: The Big Help Out.

The aim of this is to encourage people to volunteer within their communities and "create a lasting legacy" of service, according to the palace.

Spearheaded by the Together Coalition, they will work with partner organisations like the Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and different faith groups to create volunteering opportunities around the country and "bring communities together".

The royals will be taking part too, and attending community events around the country. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a puppy class at a guide dog training centre in Reading, while Princess Anne will attend a civic service at Gloucester Cathedral recognising local volunteers.

What else is planned for the coronation weekend?

On Sunday 7 May, there will be a celebratory concert at Windsor Castle and street parties are planned in the form of the Coronation Big Lunch.

The Big Lunch is run by the Eden Project and aims to bring communities together; Camilla has been patron of the organisation for nearly a decade.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attend the Big Jubilee Lunch At The Oval on June 05, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.  (Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Charles and Camilla at a Big Lunch in Oval last year to celebrate the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee. (Getty Images)

There are resources available online for those wishing to organise a big lunch in their local area.

The royals will be out and about for this as well, with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie attending a party in Windsor, Sophie and Edward one in Surrey and Princess Anne attending a street party in Swindon alongside her husband Vice-Admiral Tim Laurence.

The Coronation Concert will be broadcast on the BBC, and those wishing to attend can try their luck in a national ballot for free tickets.

While the full line-up hasn't been officially announced yet, we know stars like Lionel Richie and Katy Perry will be taking the stage, alongside a "world-class orchestra".

Located on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, the audience will also be treated to visual effects and spoken word performances.

Revellers carrying Union Jacks take part in a Platinum Jubilee Big Lunch On The Long Walk in Windsor Great Park to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee on 5th June 2022 in Windsor, United Kingdom. The Big Lunch initiative to encourage communities to celebrate their connections began in 2009 and this was the first time that the event had taken place on the Long Walk. (photo by Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Last year there were large celebrations on the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. (Getty Images)

The Coronation Choir will also perform alongside the Virtual Choir, which will be made up of voices from around the Commonwealth.

The Coronation Choir itself will coached by Amanda Holden and Mosti Mabuse and be created from keen choral singers from across the UK: there will also be a documentary released about how the Coronation Choir is formed on 5 May.

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What about previous coronations?

The late Queen's coronation took place almost 16 months after she ascended to the throne following the death of her father, George VI. He died on 6 February, 1952, and her coronation took place on 2 June, 1953.

Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation. 1953. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II during her own coronation in 1953. (Getty Images)

George VI's own coronation took place five months after he became king (the date was already set for Edward VIII before he abdicated), but the five preceding monarchs all had to wait at least a year before their ceremony.

What will happen during the coronation ceremony?

At the age of 74, Charles is the oldest person in British history to become King.

He will be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, in a ceremony carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The archbishop will anoint, bless and consecrate the King, in a ceremony which is both deeply religiously significant and solemn and a day of celebration.

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King Charles III and the Queen Consort look on as the State Gun Carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Wellington Arch during the Ceremonial Procession following her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey, London.
King Charles III and the Queen Consort will be crowned at the same time at his coronation. (PA)

Taking the coronation oath, he will promise to rule according to law, to exercise justice with mercy and to maintain the Church of England.

However, to make the ceremony more inclusive of other faiths, peers from other religions will process into Westminster Abbey with the official regalia — the first time this has happened.

Charles will receive the orb and sceptres before the archbishop places a crown on the King's head.

Does Charles's coronation have a codename?

Yes, it is known as Operation Golden Orb, and plans for the event have been discussed for many years.

The palace said the ceremony will be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry” but also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”.

Charles III will be anointed with holy oil, receive the orb, coronation ring and sceptre, be crowned with the majestic St Edward’s Crown and blessed during the historic ceremony.

What about Camilla?

Camilla will be also be anointed, invested and blessed at the coronation, although her part of the service will be both a little less elaborate and shorter than the King's.

While is currently referred to as the Queen Consort by the palace, after the coronation she will simply be called 'Queen Camilla' something which has generated a lot of debate.

Her grandsons — Gus and Louis Lopes and Freddy Parker-Bowles — will act as her pages of honour alongside her grandnephew Arthur Elliot.

Camilla will be crowned with the Queen Mary Crown, and it will be the first time in many years a new crown has not been commissioned for the occasion, the palace has said this is in the "interests of of sustainability and efficiency".

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