KING Charles’ coronation plans including the procession, route and roles have reportedly been revealed.
The new monarch’s coronation ceremony will take place almost 70 years after the Queen‘s historic crowning.
King Charles’ coronation plans have been ‘revealed’
Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte are all expected to join, according to The Times
Sources have said that the ceremony will be shorter, smaller and less expensive than that of Queen Elizabeth II’s.
It is also said it will be planned to be representative of different faiths and community groups, in hopes of falling in line with the King’s wish to reflect the ethnic diversity of modern Britain.
Events for the coronation will start on Saturday May 6 and celebrations will continue over Sunday May 7 and Monday May 8, which has been declared a bank holiday.
But who is invited to the ceremony and what roles do the royal family have? Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is in the royal procession?
Prince Louis, 4, will star in the coronation process with elder siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince George, according to The Times.
But Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew are not expected to participate in the procession, the newspaper revealed.
The Prince of Wales’s children are expected to join their parents in a carriage behind Charles and Camilla, who will be in the Gold State Coach.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will not be in the procession either according to the rehearsal plans as it is confined to working members of the royal family.
Apart from the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, the only other royals in the procession out of the abbey will be the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent and his sister Princess Alexandra.
George, nine, as second in line to the throne, has long been expected to attend the coronation.
And there has also been speculation that he will have a role to play.
What is the route?
The King and Queen Consort are expected to travel from Buckingham Palace to the Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach.
The King’s Procession will travel along the Royal Route to the Westminster Abbey along streets lined by members of the armed forces and thousands upon thousands of cheering spectators.
The King’s coronation procession will take a shorter, but as yet undisclosed, route back to the palace compared to the 1953 procession.
One source familiar with the make-up of the procession estimated that it would involve about 4,000 military personnel.
Who is on the guest list?
In keeping with tradition, members of foreign Royal Families are also expected to have received an invite.
One foreign royal who has already spoken out about attending the King’s big day is Prince Albert of Monaco who said that he and wife Charlene will “definitely go” to the Coronation.
Reporting about the attendees, the Telegraph previously stated that just 20 MPs and 20 peers would be present at the Coronation.
Although it remains unknown if spouses will be in attendance, we could expect to see current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as former PMs such as Boris Johnson, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Other leading Cabinet ministers and leaders of the opposition, such as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, are also expected to be there.
Church leaders will also be present, including representatives from other faiths.
Everyday people are also set to be invited, such as representatives from the Commonwealth, charity leaders and NHS workers.
Which crowns will be worn during the ceremony?
The King will be crowned with the solid gold, 17th Century, St Edward’s Crown.
It is exceptionally heavy and only used at the moment of coronation.
The Queen Consort will be crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown, which has been taken out of the Tower of London to be resized ahead of the ceremony.
What’s on over the coronation weekend?
The three-day celebratory weekend will see local authorities host events including cultural festivals, live music, community workshops, art showcases and creative games and competitions.
There will be a Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday, May 7 featuring “global music icons and contemporary stars”.
Iconic locations across Britain will also be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
Across the weekend tens of thousands of Coronation “Big Lunches” and street parties will be held in the UK and across the Commonwealth.
It remains to be seen whether Harry or Meghan will attend the ceremony
