When will Charles III be proclaimed King — and when will he get to wear the Crown?

The UK government decides the guest list for the coronation and many world leaders are expected to be present, particularly from countries comprising the Commonwealth of Nations, such as India.

A public declaration will be made declaring Charles III as the new King from a balcony above Friary Court in St James's Palace, by an official known as the Garter King of Arms, who will announce, “God Save the King”. (Express file photo by Pavan Khengre)

By: Explained Desk

5 min readNew DelhiSep 9, 2022 06:31 PM IST First published on: Sep 9, 2022 at 06:31 PM IST

With the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, the throne has passed on to her eldest son, Prince Charles, who will now be known as King Charles III. The new King will address the people of the UK at 6 pm BST on Friday, September 9 (10.30 pm in India).

Charles had been declared the heir apparent — the one who would succeed to the throne — when he was three years old, when his mother became Queen at the age of 25. The new monarch has been a visible global figure for decades now.

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The King had the choice of selecting one from among his christened names: Charles Philip Arthur George. The British royals have three or four names given to them at birth to honour previous generations of the family, and the official name can be chosen later on.

When will Charles be formally proclaimed King?

The official position is that “a new Sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies and is proclaimed as soon as possible at an Accession Council in St James’s Palace” in London. The BBC reported that Charles will be officially proclaimed King on Saturday (September 10).

The proclamation will take place before a body known as the Accession Council, presided over by the Lord President of the Council. The Accession Council comprises certain members of the Privy Council, which includes a group of senior MPs, past and present, and members of the House of Lords (the upper house of the UK parliament), as well as some senior civil servants and Commonwealth high commissioners.

At the Accession Council, the Lord President of the Privy Council, currently the MP Penny Mordaunt, will announce the Queen’s death. There will be prayers and pledges for the new king in the proclamation, which will be signed by Prime Minister Liz Truss, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the head of the Church of England, and the Lord Chancellor, Brandon Lewis.

A public declaration will be made declaring Charles III as the new King from a balcony above Friary Court in St James’s Palace, by an official known as the Garter King of Arms, who will announce, “God Save the King”. The words of the British national anthem will accordingly change from “God Save the Queen”.

And when will the coronation take place?

The coronation of Charles III — the formal ceremony where he will be crowned — will happen later. The coronation involves specific customs and details — and because of the time that is needed for preparation, as well as a period of mourning, it is unlikely to happen soon.

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The last time a coronation happened was when Elizabeth was crowned — that took place on June 2, 1953, more than a year after her father, King George VI, died on February 6, 1952, and she became Queen.

As the UK government decides the guest list for the ceremony — and also pays for it — many world leaders are expected to be present at the coronation, particularly from countries comprising the Commonwealth of Nations. India is part of the British Commonwealth.

What will happen at the coronation?

According to the UK royals’ website, the ceremony for coronation “has remained essentially the same over a thousand years”. For 900 years, the ceremony has taken place at Westminster Abbey in London, the royal church that stands on the bank of the Thames next to the Palace of Westminster which houses the British Parliament.

At the coronation ceremony, the sovereign agrees to promises mentioned in the oath read by the Archbishop of Canterbury, symbolised by four swords. The Sovereign is then “anointed, blessed and consecrated” by the Archbishop, while he is seated in King Edward’s chair that was made in 1300 and which has been used by every Sovereign since 1626.

The Archbishop will place the Imperial State St Edward’s Crown, made of gold and studded with jewels, on the Sovereign’s head. After homage is paid by the Archbishop of Canterbury and senior peers, Holy Communion is celebrated.