King Charles III’s coronation: A quick guide to ceremonies, guest list and more

Here’s a quick guide to the coronation

The procession: The day’s events will be kicked off with a coach procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminister Abbey. King Charles and his wife Camilla will start off from the palace in the air-conditioned Diamond Jubilee State Coach, pulled by six horses, at 10.20 am local time (2.50 pm Indian Standard Time). They are expected to reach the abbey at 11 am local time.

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach on display at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace, London. (AP)

The ceremony: The star-studded event will be attended by over 2,000 world leaders, politicians, faith leaders and representatives from some Commonwealth countries.

Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will read from the biblical book of Colossians as a part of the official Liturgy for the religious ceremony in the Westminister Abbey. Sunak, a practicing Hindu, will read a passage which will “reflect the theme of service to others, and the loving rule of Christ over all people and all things,” as per the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

We have today released the words and music of the Vivat acclamations which will be sung at the #Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort in the Abbey on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/SRv2pYoG9I

— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) April 30, 2023

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will represent India at the function, his office confirmed last week. Interestingly, when Queen Elizabeth II was coronated in 1953, then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had represented India. Following the Queen’s demise on September 8, 2022, President Droupadi Murmu had visited London to pay tribute on behalf of the Indian government.

It will see the use of regalia like the Sovereign’s Orb, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross, the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Dove and other items over the course of the ceremony, which is expected to last for around two hours. King Charles will be presented to the people and be proclaimed the “undoubted King”, following which the congregation will shout “God Save the King!”

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and The Sovereign’s Orb have important symbolic roles within the #Coronation ceremony. Watch our film to find out their significance. https://t.co/GEImDG7s3c pic.twitter.com/JWWbHQfpbp

— Royal Collection Trust (@RCT) May 3, 2023

In a first, the Presentation of the Regalia will include some items which have no Christian meaning or symbolism. The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury said that they will be presented to the King by peers who belong to different faith traditions like Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. As per an official statement, Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, will represent the Hindu faith and hand over the Sovereign’s Ring to King Charles, Lord Indrajit Singh, 90, will represent the Sikh faith and present the Coronation Glove, and Lord Syed Kamall, 56, of Indo-Guyanese heritage, will represent the Muslim faith and present the Armills or a pair of bracelets.

Meanwhile, Prince Willaim’s son Prince George, the second in line for succession to the throne, will play a vital role in the ceremony, serving as one of the eight pages of honour. The nine-year-old will be tasked with carrying the King’s robes along with other pages of honour.

George is turning 9! 🎂🎈 pic.twitter.com/3VmttlX8ui

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 21, 2022

The anointing: King Charles will be anointed with holy Chrism oil in keeping with ancient Christian tradition. “This is often thought to be the most sacred part of the ceremony,” Charles Farris, Public Historian At Historic Royal Palaces, told Associated Press. “It’s an ancient and very symbolic ceremony … historically it was akin to the anointing of priests and bishops.

“It’s a way of the church cementing their relationship with the new monarch but also a clear symbol to all present that the monarch has been marked out as very special,” Farris said.

The crowning: The key attraction of the ceremony will be when the regal St Edward’s Crown will be placed on the King’s head. The 360-year-old crown weighs around 2.2 kg and is laid with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topaz and tourmaline gems. He will then take the throne and a host of royals, including Prince William, will kneel to pay homage to the newly coronated King.

St Edward’s Crown is used at the moment of #Coronation. As it is placed on the Sovereign’s head, the congregation in the Abbey shout the words ‘God Save The King’.

Find out more about the history of the Crown in our film. pic.twitter.com/FMKnLadk5g

— Royal Collection Trust (@RCT) April 29, 2023

The return trip: King Charles and Camilla will travel back to the palace, taking the same route that they took in the morning. Enroute, they will receive a royal salute and three cheers from the hundreds of military personnel guarding the route.

The first balcony appearance: King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla and other senior members of the royal family will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at around 2.30 pm local time, and watch the six-minute flypast by military aircraft, including the Red Arrows Royal Air Force aerobatic team and other historic planes from World War Two.

Queen Elizabeth II, from left, Prince Louis, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. (Source: AP)

King Charles’s sons Prince Willam and Prince Harry, along with William’s wife Kate and their three children, are expected to be present. Prince Harry’s wife Meghan and two children will skip the coronation and remain in the US.

(With inputs from agencies)