When is King Charles' coronation and will it be a bank holiday?

With King Charles III having officially taken the throne as monarch, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a royal coronation is now in the pipeline. 

• King Charles III took to the throne on September 8, 2022 and became the new monarch following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
• Although Charles is already King, there must be a Coronation to officially mark the beginning of his reign.
• In other royal news, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had their names lowered on the royal family's website as King Charles plans 'slimmed down' monarchy.

A coronation is a customary event that marks the beginning of a monarch's reign over their Kingdom. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and her funeral on Monday, September 19, 2022, King Charles' coronation is the next big event that the Royal Family will begin planning following the official mourning period of the late monarch.

When will King Charles' coronation take place?

An official date for the King's coronation has not been confirmed by Buckingham Palace but it is expected that the ceremony will take place in Spring or Summer of 2023, with The Telegraph and royal experts predicting that it could be planned for the same date as Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on June 2nd 1953.

Royal biographer, Hugo Vickers, spoke about the highly anticipated event on This Morning, speculating "I have a feeling it's more likely to be in the summer, because people will camp out on the streets and you need it to be warm, so it could be sometime after Easter."

He then added, "But wouldn't it be lovely if it was on June 2, which would be the 70th anniversary of the Queen's coronation. Wouldn't that be an appropriate date?"

Queen Elizabeth II had her coronation over a year after taking the throne, following the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952.

Will King Charles' coronation be a bank holiday?

Although it has not been officially announced, King Charles' coronation will almost certainly be a bank holiday. 

It is typical that a bank holiday is created in order to mark large royal events, most notably the Queen's funeral, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, and the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales. 

The Queen's coronation in 1953 was marked with a bank holiday and it is likely that people in the UK can expect another bank holiday to mark King Charles III's ascension to the throne.

What will King Charles' coronation look like?

Reportedly, King Charles, who attended his own mother's coronation when he was just four-years-old, wants to go for a 'slimmed down' approach to his reign, with less pomp and spending. It is thought that this mentality will be applied to his coronation, which has been planned under the name 'Operation Golden Orb'. 

A source revealed to The Mirror that the King will ensure this coronation is less extravagant than his mother's 70 years ago out of respect to the current financial issues facing people in the UK. "The King is very aware of the struggles felt by modern Britons so the ceremony itself will be streamlined," said the source. "The King has said himself he wants to tap into his mother’s legacy and this includes continuing to recognize what the people are experiencing."

The ceremony will still be televised and will take place in Westminster Abbey, as is the tradition for grand royal events and coronations.

Will Queen Consort Camilla also have a coronation?

During King Charles' coronation, Camilla Parker Bowles, the Queen consort, will also be officially sworn in as the wife of the monarch. It was Queen Elizabeth II's "sincere wish" ahead of her Platinum Jubilee that Camilla would become the Queen consort when Charles took to the throne.

During the ceremony, Camilla will have the crown that was made for Charles' grandmother, the Queen Mother, placed upon her head.  The platinum and diamond crown was made for the Queen Mother’s coronation in 1937 and will once again be used to mark another Queen's ascension to the throne.