Following a platinum jubilee and the death of Elizabeth II last year, May 2023 marks another huge moment in British history. The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort takes place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May. All eyes will not only be on the royals that weekend but on the country as a whole.
Buckingham Palace has officially announced details on the ceremonial, celebratory and community events set to take place. In the lead-up to the long Coronation weekend 2023, we’ll regularly update this article with all of the top events happening in and around London, from street parties to Coronation screenings.
These are the key events to know for King Charles III’s Coronation weekend 2023
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Saturday 6th May 2023
The Coronation Service & Procession
The official Coronation Service will be taking place on Saturday 6th May. It will be at Westminster Abbey, the Anglican church that has been home to every Coronation of British Monarchs since 1066.
Prior to the ceremony will be ‘The King’s Procession’, a chance to see The King and The Queen Consort as they embark in a procession from Buckingham Palace through to Westminster Abbey. The official procession route is yet to be announced but it is expected to journey across major London landmarks, with thousands of people lining the streets and cheering in celebration.
Following the ceremony, the larger procession known as ‘The Coronation Procession’ will take place, following their Majesties as they return to Buckingham Palace. Alongside them will be other Royal Family members.
The day’s events will come to a close with The King and The Queen Consort, as well as other Members of the Royal Family, appearing on the balcony to conclude the ceremony.
For those who won’t be lining the streets, coverage of both the procession and Coronation ceremony will be televised across major channels and radio stations.
Sunday 7th May 2023
The Coronation Concert
Sunday is when things tune up a little, with the official Coronation Concert taking place at Windsor Castle. While the official line-up is yet to be determined, the public and media have been eagerly anticipating who might be performing on the Castle’s East Lawn. The media has been circulating that both Adele and Ed Sheeran declined the offer but it’s been announced that the concert will “bring global music icons and contemporary stars together in celebration of the historic occasion.”
Alongside the music, the Concert will see an exclusive appearance from The Coronation Choir, featuring members from the nation’s leading community choirs and amateur singers. As well as “spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen”.
Wondering how you can attend? A national ballot held by the BBC will see members of public selected to receive a pair of free tickets to the upcoming Coronation Concert. Details for this are yet to be announced but keep checking the official Royal website for the latest announcements.
If you aren’t lucky enough to be drawn from the ballot, there will be a live broadcast by the BBC and BBC Studios, available on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
Coinciding with the Concert will be the ‘Lighting up the Nation’, which will see locations across the United Kingdom ‘lighting up’ using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations – expect plenty of London landmarks joining in on the action.
The Coronation Big Lunch
Like all good royal celebrations, the Coronation will make way for plenty of community celebrations. The main initiative will be the Coronation Big Lunch organised by The Eden Project community.
From street parties to grabbing a cuppa with your neighbours, communities up and down the country are invited to celebrate at home. You can sign up to the free community pack on the Eden Project website for tips and ideas on how to create a special moment.
Monday 8th May 2023
The Big Help Out
The Coronation weekend makes way for an additional bank holiday (hooray!) and an initiative called ‘The Big Help Out’ is being organised by The Together Coalition and a group of partners including The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups across the United Kingdom.
The official Royal website states: “In tribune of His Majesty The King’s public service, The Big Help Out will encourage people to try volunteering themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend.”
Find out all the details at www.royal.uk
Looking to stay in London over the coronation weekend 2023? Check out our hotel section for inspo
