King Charles III and Queen Camilla are to be crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May, 2023.
The date of the sacred rite, comes only eight months after His Majesty's accession. Charles's grandfather was also crowned in May - on 12 May, 1937 - but the choice of a May coronation is very rare in the annals of the British monarchy. The only other monarch to be crowned in May was King John in 1199.
One great 'state' occasion to take place on 6 May in Westminster Abbey was the marriage of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.
The crowning will take place on the fourth birthday of the King's grandson, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, and the anniversary of the death, in 1910, of the King's great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII.
In modern times the Sovereign has chosen the date of his his/her Coronation after consulting the Prime Minister and Cabinet. In recent history the date chosen for the Westminster Abbey ceremony has been in late spring or summer. The Coronation of King George IV, took place on 19 July, 1821. Since then all Coronations have taken place in Spring or Summer months. George IV's successor, his brother, William IV, was crowned on 8 September, 1831. Queen Victoria, George V, and Elizabeth II were crowed in June, and Edward VII, whose Coronation was planned for June 1902, was crowned in August, due to a sudden illness.
In modern times the lapse of time between the accession of the monarch and the Coronation has been a year to 18-months. The late Queen ascended the throne on 6 February, 1952, and was crowned sixteen months later on 2 June, 1953. George VI, who succeeded to the throne on the abdication of his elder brother, Edward VIII, chose to be crowned on the date set for his brother's crowning, and was crowned, speedily for modern times, after 5 months.
Of our monarchs since William the Conqueror in 1066, only three were never crowned. The 'Boy King' Edward V, murdered in the Tower of London in 1485, Lady Jane Grey, executed in 1553, and Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in December, 1936.
Monarchs in the Middle Ages were often crowned days or weeks after succeeding to the throne for obvious reasons. The anointing and crowning of the monarch was hurried through to lend him immediate credence and authority, in an age where the succession was not as secure as it is nowadays.
William the Conqueror was crowned on Christmas Day 1066, weeks after usurping the Crown at the Battle of Hastings. King Stephen was crowned on Boxing Day 1135, three weeks after becoming King. Edward I, unusually, waited almost 2 years to be crowned from Nov 1272 to Aug 1274.
It is thought that the Duke of Norfolk, whose role as Earl Marshal it is to organise great state occasions, has a detailed plan for Charles III's coronation already in place. The Earl Marshal is reported to have had lengthy meetings with the Royal Household in the years since he succeeded as Duke of Norfolk in 2002.
The next Coronation will be the first where the Queen Consort is also crowned in almost a century. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were crowned in 1937.
The Coronation date is always proclaimed with ceremony, and a Coronation Commission convened. In 1952 the commission opened in April, with the Duke of Edinburgh in the chair. Other committees were chaired by the then Duke of Norfolk. We await his Majesty's decision with anticipation.
From Accession to Coronation:-
William the Conqueror - 14 Oct-25 Dec 1066
William II - 9 Sept 1087-26 Sept 1087
Henry I - 2 Aug 1100-6 Aug 1100
Stephen - 1 Dec 1135-26 Dec 1135
Henry II - 25 Oct 1154-19 Dec 1154
Richard 1 - 6 July 1189-3 Sept 1189
John - 6 Apr 1199-27 May 1199
Henry III - 19 Oct 1216-28 Oct 1216
Edward I -16 Nov 1272-19 Aug 1274
Edward II -7 July 1307 - 25 Feb 1308
Edward III - 25 Jan 1327-2 Feb 1327
Richard II -21 June 1377-16 July 1377
Henry IV -30 Sept 1399-13 Oct 1399
Henry V -20 March 1413-9 Apr 1413
Henry VI -31 Aug 1422-6 Nov 1429
Edward IV- 4 March 1461-28 June 1461
Edward V - 9 Apr 1483- not crowned
Richard III -26 June 1483 -6 July 1483
Henry VII - 22 Aug 1485-30 Oct 1485
Henry VIII -21 Apr 1509-24 June 1509
Edward VI - 28 Jan 1547-20 Feb 1547
Lady Jane Grey - not crowned
Mary I - 19 July 1553-1 Oct 1553
Elizabeth I - 17 Nov 1558-15 Jan 1559
James I - 24 March 1603-25 July 1603
Charles I -27 March 1625-2 Feb 1626
Charles II -8 May 1660-23 Apr 1661
James II - 6 Feb 1685-23 Apr 1685
William & Mary -13 Feb 1689-11 Apr 1689
Anne - 8 Mar 1702-23 Apr 1702
George I - 1 Aug 1714-20 Oct 1714
George II - 11 June 1727-11 Oct 1727
George III - 25 Oct 1760-22 Sept 1761
George IV - 29 Jan 1820-19 July 1821
William IV - 26 June 1830-8 Sept 1831
Victoria - 20 June 1837-28 June 1838
Edward VII - 22 Jan 1901-9 Aug 1902
George V - 6 May 1910-22 June 1911
Edward VIII - 20 Jan 1936 - not crowned
George VI - 11 Dec 1936-12 May 1937
Elizabeth II - 6 Feb 1952-2 June 1953
Charles III - 8 Sept 2022- 6 May 2023
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