Skip to main content

Since the coronation celebration of King Charles III was placed on the royal calendar for May 2023, Charles’ reign has become part of a broader plan to usher in a monarchy steeped in tradition but with more contemporary aspects. However, that doesn’t mean Charles doesn’t have plans to break a longstanding, outdated tradition. His coronation ceremony will do just that in one fundamental way.

King Charles III photographed on a visit to Bodnant Gardens in the Conwy Valley on April 25th in Bodnant, Wales.
King Charles | Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images

A more active monarchy is likely on King Charles III’s agenda

King Charles III is expected to restore a more active monarchy, reports The Wall Street Journal. Charles will continue to modernize the royal family further to move forward with the United Kingdom’s diversity and current economic troubles.

This will be balanced with the idea of the royal family as a legacy worth continuing. He will also have to represent its continuity while embracing change.  

The royal family’s official website promises the coronation will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look toward the future while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”

The Coronation Ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Then, King Charles III will be crowned alongside Camilla, Queen Consort.

However, that doesn’t mean Charles won’t modernize the centuries-old ceremony. Here’s how he’s breaking royal tradition.

King Charles III will break a 121-year-old coronation tradition

King Charles III will break a tradition well over 100 years old when he ascends to the throne eight months after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. He will be the first monarch coronated on the weekend in over 121 years.

Queen Victoria’s son, Edward VII, was the last monarch to hold his coronation on the weekend. Edward VII celebrated the event on Aug. 9, 1902, reported Hello!

Following Edward VII’s reign, Charles’ great-grandfather, King George, was crowned on June 22, 1911, a Thursday. George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), ascended on May 12, 1937, on a Wednesday. Finally, Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was coronation on June 2, 1953, a Tuesday.

Why the change? Likely, the royal family wanted a weekend celebrating Charles’ rise to the throne. Therefore, the celebration begins on Saturday, May 6, when Charles is crowned at Westminister Abbey.

Why did King Charles III pick May 6 as his coronation date?

King Charles III will not get to wear the St. Edwards crown until his coronation.
King Charles III | Ben Stansall/WPA Pool/Getty Images

For modern royal fans, May 6, 2023, is the fourth birthday of King Charles III’s grandson, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s eldest son is not expected to attend the event.

However, according to Town & Country, Charles’ selection of the date could be a nod toward other royal family members. May 6 is the anniversary of Charles’s aunt, Princess Margaret’s wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.

Charles’ great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII, died on May 6, 1910. Therefore, Charles’s great-grandfather George V became king. Charles’s grandfather, King George VI, also held his coronation in May. His mother, then-Princess Elizabeth, attended the event.

King Charles III and Camilla Parker Bowles’s coronation will occur at Westminister Abbey on May 6, 2023. The event will be aired worldwide.

Best in Entertainment