King Charles III’s coronation date: When is it and will it be on TV?

King Charles III will be officially crowned the nation’s monarch during an elaborate ceremony in central London later this year.

The king, who ascended the throne after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September, will be crowned almost 70 years after her coronation in 1953.

Many details of the event are yet be finalised but Buckingham Palace says the service will feature many of the longstanding traditions and pageantry of the royal family.

When is King Charles’ coronation?

The coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will take place on Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey.

The service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and will be attended by high-profile figures from British public life.

A bank holiday has been created on Monday, May 8, to mark the occasion.

The coronation historically takes places months after the death of the previous sovereign to allow for a period of mourning as well as the enormous amount of preparation required to organise the ceremony.

How can people watch the coronation?

People will be able to watch the king’s coronation on the streets of central London and in public spaces across the country.

More than 30 screens will be erected in cities and towns around the UK to watch the event, which will be live on the BBC.

Confirmed sites include Cardiff Castle, Belfast City Hall, Piece Hall in Halifax, Jubilee Square in Brighton and Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of London to watch ‘the king’s procession’, when the monarch and the queen consort travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

After the service, they will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as the ‘coronation procession’, for which the couple will be joined by other members of the royal family.

King Charles III’s coronation will be held on Saturday, May 6 next year, Buckingham Palace has announced, eight months after the monarch’s accession and the death of Queen Elizabeth. Getty Images

What other events are planned?

Coronation celebrations are planned over the weekend with “global music icons and contemporary stars” due at Windsor Castle for a concert on Sunday, May 7, televised live by the BBC.

That day, people are being invited to gather for a “coronation big lunch” overseen and organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project. The queen consort has been patron of the Big Lunch since 2013.

A national ballot for tickets for the live televised musical extravaganza — on the day after King Charles is crowned — opened at 7am on Friday, February 10.

Updated: March 22, 2023, 10:13 AM