Target Magazine April//May 2023

A thoroughly
Modern Monarch
Everything we know about His Majesty’s upcoming coronation.
King Charles III’s coronation will
take place on Saturday May 6th
2023, at Westminster Abbey.
Eyes around the world will
focus their attention once more
on this magnificent London
institution where the King
will be crowned – alongside
Camilla, the Queen Consort –
in a ceremony overseen by the
Archbishop of Canterbury.
This opulent ritual is the last
of its kind in Europe and has
remained largely unchanged
for the past 1,000 years. It is an
honour of course, but for a King
who wants to be a modern
monarch there are a few
wrinkles that must be ironed
out with Buckingham Palace
confirming that although the
Coronation will be ‘rooted in
long-standing traditions’, it
will also reflect the monarch’s
role today and look towards
the future.
For starters, it will be
a relatively modest
affair, even compared
to Queen Elizabeth’s
coronation that came
in the recent aftermath
of World War II. The
ceremony itself is
expected to last around
two hours – rather
than the three for Liz’s
ascension to the throne
– and guests will be
limited to 2,000 due
to health and safety
restrictions. That’s
considerably less than
the 8,000 dignitaries
from 129 nations who
were crammed into
Westminster Abbey
in 1953.
There will also be less pomp
and formality. Prince William is
the only Duke expected to carry
out the traditional gesture of
kneeling and swearing
allegiance to the King,
and His Majesty has
apparently decided to
swap the stockings
and breeches worn
at coronations by his
male predecessors
for a military uniform,
possibly that of
Admiral of the Fleet,
which he wore for
the State Opening of
Parliament last May.
As for the crown,
Charles will wear
the solid gold
17th Century St
Edward’s Crown.
It is exceptionally heavy
and contains the Cullinan II
diamond, sometimes called
the Second Star of Africa.
At its heart however, the
ceremony must fulfil its key role
as being the symbolic religious
ceremony during which a
sovereign is crowned, as well
as fulfilling the physical act of
placing a crown on a monarch’s
head. And despite cementing
His Majesty’s role as Head of
the Church of England, it is
thought that representatives
of different faiths will also be
present – to uphold the King’s
wish to reflect the ethnic
diversity of modern Britain.
He will also still pledge to be
“Defender of the Faith”, but
further words will be added
that allow the King to show
he serves all religious faiths.
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