May 6, the much-anticipated date of King Charles III’s coronation.
The drama created by the Sussexes around whether they will or will not receive an invitation–and whether they do or do not choose to accept it–is taking center stage, all built on speculation and gossip.
But the real planning and its nuts and bolts—so to speak—is about the actual procession, ceremony, and security measures being considered.
Charles, who is known to be fussy and detail-oriented, plans to take a shortcut and smoother ride to Westminster Abbey for his coronation, trimming the procession route his mother took in 1953 as he aims for a more modest event that will include some modern touches, Buckingham Palace said Sunday.
The King is also very much a “modernizer” and so not surprisingly, the lower-key and streamlined ceremony will still be steeped in ancient traditions and adorned with royal regalia from the Crown Jewels, but will also feature its own bespoke emoji, reflecting the first British crowning of the social media era. Queen Elizabeth II’s was the first coronation televised 70 years ago.
Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, will also travel in comfort from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, as the horse-drawn gilded black Diamond Jubilee State Coach built for Elizabeth’s 60th anniversary has heat, air conditioning, power windows and a suspension system that will provide a comfier ride than his mother’s accommodations for her enthronement. The Gold State Coach, which weighs 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilograms), and is pulled by eight horses, is known for its notoriously rough ride. Charles wishes to go in comfort.
While Charles wants to show the monarchy is still relevant in modern, multi-cultural Britain, he has said he plans to slim down the institution. The coronation is expected to reflect that with a shorter, less extravagant ceremony than the three-hour service that installed Elizabeth II.
Still, much of the priceless coronation regalia used for centuries will be part of crowning both Charles and Camilla, including five symbolic swords, two scepters and the Sovereign’s Ring of sapphire with a ruby cross set in diamonds. Some things can’t be changed.
At the end of the ceremony, Charles will switch to the lighter Imperial State Crown for the procession back to the palace.
Unlike the 5-mile (8-kilometer) route Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip took around London in 1953, Charles and Camilla will return the way they came, but in a 260-year-old carriage used in every coronation since William IV’s in 1831.
