Extra bank holiday announced to celebrate King Charles’ coronation
King Charles III is due be coronated next year, eight months after his mother the Queen’s death
The government has announced an extra bank holiday to mark the coronation of King Charles III next year.
The day will be “an opportunity for families and communities across the country to come together to celebrate”, a Downing Street statement said.
It will fall on Monday 8 May, two days after the coronation on Saturday 6 May, when Charles will be crowned alongside Queen Consort Camilla.
The coronation will take place in Westminster Abbey, eight months after the monarch’s accession and the death of the Queen.
The ceremony will be “rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry” but will also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Charles III will be anointed with holy oil, receive the orb, coronation ring and sceptre, be crowned with St Edward’s Crown and blessed during the ceremony.
Camilla will also be anointed with holy oil and crowned, just like the Queen Mother was when she was crowned Queen in 1937.
The sixth of May is also the birthday of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son Archie – Charles’ grandson – who will be turning four on the day.
Guest lists have yet to be confirmed for the spectacle, with speculation likely over whether or not Harry and Meghan will be invited or will be able to travel from California to attend.
Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne on 6 February, 1952 after the death of King George VI, but her coronation did not take place until 2 June, 1953.
At the Queen’s request the coronation was broadcast on television for the first time as an estimated 27 million people in Britain watched the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak said: “The coronation of a new monarch is a unique moment for our country. In recognition of this historic occasion, I am pleased to announce an additional bank holiday for the whole United Kingdom next year.
“I look forward to seeing people come together to celebrate and pay tribute to King Charles III by taking part in local and national events across the country in his honour.”
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said: “The coronation combines the sacred and the solemn, but it is also celebratory.
“This bank holiday will once again give people across the United Kingdom the opportunity to come together as families and communities to welcome His Majesty to the throne as we mark this important day in our nation’s long history.”
Additional reporting by PA
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