- Westminster Abbey to crown King Charles & Queen Camilla on 6th of May.
- Global guests to attend historic coronation in London excluding Joe Biden.
On May 6th, Westminster Abbey will host a grand ceremony to crown King Charles and Queen Camilla, with dignitaries from around the world invited to witness this historic event. While US President Joe Biden won't attend, over 100 other heads of state will be present, along with UK parliamentarians, celebrities, and representatives from various communities and charities. The invitation, adorned with a beautifully hand-painted watercolour and gouache illustration, emphasises the exclusive nature of the guest list, which includes 2,300 individuals. Many guests from different parts of the globe will be travelling to London to witness this historic occasion, and here, we have listed all of those who will attend the coronation.
What is Coronation?
A coronation is a significant ceremony that invests a monarch with their regal powers, featuring grand celebrations and the presentation of royal ceremonial objects, including the Crown Jewels. The crown is placed on the sovereign's head during the ceremony, which takes place in front of numerous esteemed guests. While the objects used in coronations may have changed over time, the English coronation of monarchs has remained largely consistent for almost a millennium. This year, the world will witness the coronation of King Charles III, the first coronation of a sovereign in the United Kingdom since Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
When is the Coronation and what will happen?
The Coronation service is scheduled to commence at 11 am on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey. Following the ceremony, a series of events, including a concert at Windsor Castle, will take place over the weekend. The King and Queen Consort will embark on The King's Procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct the service, during which Their Majesties will be crowned at the Abbey in London. Buckingham Palace has stated that the ceremony will honour the monarch's current role and vision for the future while still adhering to long-standing traditions and pageantry.
The Palace has emphasised that the Coronation is a solemn religious service as well as a time for celebration and pageantry, with a structure that has remained consistent for over a millennium.
The upcoming Coronation is expected to retain its core elements while reflecting the spirit of the times. Westminster Abbey has been the site of the ceremony for the past 900 years, with the Archbishop of Canterbury presiding over the service almost continuously since 1066.
Coronation will include numerous ceremonies that were previously seen during the late Queen's reign, including the oath, anointing, homage, and enthronement. King Charles III will be officially crowned with the crown of St Edward placed on his head, while sitting on the Coronation Chair, also known as Edward's Chair. He will hold the sovereign's sceptre and rod, representing his control over the nation, and the sovereign's orb, symbolising the Christian world.
However, unlike the 1953 Coronation of his mother, the anointing of the King will take place out of sight, behind a three-sided screen instead of just a canopy. This new addition to the ceremony is a tribute to the Commonwealth and the King's commitment to sustainability. The service has also been planned to be more inclusive of different faiths and community groups, reflecting the ethnic diversity of modern Britain as per the King's wish.
King Charles III will be the first monarch to publicly pray during his Coronation service. He will ask to be a "blessing" to people "of every faith and conviction". While over 8,000 guests from 129 countries attended the late Queen's coronation, the event this year will be limited to 2,000 due to health and safety restrictions.
The King wishes for a diverse congregation to witness the ceremony and has invited representatives from his numerous charity affiliations and the voluntary sector. However, only a few Members of Parliament and peers have been invited to the event.
King Charles’s Coronation guest list
The coronation of King Charles III is scheduled for this weekend, and while initial reports suggested a scaled-down service, the guest list is steadily growing. Here, we provide a detailed list of all the attendees expected to be present at the ceremony on May 6th.
The British royal family
The upcoming coronation ceremony will have members of the House of Windsor in attendance. These members include Princess Anne, who is Charles's sister, his son Prince William and daughter-in-law Catherine, who is the Princess of Wales. Additionally, Prince George, his grandson, will be a page of honor at the ceremony. Although Prince Harry will attend, his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will not be present at the event.
All the members of the British royal family who are expected to attend:
- Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, with their children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis
- Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence
- Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, along with their children: Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex
- Prince Andrew
- Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
- Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank
- Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike Tindall
- Peter Phillips
- Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent
- Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, Princess Michael of Kent
- Princess Alexandra
- Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
- Lady Sarah Chatto (Princess Margaret's daughter) and her husband, Daniel Chatto
- David Armstrong Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (Princess Margaret's son)
Foreign royals
Traditionally, other crowned heads of state do not attend the coronation ceremony. However, numerous foreign monarchs are anticipated to be present at King Charles' coronation. During Queen Elizabeth's coronation, Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga was one of the few foreign monarchs who attended. At present, several monarchs have confirmed their attendance. Here’s the list:
- Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco
- Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan
- Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
- King Carl XVI Gustav and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
- King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain
- Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
- Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
- Queen Anne-Marie and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
- King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
- King Tuheitia and Makau Ariki Atawhai, Māori royals of New Zealand
- King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium
- King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
- King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand
- King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u of Tonga
- Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Lady Julia, Ashanti royals of Ghana
- King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan
- Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku of Malaysia
- Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
- King Hamad of Bahrain
- Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait
- King Mswati III of Eswatini
- King Letsie III and Queen Masenate of Lesotho
- Prince Turki bin Muhammad Al Saud of Saudi Arabia
- Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates
- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar
- Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said of Oman
- Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco
Queen Camilla's family
While Queen Camilla's family has not made any public announcements about their attendance, it is highly likely that her children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, along with their respective families, will be present at the event. Also expected to attend are her sister Annabel Elliot, her nieces Alice Irwin, Katie Elliot, and Ayesha Shand, and her nephew Ben Elliot. Additionally, three of her grandsons and one of her grand-nephews will serve as pages of honour. Her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, is also on the guest list.
The upcoming coronation ceremony will reportedly be attended by various members of the Princess of Wales's family, including:
- Carole Middleton (mother)
- Michael Middleton (father)
- Pippa Middleton (sister) and her husband James Matthews
- James Middleton (brother) and his wife Alizee Thevenet
The family's presence is expected to add to the grandeur of the event.
UK leaders, British MPs, and peers
According to a report by The Telegraph, the guest list for the coronation ceremony is not yet public, but it is said that only 40 Members of Parliament (MPs) and 40 peers will be in attendance. While the confirmed attendees have not been fully disclosed, some names have been announced.
- Rishi Sunak, the UK's Prime Minister, and his wife Akshata Murthy will both attend the Coronation.
- According to The Daily Mail, no other Cabinet members will be given a plus one.
- Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, is expected to attend.
- Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, is also on the guest list.
- Nicholas Lyons, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, will attend the Coronation.
- Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, expressed his excitement on Twitter for being one of the few Members of Parliament who won the ballot to represent the House of Commons.
- Andrew Carter, MP for Warrington South, is also expected to attend.
- Brendan O'Hara, MP for Argyll and Bute, is on the guest list.
- Ian Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye & Lochaber, will attend the Coronation.
- Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin vice-president, is also expected to attend.
- Alex Maskey, the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, is on the guest list.
- Lesley Hogg, the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Assembly, will also attend.
- Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, is expected to attend the Coronation.
List of cabinet members:
- Oliver Dowden - Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Jeremy Hunt - Chancellor
- James Cleverly - Foreign Secretary
- Suella Braverman - Home Secretary
- Ben Wallace - Defence Secretary
- Michelle Donelan - Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary
- Michael Gove - Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary
- Steve Barclay - Health Secretary
- Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the Commons
- Kemi Badenoch - Business and Trade Secretary
- Therese Coffey - Environment Secretary
- Mel Stride - Work and Pensions Secretary
- Gillian Keegan - Education Secretary
- Mark Harper - Transport Secretary
- Alex Chalk - Justice Secretary
- Lucy Frazer - Culture, Media and Sport Secretary
- Chris Heaton-Harris - Northern Ireland Secretary
- Alister Jack - Scotland Secretary
- David T C Davies - Wales Secretary
- Keir Starmer - Labour leader
- Lindsay Hoyle - Speaker of the House of Commons
All seven former Prime Ministers who are still living are expected to attend:
- Liz Truss
- Boris Johnson
- Theresa May
- David Cameron
- Gordon Brown
- Tony Blair
- John Major
British Nobility
Compared to Queen Elizabeth's coronation 70 years ago, Charles's coronation will have fewer aristocrats in attendance. Lady Pamela Hicks, a former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen, has declined the invitation, but she sees it as a wise decision, according to her daughter India.
Despite this, some members of the nobility will attend the ceremony due to their historical role in it. These individuals hold various positions in the ceremony, as outlined below.
- Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk - responsible for organizing the coronation
- David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley - was involved in the ceremony along with his wife, Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, and their son, Oliver, who will be a page of honor
- Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Errol - acting as the Lord High Constable of Scotland and carrying a silver baton or staff
- Anthony Lindsay, 30th Earl of Crawford and 13th Earl of Balcarres - serving as Deputy to the Great Steward of Scotland
- Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll - participating in the coronation
- Joseph Morrow - the current Lord Lyon King of Arms and taking part in the King's procession
- Delaval Thomas Harold Astley, 23rd Baron Hastings - was also involved in the ceremony.
Foreign heads of state
Leaders from around the world will attend. Here's who's said they'll be there:
- Emmanuel Macron, President of France
- Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
- Mary Simon, Governor-General of Canada
- Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
- First Lady Jill Biden, leading a U.S. delegation
- Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia
- David Hurley, Governor-General of Australia
- Chris Hipkins, Prime Minister of New Zealand
- Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, and her husband, Dr. Richard Davies
- Christopher Luxon, leader of the opposition in New Zealand
- Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany
- Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy
- Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President of India
- Han Zheng, Vice President of China
- Michael Higgins, President of Ireland, and his wife, Sabina Higgins
- Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach of Ireland
- Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Louise Araneta-Marcos, President and First Lady of the Philippines
- Wavel Ramkalawan, President of Seychelles, and his wife, Linda Ramkalawan
- Mario Abdo Benítez and Silvana López Moreira, President and First Lady of Paraguay
- Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union Commission
- Charles Michel, European Union Council President
- Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
- Amina Jane Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations
- Borjana Krišto, Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
- Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus
- Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka
- Macky Sall, President of Senegal
- Dame Froyla Tzalam, Governor-General of Belize
- Cornelius A. Smith, Governor-General of the Bahamas, and his wife, Clara Smith
- Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas
- Michael Pintard, Leader of the Opposition in the Bahamas
- Bob Dadae, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea
- David Vunagi, Governor-General of Solomon Islands
- Võ Văn Thưởng, President of Vietnam
- Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe
- Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic
- Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil
- Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of Austria
- Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicília, Co-Prince of Andorra
- Narayan Prakash Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal.
Religious representatives
Prince Charles has expressed his desire to be known as the "defender of the faith" instead of "Defender of the Faith," acknowledging the religious diversity present in the United Kingdom. In a 2014 statement, he stated that he believed it was possible to both defend and protect various faiths. As a result, at his coronation, delegates from various faith communities will be in attendance, reflecting this belief.
List of Religious Leaders Participating in a Ceremony:
- Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis - Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom (Judaism)
- Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera - Head Monk of the London Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain (Buddhism)
- Indarjit Singh, Baron Singh of Wimbledon - Prominent member of the Sikh community (also participating in the ceremony) (Sikhism)
- Radha Mohan das - Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple representative (Hinduism)
- Aliya Azam - Education and Interfaith Coordinator at the Al Khoei Foundation (Islam)
The upcoming Anglican ceremony will be graced by distinguished Anglican leaders, including:
- Justin Welby, who will officiate the service as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
- Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York.
- John Armes, the Anglican bishop of Edinburgh.
- Paul Butler, the Bishop of Durham.
- Michael Beasley, the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
- David Hoyle, who will attend as the Dean of Westminster.
Celebrities
List of Confirmed Celebrities to Attend the Coronation Service:
- Bear Grylls - Chief Scout
- Stella McCartney
- Joanna Lumley - (will later join Sky News for their coverage)
- Rowan Atkinson
- Nick Cave
- Sam Kerr - (will carry Australia's flag)
- Lionel Richie
- Edward Enninful
- Ant McPartlin
- Declan Donnelly
People with ceremonial roles
List of the participants in the coronation ceremony:
- Antonia Romeo, Clerk of the Crown in Chancery: responsible for recording the coronation
- Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff: will act as Lord High Constable of England for the day
- Frances Dymoke, a farmer: will carry the Royal Standard
- Cadet Warrant Officer Elliott Tyson-Lee: will carry the flag of the United Kingdom
Here are the four men who will carry the Standards of the Quarterings of the Royal Arms and Standard of the Principality of Wales:
- Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster
- Charles Paget, 8th Marquess of Anglesey
- Nicholas Alexander, 7th Earl of Caledon
- Alexander Scrymgeour, 12th Earl of Dundee, who will carry the Lion Rampart of Scotland.
People who will carry King Charles's regalia in the procession:
- Sir Gordon Messenger, the Governor of HM Tower of London: St Edward’s Crown as Lord High Steward of England
- Baroness Elizabeth Manningham-Buller: St Edward's Staff
- Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry: the Sceptre with Cross
- Baroness Floella Benjamin: the Sceptre with the Dove
- Dame Elizabeth Anionwu: the Orb
- Brigadier Andrew Jackson (The Keeper of the Jewel House): the Sovereign’s Ring
- Petty Officer Amy Taylor: the Sword of Offering
- Simon Abney-Hastings, the 15th Earl of Loudoun: the Golden Spurs
- Penny Mordaunt, Lord President of the Council: the Sword of State
- Air Chief Marshal the Lord Peach: the Sword of Mercy (The Curtana)
- The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux: the Sword of Spiritual Justice
- The Lord Houghton of Richmond: the Sword of Temporal Justice
The following individuals will be responsible for presenting the King with the regalia during the coronation ceremony:
- Rupert Francis John Carrington, the 7th Baron Carrington - Spurs
- Baron Syed Kamall - Armills
- Baroness Gillian Merron - Robe Royal
- Rev. John McDowell, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh - Orb
- Baron Narendra Patel - Ring
- Indarjit Singh, Baron of Wimbledon - Coronation Glove
- Rev. Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross, and Caithness, and Episcopal Primus of Scotland - Sceptre with Cross
- Rev. Andrew John, the Archbishop of Wales - Sceptre with Dove
During Queen Camilla's coronation, several people will be responsible for carrying her regalia. The individuals and the corresponding items they will carry are listed below:
- Baroness (Helena) Kennedy of The Shaws: The Queen Consort's Rod
- General Sir Patrick Sanders: The Queen Consort's Sceptre
- Charles Wellseley, 9th Duke of Wellington: Queen Mary’s Crown
- The Rt. Reverend and Rt. Hon the Lord Chartres: The Queen Consort's Ring
Here are the individuals who will present Queen Camilla with her regalia:
- Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, The Bishop of Dover: She will present the Queen Consort's Rod.
- Rt. Reverend and Rt Hon. Lord Chartres: He will present the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross.
- Brigadier Andrew Jackson: He will present the Queen Consort's Ring.
- The Archbishop of Canterbury: He will once again perform the crowning ceremony.
Members of the public
It is anticipated that the charities backed by King Charles and Queen Camilla will be extended invitations to the upcoming event, although the list of invitees has not yet been disclosed. Buckingham Palace announced in April that over 850 community and charity, representatives are expected to be present, with a significant number being recipients of the British Empire Medal (BEM).
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