King Charles Plans An Unprecedented Royal Tour That Will Rival The Late Queen's
After the heartbreaking death of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son ascended to the throne and became King Charles III. Once the period of mourning for the late monarch passed, details for Charles' coronation were finally confirmed, with the event planned for May 6, 2023, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.
It will be at Westminster Abbey, and the Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct the ceremony. In the announcement, the palace said that the coronation "will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."
Charles' coronation is set to be different than Queen Elizabeth II's. While there were more than 8,000 people in attendance at the queen's coronation in 1953, Charles' guest list is expected to be closer to 2,000, per Fortune. His ceremony will also be shorter, with The U.S. Sun reporting it will likely last about an hour — not three, like his predecessor's. In addition, the dress code will be more lax, with women not required to sport tiaras.
Of course, there will be plenty of pomp and circumstance at the king's coronation. According to the Daily Mail, Charles plans to ride in the same gold carriage in which Elizabeth was transported to her coronation. He will also wear the same headpiece — St. Edward's crown, worth $57 million — as his mother, per Hello!
And, according to sources, King Charles is also planning a royal tour that will be the biggest in the history of the royal family.
King Charles will visit several Commonwealth countries on his royal tour
King Charles III is planning to kick off his reign with the biggest tour in the royal family's history. Sources revealed to the Mirror that Charles will visit Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and various Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean with his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, joining him on some legs of the trip.
"The King and his family are keen to hit the ground running in these crucial first few months and years of his reign," an insider told the Mirror. "He certainly wants to carry on the long-held mantra from his late mother of being seen to be believed, and is very keen to get out and meet as many people as possible."
There are also plans to reschedule postponed trips to India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh for Charles and Camilla, although there is a chance that Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Prince and Princess of Wales, might go in their place.
William will also play an important role in his father's coronation, and his elder children — Prince George of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales — are expected to be in attendance, per Express.
Writing in Vanity Fair, royal author Katie Nicholl said, "The ceremony will likely highlight the line of succession, with William, Kate, and their children featured more prominently than other members of the family."