Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at the age of 96 last year, King Charles III ascended to the throne. But, although the new monarch has been just that for several months now, His Majesty's official crowning ceremony – aka the coronation – is yet to take place.
With the coronation of King Charles III fast approaching, plenty have headed to Google to ask questions like: When will all our money change over?, What kind of ruler will King Charles be? and Will there be a bank holiday for King Charles' coronation?
With that in mind – and before any of us run down to the bank to change over the fivers languishing in our wallets – here's what you need to know about when King Charles' coronation will take place, and whether there'll be a bank holiday to mark it...
When is King Charles III's coronation?
Not long after news of Her Majesty’s passing hit headlines, it was revealed that her son, Charles, had chosen the title King Charles III upon his ascension the throne. Since then, it's been confirmed by Buckingham Palace that his official 'scaled back' coronation will take place on 6 May 2023, which is a Saturday.
Where is King Charles III's coronation?
As for where the coronation will take place, a statement from the Palace read: "The coronation ceremony [on 6 May 2023] will take place at Westminster Abbey, London, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury".
Why does King Charles III have to wait for his coronation?
Despite automatically becoming sovereign upon Queen Elizabeth's death, King Charles has had to wait until spring for his coronation – in a move similar to the way his mother waited over a year for her coronation.
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To recap, Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne on February 6 1952, but her coronation didn’t take place for another year, on June 2 1953.
"The coronation of the new sovereign follows some months after his or her accession, following a period of mourning and as a result of the enormous amount of preparation required to organise the ceremony," the Royal Family's official website explains.
Will there be a bank holiday for King Charles III's coronation?
Given that the coronation date falls on a Saturday – and Prince Archie's birthday, FYI – there's no need for a bank holiday on the day itself. However, the government has confirmed that the public will be treated to a bank holiday on Monday 8 May, instead.
Although for some, news of an additional bank holiday has been welcomed, others aren't as pleased. It's thought that an extra bank holiday could cost the UK between £831 million and £1.36 billion.
Despite that, former Secretary of Business, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said of the additional bank holiday: "The coronation is an important symbolic act with constitutional resonance about the stability of our system... To have a day off for that is perfectly reasonable, and the effect on growth will not be enormous."
Head here for everything you need to know about King Charles III's coronation.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
