Everything to Know About King Charles III's Coronation

The United Kingdom hasn't had a coronation in 70 years.

While many traditions will be observed exactly as they were in 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, there will be modern adjustments to the grand event to reflect both the changing times and the 74-year-old monarch's sensibilities, Charles being the oldest-ever person to assume the British throne.

The queen's coronation was the first to be televised—it took some convincing from the forward-thinking Prince Philip (the queen's consort and chair of the Coronation Commission) to get his wife and various officials on board—and Charles' ceremony on May 6 at London's Westminster Abbey, needless to say, will be the first ever to be streamed.

He also, incidentally, has a much bigger extended family than his mother did when she became queen at 25. One of the few details that had been up in the air—whether or not both of Charles' sons would be in attendance—fell into place April 12 when the palace confirmed that Prince Harry would be there, though his wife Meghan Markle will remain in California with their children.

And with that, the intricate plans can proceed as scheduled. Here's everything you need to know about Charles' coronation, as we know it.

All About King Charles III's Reign

When is King Charles III's coronation?

The coronation will take place Saturday, May 6, at London's Westminster Abbey. Live TV coverage of the proceedings is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. local time (aka 2:30 a.m. ET/11:30 p.m. PT, so put the kettle on) and will track the king's procession to the Abbey, while the actual coronation service starts at 11 a.m.

What is a coronation?

Not to be confused with King Charles III's accession, which occurred when Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8—making that his Accession Day forever after—or the day he was formally proclaimed king by the Accession Council on Sept. 10, the coronation is, for all intents and purposes, a religious ceremony that dates back to 1154.

According to the Royal Collection Trust, it is the "formal investiture of a monarch with their regal powers," during which the nearly 5-pound St. Edward's Crown will be placed on Charles' head (as it was on his mum's) for the first (and only) time, as the piece never leaves Westminster Abbey. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will bless the new sovereign and anoint him with holy oil from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The oil is poured from the Ampulla, a 1661-era golden vessel shaped like an eagle, into the Coronation Spoon.

The Church of England issued a booklet of 28 daily prayers, starting with one for Easter Sunday, so the faithful can gear up for the event by praying for Charles, his family and the country ahead of time.

And in a nod to newfangled technology, there's also a "Coronation Celebration Playlist" streaming on Spotify featuring tunes curated by the government's Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport.

What are the Crown Jewels?

They're not just a euphemism! On display in the Tower of London, the glittering collection includes various literal crowns and all coronation regalia—much of which, including St. Edward's Crown, was created for King Charles II in 1661. The aforementioned 674-year-old spoon is the oldest known piece in the collection.

Various pieces will be presented to the new king during his investiture: A pair of spurs to represent knightly "values and virtues"; the Jeweled Sword of Offering; two sceptres, one with a cross and the other a dove; the pair of armills (golden, velvet-lined cuffs with enamel designs that were presented to his grandfather King George VI at his coronation in 1937; a jewel-encrusted orb representing the globe; and the Sovereign's Ring, a diamond-surrounded sapphire overlaid with rubies that form a St George's cross.

What is Queen Consort Camilla's role in King Charles III's coronation?

Charles' wife of 18 years, Camilla, will be crowned alongside her husband. She'll be presented with the Queen Consort's ring, a ruby surrounded by diamonds, and two sceptres. A revamped Queen Mary's Crown—originally made for King George V's wife in 1911—will be placed on her head.

The Koh-i-Noor diamond (which now represents the dark, violent days of British imperialism for many) originally embedded in the headpiece is being replaced by the Cullinan III, IV, and V diamonds as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who wore them as brooches.

This is the first time a queen consort won't be getting a new custom crown, the palace explaining the decision to recycle as being in "the interests of sustainability and efficiency."

The invitation that went out to 2,000 guests (a slimmed-down crowd from the 8,251 who attended Queen Elizabeth II's coronation) garnered attention by the referral to "Queen Camilla," which emphasized how far the royal family had come from the days when the public was told Charles' wife wouldn't take any title involving the word "queen" at all. Not until February 2022 did the late queen express her "sincere wish" for her daughter-in-law to one day be known as queen consort.

Members of the Royal Family Attend Easter Church Service 2023

Will King Charles III's whole family be at his coronation?

All three of Charles' siblings—Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward—and their children are said to be attending, though scandal-plagued Andrew will reportedly not be playing any role during the ceremony or procession, and will not join working-royal members of the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the coronation.

Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, will be there with Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, who turns 5 on April 23.

The big question was whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were going to make it in the wake of the January release of Harry's explosive memoir Spare, which (among other things) directed no small share of the blame for the British press' mistreatment of him throughout his life—and of Meghan, once she was in the picture—toward his family.

On April 12, a rep for the couple confirmed that Harry will be there, but he'll make the trip on his own while Meghan stays home with son Archie, who will be turning 4 the day of the coronation, and 22-month-old daughter Lili. Meghan was last with Harry's family in September when everyone gathered for the queen's funeral.

Prince George and Prince William's Father-Son Soccer Day

What will Prince George be doing during the coronation?

Charles' grandson Prince George, who's now second in line to the throne, will serve as a Page of Honour along with Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, son of Charles' lord-in-waiting Marquess David Cholmondeley; Camilla's grandchildren Freddy Parker Bowles, 13, and 12-year-old twins Gus Lopes and Louis Lopes; her great-nephew Arthur Elliot, 11; and Master Nicholas Barclay, 13, the grandson of one of the queen consort's closest friends; and Master Ralph Tollemache, 12, whose father Edward Tollemache is one of Charles' godsons.

The kids will walk in the coronation procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey, according to the palace.

What happens before and after the coronation?

The horse-drawn Diamond Jubilee State Coach—comparatively brand-spankin'-new at only nine years old—will ferry Charles and Camilla to Westminster Abbey in what's known as the King's Procession, while they'll return to Buckingham Palace afterward in the 261-year-old Gold State Coach, which has been used for every coronation since King William IV's in 1831.

For the return trip—which will be an "enormous procession," according to coronation organizer Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the Duke of Norfolk—Charles will wear the Imperial State Crown, aka "the working crown," which he'll also don annually for the State Opening of Parliament. It boasts 2,868 diamonds, including the massive 317-carat Cullinan II, as well as the Black Prince Ruby in front and the Stuart Sapphire in back.

Upon the family's return to the palace, senior royals and their kids of all ages will greet the crowd from the same balcony that has been utilized for all the big photo ops—William and Kate's post-wedding kiss, etc.—through the years.

On May 7, Windsor Castle will host the Coronation Concert, featuring headliners TBD, and May 8 has been declared a bank holiday.

The palace has described the coronation as designed to "reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."