It is still unknown if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend the coronation of King Charles and Camilla in May.
The royal couple’s attendance has been the subject of numerous contradicting accounts; some have even contended that they weren’t even invited. Harry has acknowledged that he has received an invitation, but no decision has been made regarding whether or not he would accept.
Harry will most likely attend his father’s special day, of course. With the allegations he made in his memoir Spare earlier this year, his relationship with his family is far from ideal, yet, according to royal authority Philip Schofield, Harry and Meghan will not only attend the coronation but they may also surprise royal fans.
There has been a lot of discussion about how Charles will be crowned ever since Queen Elizabeth passed away. The first royal coronation in more than 70 years has just been announced by Buckingham Palace, and it is expected to be a major event.
There will be a “Coronation Large Lunch” on May 6 and a “Coronation Concert” the next day.
The Monday will also be an additional bank holiday for Britons, and they are encouraged to participate in “The Great Help Out,” which involves community service.
“There will be additional opportunities for people to gather in honour of the momentous event throughout the Coronation Weekend. The BBC and BBC Studios will stage a special Coronation Concert on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at Windsor Castle. Several thousand pairs of tickets will be made available through a public ballot, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.
On the same day around the nation, The Coronation Big Lunch will be held, inviting neighbours and communities to enjoy food and entertainment.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will preside over the coronation, which will take place at Westminster Abbey.
Both a solemn religious ceremony and a reason for celebration and pomp will be held during it. It will “represent the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being entrenched in long-standing traditions and pageantry,” as the Palace puts it.
According to CNN, different experts have read the aforementioned passage in different ways. Some claim it’s a hint that King Charles’ coronation will differ greatly from Queen Elizabeth’s. That also entails a ceremony that is shorter than the one held for Her Majesty, which lasted almost three hours.
Therefore, what will Charles and Camilla do on May 6?
They will first go in “The King’s procession” from Buckingham Palace to Westminster.
At Westminster, royals and other distinguished guests will be waiting for the subsequent ceremony, which consists of various sections.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will first conduct the Recognition, during which King Charles will be introduced to the assembled crowd at the Abbey while standing next to the Coronation Chair.
The old church will resound with trumpets playing “God Save the King” and shouts.
Charles will then be required to take the oath. The oath has changed over the years and doesn’t have a set structure or phrasing. For instance, Queen Elizabeth II vowed to uphold the Church of England and rule in accordance with the law. Charles’ oath, however, is anticipated to be identical to his mother’s.
The Anointing follows, and the event continues. The king will then take his seat in the Coronation Chair after taking off his ceremonial robe. To keep Charles hidden from the visitors and television cameras in the Abbey, a golden fabric is placed over the chair.
The King is then anointed with holy oil on his head, breast, and hands by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Although the oil’s composition is still a secret, the BBC reports that it includes ambergris, orange flowers, roses, jasmine, and cinnamon.
The Royal Orb, which symbolises moral and religious authority, the Sceptre, which represents power, and the Sovereign’s Sceptre, which represents justice and mercy, will be given to the King when he has been anointed.
The Archbishop will next lay St. Edward’s Crown on Charles’ head to complete the presentation. After that, King Charles will get out of the Coronation Chair and proceed to his throne. Then, peers bow down to him in respect.
Camilla will then be anointed and crowned as the ritual continues. She will be crowned as the first queen consort in in 90 years.
The Queen Mary’s Crown will be bestowed upon Camilla on May 6, according to a February announcement from Buckingham Palace. Queen Mary and her husband, King George V, wore it to be crowned in 1911, and it is adorned with 2,200 diamonds.
For the coronation, the crown will be changed. Queen Mary’s Crown, on the other hand, will pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth by replacing the crown with diamonds Cullinan III, IV, and V. These belonged to the late monarch’s private jewellery assortment. According to People, she frequently wore them as brooches.
The Palace has declared that it is “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.” Before, a new crown was commissioned whenever a Queen Consort was to be crowned; this will be the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be utilised.
The Koh-i Nûr diamond, one of the biggest cut diamonds in the world, was previously mentioned as a potential option for Camilla to wear as her crown. The diamond was part of the Queen mother’s crown for her 1937 coronation.
Hardman claims that Harry and Meghan would be “respectful” in his interview with PageSix.
We are here out of respect for what he has done, he said, adding that this is not our show but rather his. Private family matters notwithstanding, that is for another day.
Hardman added that one would “expect” all of the family members to attend a coronation because it is a family and state event.
Don’t forget, he continued, “we kind of went through this last year with the Queen’s (Platinum) Jubilee,” noting that Harry and Meghan were “very low-key” at the time.
“They didn’t try to steal the spotlight from the main event, they didn’t do any interviews, and they didn’t have a Netflix crew following them up the aisle [at St. Paul’s Cathedral],” the author said. If they’re smart, I think they’ll approach it this time in that manner.
