So, on May 6th, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will have their coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. It’s been eight months since Charles became the king following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The ceremony is set to start at 11 a.m. British Standard Time.

The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be a much smaller affair compared to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Only around 2,000 guests have been invited this time, which is just a quarter of the size of Elizabeth II’s event. The guests will include members of the royal family, foreign heads of state and dignitaries, British political leaders, as well as 850 individuals who have been recognized for their charity work.

Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday that Prince Harry will be attending the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. However, his wife Meghan Markle and their children will not be joining him, as they will be staying back in California.

As for the coronation procession, Charles and Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, a six-horse-drawn carriage that was first used in 2014. For their return journey to Buckingham Palace, they will ride in the Gold State Coach, an eight-horse-drawn carriage that has been used for every coronation since King William IV’s in 1831. It’s going to be quite a grand and regal affair!

Compared to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation procession in 1953, King Charles III’s procession will be much shorter, covering a 1.3-mile route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. However, the crowns used in the ceremony are still as impressive as ever. King Charles III will be crowned with the St. Edward’s Crown, which is over 360 years old and made of 22-carat gold and 444 precious and semi-precious stones, including aquamarines, rubies, and sapphires.

Queen Camilla, on the other hand, will wear Queen Mary’s crown. It has 2,200 diamonds and hold a scepter made of ivory. This has attracted some controversy due to Prince William’s campaign against the ivory trade.

As this will be the first royal coronation in the age of social media, the Royal Family has unveiled a special emoji on Twitter, modeled after St. Edward’s Crown. It will appear when the #coronation hashtag is used.

Additionally, King Charles III’s subjects will be asked to recite a pledge of allegiance to him from wherever they are watching the ceremony, which some critics have slammed as tone-deaf. It’s certainly going to be an interesting and unique event, with some old traditions mixed with new technology and ideas!

Who Is Attending?

It looks like President Joe Biden won’t be able to attend the coronation, but First Lady Jill Biden will be representing the United States in his place. This decision has upset some conservative British politicians and commentators, even though it follows precedent since no sitting U.S. president has ever attended a coronation.

However, many other notable world leaders will be in attendance, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Foreign royals like Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, and Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko will also be present. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will also attend the event.

Some British celebrities will also be in attendance, including comedians Ant and Dec, British Vogue editor Edward Enninful, and actress Joanna Lumley. Rapper Nicki Minaj even tweeted that she will be attending, although it’s unclear if she has actually been invited or if it’s just a promotional stunt for her new song called “Princess Diana.”

Who Is Performing?

The coronation concert on May 7 will feature performances by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli, and Take That. It has been reported that several prominent British pop acts such as Harry Styles, Adele, Elton John, and the Spice Girls turned down the opportunity to perform. Music PR professionals speculate that this may be due to the Royal Family’s declining popularity among young people and recent royal scandals.

How Much Will It Cost?

Coronation ceremonies in the U.K. are paid for by the government and can amount to millions of dollars. Elizabeth II’s coronation cost £1.57 million, or £46 million today, equivalent to $57 million. While the cost of King Charles III’s coronation is yet to be disclosed, the British government has indicated that it will be revealed at a later date. The high cost of the coronation could attract backlash due to the current inflation and cost of living in the United Kingdom, according to BBC.

The BBC and CNN will be showing the ceremony live. Will you be watching?