Major change is coming to the monarchy!
King Charles III is preparing for his official coronation, but it will look very different from his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953! On Sunday, DailyMail.com’s Mail on Sunday got the scoop on the party planning.
According to the event’s blueprint known as Operation Golden Orb, Charles’ coronation is set to last just over an hour — opposed to the usual three-hour length! He’s also slashing a significant portion of guests. The attendees will be shrunk from 8,000 to just 2,000, with hundreds of nobles and parliamentarians missing out. Wow!
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Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Mather, who began the plan for King Charles’ coronation (which has since been updated), revealed:
“There are about 700 peers, well they won’t all be there. The same with MPs: they won’t all be present because he’s not being crowned for them. He’s being crowned for the people.”
Hmm. Will Prince Harry be in the mix?! Seeing as how complicated things have been, we sure hope so or that’s a bad sign!
Queen Consort Camilla is also expected to be crowned alongside her husband. Those lucky enough to attend will likely be allowed to wear a more relaxed dress code as well, instead of the usual ceremonial robes. Anthony Mather added:
“No Coronation robes. Give them to a museum where they belong. It’s not going to be a tweed jacket and pair of jeans – but morning suit or lounge suit.”
No, he’s not talking about a sweatsuit! A lounge suit is just a regular suit and tie combo while a morning suit is a more formal version consisting of a morning coat, waistcoat, and formal trousers. Women would be dressed in equally formal dresses.
Many historic rituals will also be skipped this time around, including presenting the royal with gold ingots. In 1952, it was reported that “an ingot or wedge of gold of a pound weight” was presented to the monarch by the Lord Great Chamberlain before being placed on the altar. These days, it doesn’t seem like an appropriate ritual to the royals, an insider dished:
“In an age where people are feeling the pinch, this is not going to happen.”
Hah! Probably for the best! The event will be lavish enough without more gold!
The Court of Claims, which was established to assess the validity of the claims of people to perform certain honorary services at the coronation of a new monarch, is also going to be scrapped. The process would typically last several weeks. Velvet seats made for the Queen’s coronation are also expected to be traded for standard seating.
It’s unclear if Harry will be in attendance, but his brother Prince William, the heir to the throne, is expected to play an important role in helping plan the ceremony. Palace insiders also told the outlet Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, will be the lead mastermind of the coronation as Earl Marshal. He’s reportedly been tasked with creating a simpler, shorter, and more diverse event that reflects modern-day Britain.
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One highly placed source told the outlet on Saturday night:
“The King has stripped back a lot of the Coronation in recognition that the world has changed in the past 70 years.”
In terms of diversity, the ceremony will likely be more religiously and culturally diverse. It also won’t include several outfit changes unlike the Queen’s, a source added:
“King Charles is unlikely to do the same and the language will be adapted so as to be understandable to a more modern audience.”
Not everything is changing, though! Some key rituals will be retained, like the anointing of the monarch, who will declare himself as the “defender of the faith,” not “defender of faith” as previously speculated. The 1762 Gold State Coach, which was just refurbished for the Platinum Jubilee, will also be in use. So, it’ll definitely be a grand ceremony — even though it’ll be missing some of the pomp and circumstances! At this time, the coronation is expected to take place next summer.
What do you think of these plans so far, Perezcious readers? Is it a good idea to modernize the event since it’s been so long? Let us know what you think (below)!
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