THE coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms will take place this Saturday 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey. 

Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II and an official ceremony proclaiming him King was held on September 10.

The coronation is an ancient ritual, dating back nearly 1,000 years.

King Charles III will be presented with the royal regalia, which includes the elaborate clothing and other adornments a monarch wears at formal presentations and events. 

The culminating moment in coronation ceremony will take place when the archbishop of Canterbury, the senior cleric of the Church of England, places the royal crown upon the new king’s head.

The headpiece is the centuries-old, St Edward’s crown, named in honor of the legendary Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor , who wore the first version of the headpiece during his 1042-1066 AD reign.

ABOVE: The metal base of St Edward’s Crown is made from solid 22-carat gold. It is decorated with 444 precious and semi-precious stones added to over the centuries. Its purple cap is made of velvet, trimmed with ermine fur.

St Edward's Crown is a priceless relic considered the prize among the Crown Jewels of England.

It weighs a neck-aching 2.23 kilograms so is only worn during coronation ceremonies.

In the interests of "sustainability and efficiency", Camilla will wear St Mary's Crown. This will be the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used for the Coronation of a Consort instead of a new commission being made.

At 73, King Charles is the oldest person to take the British throne.

He has also served the longest apprenticeship in the history of the monarchy.

ABOVE: Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort, in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in March 2023.

Charles became the heir apparent and Prince of Wales at the age of three, when his mother became queen in 1952.

In 2023 there are 15 Commonwealth realms: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and the United Kingdom.

King Charles has also assumed the role as Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, an international organisation that aims to foster international co-operation and trade links between people all over the world.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II the Commonwealth grew from just seven nations to 56 members, representing at least 25 billion people - more than one third of the world's population.

According to official royal sources, the title of Head of the Commonwealth is not 'vested in the Crown'.

It was agreed to at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in 2018 that the Prince of Wales would succeed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth upon his accession to the throne.

ABOVE: Their Majesties will travel in the Gold State Coach. The coach was commissioned in 1760 and was first used by King George III. The coach has been used at every Coronation since that of William IV in 1831. The coach will be drawn by eight Windsor Greys and, due to its weight of four tonnes, will travel at walking pace.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Information and photographs sourced from www.royal.uk and www.ancient_origins.net.