How The Coronation Of Prince Charles Will Differ From Previous Coronations

When Queen Elizabeth II dies, Prince Charles will immediately step up and become the new King of England. However, his coronation will not happen until months after he assumes his new role, following a period of mourning.

The last time a coronation like this happened was on June 2, 1952, when Queen Elizabeth became the new Queen. It took place over a year after her accession on Feb. 2, 1952. Prince Charles was only three years old at that time.

When Prince Charles’ time to reign comes, the wheels of royal tradition will automatically be set in motion. The moment Queen Elizabeth dies, he will be king. The prime minister and the government are then told of the Queen’s death, and the parliament will go into session to kick-start the process of affirming allegiances at St. James Palace in Westminster.

Just like in the past coronations, the coronation of Prince Charles will take place at Westminster Abbey. This event is a long ceremony where the Archbishop of Canterbury is the officiant who places a replica of St. Edward’s crown from 1689 on the head of the new king.

Once the crown is placed upon his head, King Charles will take the coronation oath, vowing to rule according to law, to exercise justice with mercy and to maintain the Church of England. After his oath, the Archbishop anoints, blesses and consecrates him and bestows upon him the orb and scepters. The celebration of the Holy Communion comes afterward.

While the coronation of Prince Charles will include all the major elements of the previous coronations, his coronation will differ when it comes to the involvement of other faiths. Unlike the previous coronations, the ceremony for Prince Charles will include elements from other faiths in the U.K. and the Commonwealth.

That means that while the entire service will still be a Church of England service, it will not be exclusive to members of the Church of England. Instead, it will also be attended by religious leaders of other denominations. These religious leaders will participate in the service by giving readings.