The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty the Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023. The King ascended the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The King's Coronation Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Service will be representative of different faiths and community groups, in line with the King's wish to reflect the ethnic diversity of modern Britain. Their Majesties want to encourage people to spend the Coronation Weekend celebrating with friends, families, and their communities.
Coronation Weekend Plans
6 May 2023 - The Coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey, London
7 May 2023 - A Coronation Concert will be held at Windsor Castle and locations across the UK will be lit up
8 May 2023 - A Bank Holiday has been proclaimed by the Prime Minister. People are encouraged to join their communities and good causes by undertaking activities in the Big Help Out
6 to 8 May 2023 - There will be Coronation Big Lunches up and down the country and across the Commonwealth
The Coronation Service will take place on the morning of Saturday, 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Their Majesties the King and The Queen Consort will arrive at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as 'The King's Procession'. After the Service, Their Majesties will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as 'The Coronation Procession'. Their Majesties will be joined in this procession by other Members of the Royal Family.
The King has asked for Greek orthodox music to be played during the service in tribute to his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh. His Majesty the King has personally commissioned the new music and shaped and selected the musical programme for the Service. Coronation Music at Westminster Abbey
At Buckingham Palace, The King, and The Queen Consort, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony to conclude the day's ceremonial events.
A Coronation Concert will be staged at Windsor Castle and broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds.
There will be a public audience including volunteers from The King and The Queen Consort's charity affiliations. The concert will see a world-class orchestra play, and there will be an exclusive appearance from The Coronation Choir. Some of the world's biggest entertainers will play alongside performers from the world of dance and the arts. The performances will be supported by staging and effects located on the Castle's East Lawn and will also feature a selection of spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen.
5,000 tickets had been allocated for the concert following a national ballot, based on geographical spread of the UK population and 5,000 are being allocated to charitable organisations.
The centrepiece of the Coronation Concert, 'Lighting up the Nation', will see the country join together in celebration as iconic locations across the United Kingdom are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
The Big Help Out is a scheme devised in tribute to the King's many decades of public service and is reflective of his desire to create lasting change as well as to inspire others. People will be encouraged to try volunteering for themselves and join in the work being undertaken to support their local areas. The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend.
The Big Help Out is being organised by The Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the United Kingdom and will highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation.
Senior members of the Royal family are expected to take part in volunteering during the Coronation bank holiday.
Celebrations for the Coronation of King Charles III are set to be the biggest community get togethers in British history. At the heart of the celebrations is the Coronation Big Lunch.
Eden Project Communities created the Big Lunch initiative in 2009 to try and combat social isolation and loneliness by encouraging communities to come together and share an annual meal with their neighbours. A Coronation Big Lunch can be a few sandwiches with a neighbour on the doorstep or a street party with lots of neighbours.
The Coronation Big Lunch is very flexible so they can be held anytime between 6 and 8 May 2023. Daytime doesn't suit you? why don't you have a Lunar Lunch by the light of the moon?!
If you would like some ideas, inspiration, practical information to help you plan your Coronation Big Lunch you can visit: The Coronation Big Lunch | Eden Project Communities
On this site you can add your Coronation Big Lunch to the Big Lunch Map and download resources such as invitations and a lunch planner.
The Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria is planning a Coronation Evensong Service in Carlisle Cathedral followed by a reception on Friday 12 May 2023 (by invitation only).
The Lord Lieutenant is very keen that people to take part in the 'Incredible Edible' project as part of a legacy following the Coronation. Its vision is to create kind, confident and connected communities through the power of food. When you join the network, you become part of a wider family and commit to food activism, and community resilience.
The Coronation is a solemn religious ceremony and has remained unchanged for over a thousand years.
It is a Christian ceremony during which the new monarch is crowned as part of a Eucharist, or Holy Communion service, at which Christians commemorate Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper. The crowning itself is near the end of the ceremony which includes the monarch making promises to God and the people they serve, a sacred blessing known as anointing and the receiving of the royal regalia. During a coronation, the words and actions are a visible representation of the invisible duty and responsibility of the monarch.
You may wish to celebrate the Coronation with your neighbours and hold a street party. There is lots of research to show that informal, resident-led events have a positive and lasting impact on the communities that take part. They can help reduce isolation and loneliness, strengthen community spirit and civic pride, and bring people of different ethnic backgrounds together. They also offer a good opportunity to bring together communities for fundraising for local, national, and International good causes.
We recommend that you plan early. If you would like more information on what to do visit GOV.UK - Your guide to organising a street party
For most small parties in quiet streets where you need to close a road, all your council needs to know is where and when the road closure will take place so they can plan around it (for example, so emergency services know). They will need to put in place a temporary traffic regulation order.
Risk assessment
You should not need a risk assessment if consideration is given to the safety needs of all those attending, common sense precautions should be enough
Licences
The Licensing Act 2003 does not require a music licence at a street party unless amplified music is one of the main purposes of the event. If you plan to sell alcohol you will need to check whether you need a Temporary Events Notice. This is a temporary permission for licensable activities which currently costs £21 and covers events of fewer than 500 people, including anyone helping to run the event.
- Apply for a Temporary Events Notice - Barrow area
- Apply for a Temporary Events Notice - Eden area
- Apply for a Temporary Events Notice - South Lakeland area
Traffic Regulation Orders
For most small parties in quiet streets where you need to close a road, all your council needs to know is where and when the road closure will take place so they can plan around it (for example, so emergency services know). They may need to put in place a temporary Traffic Regulation Order.
Apply for permission to close a road for an event or telephone - 0300 373 3300
Insurance
There is no requirement from central government to have public liability insurance but if you think insurance would be a good idea, have a look at the advice on the Street Party website and The Big Lunch website and shop around.
Food
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed that one-off events such as street parties aren't usually considered food businesses, so there are no forms to fill in. However, you must make sure that any food provided is safe to eat
The Royal Voluntary Service is launching an official coronation project 'The Coronation Champions Awards' for volunteers
This is to celebrate millions of unsung heroes who are contributing to their local communities, generously giving their time and their talents to enhance the lives of others.
Volunteers should be over the age of 14 and may have overcome adversity or discovered creative ways to support their local communities within the last five years in one of the following categories:
- Supporting older people
- Supporting young people and children
- Crisis and welfare
- Community
- Sports, culture, and heritage
- Health and care
- Sustainability and the environment
- Animal welfare
If you know a volunteer who is making a difference, please nominate them at - Coronation Champion Awards
The Eden Project is encouraging Coronation Big Lunch organisers to tell them about their event. Add your Coronation Big Lunch to the map
If you would like some activities for your events, there are a range of templates and materials you can print:
Toolkit - Coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort