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Celebrating the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III

Celebrating the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III

 

Following the passing of his ‘darling Mama’, Charles, the Prince of Wales acceded to the throne and became King Charles III. Here, we look at how the coronation of the new king will be celebrated.

Compared to the coronation of his mother, the ceremony of King Charles’ will, according to the Palace, “reflect the monarch’s role today”. However, the Palace has also commented that the Coronation will “look towards the future while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.” What this looks like, we will find out on the day but we do know that the King and his wife will both be crowned in Westminster Abbey.

The Coronation weekend

The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla as the King and Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms will take place on Saturday May 6th 2023, 8 months after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. As the Queen was our longest reigning monarch, very few of us have experienced a coronation, but this is what we know about King Charles’ historic day.

The coronation will take place in the morning, and after the ceremony, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the couple is likely to return to Buckingham Palace in a large ceremonial procession. This procession is known as ‘The Coronation Procession’ and it may involve other senior members of the Royal Family. Unless the new King breaks from tradition, we can expect a balcony appearance from the family at the end of the day.

The Coronation will continue to be celebrated across the weekend, with a Coronation Concert due to take place at Windsor Castle on Sunday May 7th. During the concert, iconic UK locations will be illuminated with projectors, lasers, and drone displays to mark the event. A Coronation Big Lunch is also scheduled which will see communities up and down the country celebrating with street parties and community gatherings.

Monday the 8th May has been proclaimed a Bank Holiday and local communities have been invited to take part in the Big Help Out initiative, whose aim is to create a legacy of volunteering.

Royal Coronation Memorabilia

While the passing of the Queen led to a rise in sales of royal memorabilia, it also paved the way for the creation of memorabilia to mark the new King’s coronation which will become the antique collectables of the future. But what should you invest in now?

Coins and stamps

Coins bearing the King’s portrait are not yet in circulation but the Royal Mint has issued a commemorative set of uncirculated coins which we predict could become a collectable antique in years to come.  Uncirculated coins are always valued more highly than those that have been used but for the novice collector, amassing a set of coins with the newly crowned King’s head, is an easy way to start a collection. Stamps with the King’s head will not be widely circulated until those with the Queen’s likeness have been used, as requested by the King. Royal Mail has issued a commemorative cover featuring the date that Charles was proclaimed king as well as a gold plated coin.

Items portraying the coronation emblem

The King’s official coronation emblem, designed by Sir Jony Ive, features the colours of the Union Flag. It depicts the national flora of England (the rose), Scotland (the thistle), Wales (the daffodil), and Ireland (the shamrock) in the shape of St Edward’s Crown, the crown that will be used in the coronation ceremony. This emblem will feature on items of official memorabilia such as mugs, porcelain and tea towels! As these items are mass produced, they will be readily available for collectors, but you may have to wait a long time to see a return on your investment.

As we discussed in our guide to Royal Memorabilia the age, condition and rarity of an item will impact on its value. Souvenirs of King Charles’ coronation may well increase in value over the years, in particular those produced in limited numbers or made from precious metals that will themselves increase in value. However the majority of items will be important simply for what they are commemorating, rather than in any intrinsic value. So, for now, let us simply enjoy being witness to this historic occasion.

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