The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla is happening on Saturday 6^th May 2023.  This historic event is a fantastic chance to learn all about our new King and Queen, to celebrate with our friends and families and to have a bit of a party.

Keep reading to find out more about the Coronation, learn some fascinating facts, and discover our crowning achievement — a list of classroom resources all about King Charles’s big day.  👑
 

What is a Coronation?

UK coronations are a Christian religious ceremony held to recognise a new monarch.  Although many countries around the world also have monarchies (e.g., The Netherlands, Spain, Denmark), the UK is the only European monarchy that still has such a large celebration when a new king or queen is crowned.
 

Do We Need a Coronation?

When the king or queen dies, their successor becomes the new monarch instantly and automatically.  This is called ‘accession’. So, technically, a coronation doesn’t really need to happen at all.  There are lots of reasons why coronations are important though, for example:
- they allow new monarchs to make public promises to God and the people they will serve.
- they give people a chance to celebrate their new ruler with their friends and families.
 

When do Coronations Take Place?

Coronations tend to take place several months after the death of the previous monarch.  This gives everyone in the royal family (and the country) time to mourn. It also gives the coronation organisers time to start planning: a coronation is an enormous event with lots of things to prepare.
 

What Happens During a Coronation?

The UK coronation ceremony has stayed mostly the same for more than 1000 years — it is always held in London’s Westminster Abbey, and it is always the Archbishop of Canterbury who crowns the new sovereign.  Because the most recent coronation was the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, it’s hard to know exactly what will happen at the coronation of King Charles III or future monarchs. However, it’s likely that there will be several ‘parts’:

1. The Procession
   Charles and Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. 
   Once inside the Abbey, they’ll walk from one end to the other while psalms are sung.
    
2. The Recognition
   The Archbishop of Canterbury will present Charles to everyone inside the Abbey.
   Everyone there will shout “God Save the King!” and trumpets will be played.
    
3. The Coronation Oath
   This is the only part of the ceremony that is legally required.  Charles will promise to uphold the law. He will be wearing the red Robe of State.
    
4. The Anointing
   Charles will be seated in the Coronation Chair.  The Archbishop will pour holy oil into the Coronation Spoon and anoint Charles on his hands, chest and head.  This sacred moment is usually hidden from view by covering the monarch with a gold cloth.
    
5. The Investiture
   Charles will now be dressed in the Coronation Regalia — this includes a golden robe, the Sovereign’s Orb and the Sovereign’s Sceptre. Lastly, St Edward’s Crown will be placed on his head as he is crowned.

Because King Charles III’s wife Camilla is Queen Consort, she will be crowned alongside him — this will be done with less fanfare than for the King.

6. The Enthronement & Homage
   King Charles III will now move to sit on The Sovereign’s Throne for the first time.  Senior officials of the country will now pay homage to their new ruler by touching Charles’s knees, swearing allegiance, touching the crown, and kissing Charles’s right hand.  After a change into the purple Robe of Estate and the Imperial State Crown (which isn’t as heavy), Charles will get ready to leave the Abbey.

After the ceremony takes place, there is likely to be another procession through London so that the public can see the newly-crowned King Charles III. 
 

Ten Top Coronation Facts

Here are our ten favourite facts about coronations in the UK:

• Every coronation since 1066 has taken place at Westminster Abbey.
• Two kings were never crowned: Edward V (who reigned for less than 3 months) and Edward VIII (Charles III’s great uncle, who abdicated in 1936 before his coronation).
• Up to 27 million people watched the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 on just 2.5 million TVs — people gathered in houses/pubs or rented TVs for the day.
• Elizabeth II was taken to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach. It weighs four tonnes and needed eight horses to pull it — they were called: Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary and McCreery.
• Over 8000 people from around 130 countries attended Elizabeth II’s Coronation.
  Charles III will only have 2000 people in attendance (for health and safety reasons). 
• The Coronation Chair was made in 1300 and has been used for every coronation in the 700 years since.
• The Coronation Spoon is thought to have been made in the 12^th century — it is the oldest royal item made of gold.
• The Sovereign’s Sceptre and the Imperial State Crown each hold one of the largest clear diamonds in the world: Cullinan I and Cullinan II.
• The Big Help Out is a national day of volunteering on the Coronation Bank Holiday (Monday 8^th May 2023) — it aims to get as many people helping others as possible.
• King Charles III will be 74 years old when he is crowned — no monarch has ever been older at their coronation.
   

Coronation School Activities and Teaching Resources

There’s a cornucopia of coronation cheer to be had with CGP+. We’ve got teaching resources about King Charles III and plenty of other activities to dive into. Here are some of our preferred picks:
 

Life of King Charles III PowerPoint (Years 3-6)

You can use this Powerpoint to teach children all about our newest monarch — it looks at Charles’s upbringing, family life, charity work and his recent accession to the throne.

 

How to Crown a King — Reading Comprehension (Year 2)

Children can learn what to expect on May 6^th with this worksheet.  It runs through all the key moments in the coronation ceremony, testing both fact retrieval and general comprehension skills.
 

Let’s Talk About the Coronation — Photo Discussion Pack (Reception)

Younger learners might prefer this visual approach to learning about the coronation. With pages of high-quality photographs and suggested question prompts, it’s the perfect way to get children talking.
 

Coronation Spelling Challenge — Missing Words Wordsearch (Years 1-2)

For Years 1-2, we have this worksheet which gives children two spelling challenges in one neat resource.  Children will first need to spell the answers to the riddling questions before they then search for their answers in the wordsearch.
 

Coronation Dessert (Years 3-6)

This D&T resource is guaranteed to hit the sweet spot! It walks through everything you’ll need to do to produce a class-load of scrumptious, coronation-themed desserts.

 

Coronation Lines of Symmetry (Years 3-6)

Children can combine their creativity with their maths skills in this fun worksheet. There are several drawings for children to complete using lines of symmetry before they are asked to design their own symmetrical coronation pattern.
 

Coronation Collage (Years 3-6)

Art afficionados rejoice — there’s something for you too on CGP+! Children can take inspiration from Matisse in this coronation collage activity.

 

Extras for the Classroom

If you’re hunting for some colourful coronation displays or some quick activities to hand out, we’ve got you covered. Take a look at our bunting sets, Union flags, colouring in page, wordsearch and crossword.
 

One more thing — keep an eye on our CGP+ Facebook and Instagram pages to stay in the loop with our upcoming resources (or to let us know what you’re getting up to on all of the May bank holidays).

We hope you enjoy the Coronation celebrations with all your nearest and dearest. 🥳