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How King Charles' coronation breaks from tradition from the Queen's

The crowning of King Charles III will take place on 6 May

Updated: March 3, 2023
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When the date for King Charles III's coronation was confirmed, many royal-watchers were surprised to see the historic moment fall on a weekend.

The coronation, which will take place on 6 May, breaks tradition from previous occasions which have often taken place on a weekday.

WATCH: Everything you need to know about King Charles' coronation

The late Queen Elizabeth II was coronated in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 2 June 1953 while her father George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth (also known as The Queen Mother) were crowned on Wednesday 12 May 1937.

Prior to this, Charles great-grandfather King George V and Queen Mary of Teck held theirs on Thursday 22 June 1911. Although, Queen Victoria's son Edward VII was the last British monarch to hold his coronation over the weekend - Saturday, 9 August 1902.

Meanwhile, there are more significant differences between the King's ceremony and that of his late mother. Charles' modernised coronation is expected to be a "reflection" of the monarch's role in today's society while being "rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry".

DON'T MISS: King Charles III's coronation - what is the schedule of the day?

charles and camilla© Photo: Getty Images

The crowning of King Charles will take place on 6 May

Unlike the late Queen's grandiose coronation ceremony which cost around £1.57million, King Charles' big day is set to be a slimmed-down affair without the extravagant trappings witnessed in the past.

He has reportedly slashed his guestlist to just 2,000 guests. For context, the late Queen's coronation was attended by 8,250 guests.

READ: All you need to know about St Edward's Crown ahead of King Charles III's coronation

Queen Elizabeth II's grand procession also featured more than 40,000 UK and Commonwealth service personnel and 24 marching military bands.

queen coronation© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen's coronation took place on Tuesday 2 June 1953

Given that Britain's Armed Forces are shrinking at an alarming rate, the size of Charles' procession is likely to be much smaller.

Finally, in terms of the religious service itself, Charles' coronation has been cut down to a mere 60 minutes - compared to the late Queen's lengthy four-hour service.

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