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royals coronation© Photo: Getty Images

Royals to make history by attending two coronations

King Charles will be crowned at his coronation on 6 May

March 10, 2023
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The royal family are preparing for the King's coronation, with Buckingham Palace sharing details about which crowns the monarch and the Queen Consort will wear, as well as ceremonial details

The historic event will take place on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey, with a concert and street parties to follow the next day and the big help out volunteering event on the Bank Holiday Monday. 

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The last coronation to take place was in 1953 for Queen Elizabeth II, and some members of her family will make history by attending both the late Queen and the new King's coronation. 

The most obvious is King Charles, as he was present at his mother's coronation, despite being only four years old at the time. 

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Prince Charles at Queens coronation in 1953© Photo: Getty Images

Charles sat with the Queen Mother and his aunt, Princess Margaret 

While Charles's sister, Princess Anne, who was just two at the time did not attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, she did appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony with her parents and brother following the service. 

Many of the late Queen's cousins were also present at the service, including the Duke of Kent, who at the age of just 17, was given a prominent role, as he paid homage to the new monarch. 

His younger siblings, Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael of Kent, also attended the coronation, along with their cousin, Prince Richard, who later became the current Duke of Gloucester. 

Princess Anne at Queens coronation 1953© Photo: Getty Images

Anne joined her parents and brother on the balcony

While the guestslist is still to be confirmed, it's likely that the late Queen's cousins will be among the attendees at Charles's coronation. 

While Charles's ceremony will follow many of the traditions seen at his mother Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, there are also expected to be significant differences.

The King's 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".

While the late Queen's was three hours in length, the service for Charles has been cut to 60 minutes. 

There will also be fewer guests than the 8,000 attendees who attended Elizabeth's coronation, with Charles reportedly slashing his guestlist to 2,000 guests. 

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