London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Crowns and carriages: New details of Charles and Camilla's coronation

Crowns and carriages: New details of Charles and Camilla's coronation

King Charles III plans to take a shortcut and smoother ride to Westminster Abbey for his coronation next Monday, trimming the procession route his mother took in 1953 as he aims for a more modest event that will include some modern touches, according to Buckingham Palace.

The lower-key ceremony on Saturday 6 May will still be steeped in ancient traditions and adorned with royal regalia from the Crown Jewels, but will also feature its own bespoke emoji, reflecting the first British crowning of the social media era. Queen Elizabeth II's was the first coronation televised 70 years ago.

In one break with tradition, Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, will roll out of Buckingham Palace in the horse-drawn gilded black Diamond Jubilee State Coach built for Elizabeth's 60th anniversary. It has heat, air conditioning, power windows and a suspension system that will provide a comfier ride than his mother's accommodations for her enthronement.

The two-kilometre route is a bit shorter than the one Elizabeth took to the royal church. The procession will go through Admiralty Arch; past Trafalgar Square and a statue of Charles I, the monarch beheaded in 1649; and by the houses of Parliament before arriving for the 11:00 BST religious service.

While Charles wants to show the monarchy is still relevant in modern, multicultural Britain, he has said he plans to slim down the institution. The coronation is expected to reflect that with a shorter, less extravagant ceremony than the three-hour service that installed Elizabeth II.

Still, much of the priceless coronation regalia used for centuries will be part of crowning both Charles and Camilla, including five symbolic swords, two sceptres and the Sovereign’s Ring of Sapphire with a ruby cross set in diamonds.

Camilla, who will wear Queen Mary’s Crown, will hold a controversial sceptre made of ivory. Britain has a near-total ban on dealing elephant ivory products and Prince William, heir to the throne, has campaigned against illegal animal part trafficking.

During the solemn ceremony conducted by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles will be crowned the king with the St. Edward’s Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels viewed by millions of people every year at the Tower of London.

FILE: The Gold State Coach on display at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace, London, Tuesday April 4, 2023.


The crown, which is the inspiration for the coronation emoji, features a 2.2kg solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnets, topazes and tourmalines and has a purple velvet cap and ermine band. It was worn by Elizabeth during her coronation and has been refitted for her son.

At the end of the ceremony, Charles will switch to the lighter Imperial State Crown for the procession back to the palace.

Unlike the eight-kilometre route Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip took around London in 1953, Charles and Camilla will return the way they came, but in a 260-year-old carriage used in every coronation since William IV’s in 1831.

The Gold State Coach, which weighs 4,000kg and is pulled by eight horses, is known for its notoriously rough ride.

Elizabeth described it as “horrible,” Queen Victoria complained of its “distressing oscillation," and William IV -- known as the Sailor King -- said it was like “being aboard a ship tossing in a rough sea.”

“When you’re following it, you can hear it creaking so it sounds like an old galleon going along," said Martin Oates, who helped restore it and walks behind as the brakeman. “It’s not quite a washing machine, but where other vehicles just go from back to front, this is moving from side to side.”

The gilded coach is so heavy, it can only move at a walking pace. That should provide more time for people along the route to see the newly crowned king and queen.

Military troops on parade will salute the king and queen at Buckingham Palace Gardens, followed by three cheers from service members.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×