London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 22, 2026

Rishi Sunak, Wife Akshata To Lead With UK Flag At King Charles' Coronation

Rishi Sunak, Wife Akshata To Lead With UK Flag At King Charles' Coronation

In a series of details, the Buckingham Palace also confirmed that Indian-origin peers will be participating in the ceremony.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty will be at the head of a procession of flag-bearers as the UK's flag is carried by a high-ranking Royal Air Force (RAF) cadet at the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

In a series of details released around the ceremonial roles to be carried out at the historic event when the 74-year-old monarch is formally crowned along with wife Camilla, the palace also confirmed that Indian-origin peers will be participating in the ceremony.

They will represent the Hindu, Sikh and Muslim faiths as they hand over key elements of the royal regalia to King Charles. In keeping with this theme of diversity and inclusion for the Christian ceremony, one of the first processions into the Abbey will be made up of faith representatives of different religions.

"The first processions into Westminster Abbey will be made up of faith leaders and faith representatives followed shortly afterwards by representatives from His Majesty's Realms," the palace said.

"Flags of each Realm will be carried by national representatives accompanied by the Governors General and Prime Ministers. Bearing the flag of the United Kingdom ahead of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Mrs Akshata Murty will be Cadet Warrant Officer Elliott Tyson-Lee,” it said.

The ceremonial roles on the day include bearing the regalia in the procession and presenting the items to the King and Queen on the day. As previously revealed, Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, will represent the Hindu faith and hand over the Sovereign's Ring to Charles.

While Lord Indrajit Singh, 90, will represent the Sikh faith and present the Coronation Glove, Lord Syed Kamall, 56, of Indo-Guyanese heritage, will represent the Muslim faith and present the Armills or a pair of bracelets. Baroness Gillian Merron, 64, who is Jewish, will carry the Robe Royal to the King.

The palace said that those undertaking these historic roles in the Coronation Service have been chosen to "recognise, thank and represent the nation due to their significant service, and include representatives from Orders of Chivalry, the military and wider public life".

Those presenting the regalia have been chosen on the advice of the British government and will be directed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Reverend Justin Welby, as he presides over the ceremony.

"I feel honoured and privileged to be part of the historic Coronation ceremony. To be selected to carry the Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove, which represents spirituality, equity and mercy, is for me very symbolic as it's everything I stand for and sends out a clear message that diversity and inclusion is being embraced," said Baroness Floella Benjamin, a Trinidad and Tobago-born former children's TV presenter, who will be carrying the Sceptre with the Dove to the altar.

The ceremony will not only include dukes, bishops, peers and retired generals but also a farmer named Francis Dymoke, who will act as the King's Champion on the day in a ceremony steeped in royal tradition dating back to the 11th century.

“The title of King or Queen's Champion has been held by the Dymoke family since the Middle Ages. The King's Champion would previously ride on horseback into the Coronation Banquet and challenge any who doubted the right of The King or Queen to the throne,” the palace revealed.

“There has not been a Coronation Banquet since that held by King George IV in 1821 so the Champion has instead undertaken a different role since, usually bearing a flag or Royal Standard,” it noted.

The palace has been unveiling details around next week's grand ceremony, which marks a Coronation ceremony in Britain after a gap of 70 years since Charles' mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned monarch in 1953.

Processions involving gilded horse-drawn carriages and thousands of military personnel will mark the day on May 6, followed by a long weekend of celebrations involving a gala concert, street parties and pomp and pageantry.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs Onto Gas to Lower Household Bills
Housebuilding Across Scotland Plummets to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Pledges to Tackle National Housing Emergency
Greggs Announces Factory Closures Across Northern England and Scotland Affecting Seven Hundred Forty Jobs
United Kingdom and Singapore Conclude Eleventh Financial Dialogue in Singapore to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Finance and Capital Markets
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs to Gas Bills and Tap Windfall Profits to Lower Consumer Prices
British Broadcasting Corporation Announces Major Cost-Cutting Overhaul to Close Linear Broadcast Services for Television Channels BBC Three and BBC Scotland Alongside Digital Radio Station BBC Radio Four Extra
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
Ministry of Defence Prepares Heat Pump Subsidy Cuts to Fund Urgent Military Modernization
British and European Union Officials Schedule Long-Awaited Bilateral Leaders Summit for November Twentieth
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Urges Strict Fiscal Credibility to Protect British Bond Markets
United Kingdom Inflation Rises to Three Point One Percent Driven by Escalating Fuel Costs
Profit Warnings Among London-Listed Companies Reach Two-Year High Amid Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Signals Targeted Tax Changes on Banks and London Corporate Offices Ahead of Budget
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
×