The royal family’s decision to hold King Charles III’s coronation on the same day as his grandson Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s fourth birthday is “not a snub,” but rather a “happy coincidence,” a royal expert has claimed.
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced that the new British ruler will be crowned on Saturday 6 May 2023 in Westminster Abbey, eight months after his accession to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
According to the palace, the historic ceremony, which will also see Queen Consort Camilla crowned alongside her husband, will be “rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry” and will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”.
As noted by many royal fans, the coronation date coincides with the birthday of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s three-year-old son Archie. The realisation prompted mixed reactions, with some speculating that the choice of date was an intentional attempt to steal “spotlight” from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, while others claimed it is a “lovely gesture” for the coronation to be held on Archie’s birthday.
Journalist and royal expert Katie Nicholl said the overlapping celebrations are nothing more than a “happy coincidence,” telling Entertainment Tonight that the decision to hold the coronation on the toddler’s birthday is “definitely not a snub”.
“Well, having the coronation on Archie’s birthday is definitely not a snub. I think it’s very much a happy coincidence,” she told the outlet. “Obviously, a huge amount of planning has to go into an important moment in history, such as a coronation, and the royal calendar is full of anniversaries and birthdays, so I think this is absolutely one of those occasions where it’s a coincidence and hopefully a happy coincidence.”
On social media, royal fans also pointed out that the date of Charles’ upcoming coronation has historical significance, as it is a homage to the King’s great-grandfather’s ascension to the throne. King George V became King on 6 May 1910, while his coronation was held on 22 June 1911.
Notably, Charles III’s upcoming coronation does break from tradition slightly. Coronations have not traditionally been held on a weekend. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation took place on June 2 1953.
As for whether Harry and Meghan will be in attendance at the King’s coronation, it is currently unknown. Though. Nicholl said that the couple will “of course” be receiving an invitation.
“We haven’t got any official details on the guest list, but I’m hearing they are likely to be invited along with other senior and extended family members,” she said. “Whether or not we see them there - we have to wait and see, but it’s my understanding they will be, of course, receiving an invitation to the coronation. It remains to be seen whether or not they attend. But of course, it will be down to the Sussexes to make the ultimate decision as to whether they’re going to come over for King Charles’ coronation on May the 6th.”
While it has not been confirmed whether the duke and duchess will travel to the UK for the King’s coronation, it is expected that the ceremony will be smaller than those in the past, with guest numbers reduced from 8,000 to 2,000.
The ceremony is also expected to be shortened from three hours to just one hour, and feature a more relaxed dress code, with peers expected to wear suits and dresses instead of ceremonial robes.
“It will feel different from the Queen’s coronation and it will look very different to the Queen’s coronation,” Nicholl, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent, said.
Despite the more scaled-back ceremony, Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight there will still be “plenty of spectacle, pomp and all the pageantry you can expect for a ceremony that is really nearly 1,000 years old”.
Meghan and Harry reunited with the royal family in the UK last month following the death of Elizabeth II on 8 September. After an extended mourning period, during which the couple attended multiple memorial services alongside Harry’s family, the duke and duchess returned to their home in California the day after the late monarch’s funeral.
While the couple was not joined in the UK by their son and daughter Lilibet, one, there have been ongoing conversations about whether the King’s grandchildren will receive royal titles.
The Independent has contacted a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace and a spokesperson for the Sussexes for comment.
