King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will be crowned at their coronation on Saturday 6 May. The couple will be joined by hundreds of guests at Westminster Abbey, including senior members of the royal family, politicians and celebrities. The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct the ceremony.
While the venue can seat up to 2,200 guests, it is unknown how many invites Buckingham Palace has sent out, and many attendees won’t be confirmed until the actual day of the event.
There has been controversy in the build-up to the coronation weekend as speculation mounts over whether the Duke and Duchess will be in attendance. In February, a representative for the couple confirmed that they had received email correspondence on behalf of the king, but it’s still uncertain whether they have accepted the invitation.
The Royals
Prince William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales
As heir to the throne, William and his wife Kate will be in attendance, and will likely be very close to the King and Queen Consort throughout the day. They are expected to follow behind the monarch and his wife in the royal procession with their children, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four.
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York
There have been calls for the disgraced Prince Andrew to be absent from the coronation events after he stepped down as a working royal over his association with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Last year, he reached a multi-million pound settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her while she was underage. Andrew vehemently denies the allegations.
Andrew was present at both Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, so it is likely he will be present at the coronation, but it is not yet understood to what extent he will be involved in the procession.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York
Sarah Ferguson has previously revealed that she has not yet been invited to King Charles III’s coronation. During an event in New York City on Monday (6 March) to promote her new romance novel, A Most Intriguing Lady, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife told host Glamour magazine editor Samantha Barry about her relationship with the royal family.
Speaking at the event, Ferguson quipped that her attendance at the King’s coronation on 6 May was “TBD”, which means “to be decided”.
“The invitations haven’t gone out yet, have they?” she asked, reports MailOnline.
She insisted that whether she receives an invite or not, she will be celebrating King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla’s coronation.
The Duchess of York added that she could instead “set up a tea room at the bottom of the drive with bunting and cakes”.
Maybe: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Following the fallout from Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, it is thought that relations between senior members of the royal family and the Sussexes are fraught. While an invitation has been extended by King Charles, it is unclear whether the pair will accept it.
During the release of the memoir, Harry said: “There’s a lot that can happen between now and then. But the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they’re willing to sit down and talk about it.”
The event falls on the same day as their son Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, which could be a factor in why they may not attend.
If they do choose to accept the invitation, they may not be included in the formal procession since the pair stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
Maybe: Prince Archie and Princess Lilbet
While their parents, Harry and Meghan, have confirmed they have been invited, it is uncertain whether the children of the pair have received invitations.
Zara and Mike Tindall
Zara Tindall, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and niece of King Charles III, will likely be attending the coronation with her husband Mike, who recently appeared on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. She is 20th in the line of succession to the British throne.
The celebrities
It is expected that celebrities who were invited to events like the Queen’s funeral, Platinum Jubilee and recent royal weddings, may be in attendance at Charles’ crowning.
Bear Grylls
Adventurer Bear Grylls was awarded an OBE by the Queen in 2019 and attended her funeral last year.
After, Grylls tweeted: "It’s a day we will never forget… a truly beautiful testament to our Nation’s Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Rest in Peace. Your duty done. Long Live King Charles…"
It’s expected he will receive an invite to the coronation celebrations.
David and Victoria Beckham
The footballer and his former Spice Girl wife Victoria attended both Prince William and Prince Harry’s weddings, so it’s expected they will receive an invite to the King’s coronation too.
Sandra Oh
Killing Eve actor Sandra Oh attended the Queen’s funeral as a part of the Canadian delegation. She was present as a member of the Order of Canada alongside musicians Gregory Charles and Olympic gold medallist swimmer Mark Tewksbury. It could be likely that she represents the same role at the coronation.
