King Charles III to be crowned May 6 next year, Buckingham palace says

Charles will be crowned in a solemn religious ceremony conducted by Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury

King Charles III will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a ceremony that will embrace the past but look to the modern world after the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Tuesday’s announcement from Buckingham Palace comes amid speculation that the coronation will be shorter and less extravagant than the three-hour ceremony that installed Elizabeth in 1953, in keeping with Charles’ plans for a slimmed-down monarchy. While the palace provided few details, British media reported that the guest list would be pared to 2,000 from 8,000.

Charles will be crowned in a solemn religious ceremony conducted by Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, the palace said in a statement. Camilla, the queen consort, will be crowned alongside her husband.

“The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,’’ the palace said.

Charles will be anointed with holy oil before receiving the orb, scepter and coronation ring. Camilla will also be anointed with holy oil and crowned, as was Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

The palace is planning the coronation, known as Operation Golden Orb, as Charles and his heir, Prince William, seek to demonstrate that the monarchy is still relevant in modern, multi-cultural Britain. While there was widespread respect for Elizabeth, as demonstrated by the tens of thousands of people who waited hours to file past her coffin, there is no guarantee that reverence will transfer to Charles.

Organisers should be shooting for a ceremony that’s about an hour long, in line with last month’s “immensely moving” funeral for the queen, said royal historian Robert Lacey, author of “Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor.”