Bookmakers have opened betting on a variety of options for the Coronation of King Charles III taking place on Saturday.
The crowning ceremony of King Charles and Queen Camilla marks the beginning of a new era for British royalty. It reign of King Charles III represents a modernised and scaled down monarchy. The King has recognised today’s tough economic climate and as a start, the ceremony at Westminster Abbey will be much simpler than the last one in 1953 when his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, ascended to the British throne.
The King has already started to implement his action plan to streamline the Royal Family and adapt it to modern times. During the last coronation, Westminster Abbey was crammed with just over 8000 guests. However the King’s efforts to be more economical and appear more sensitive to the citizens of the UK, many of whom are struggling to pay basic bills and battle with the cost of living – he has invited 2000 guests to a shorter and less expensive ceremony.
The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look toward the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry.” Official statement from Buckingham Palace
It is interesting to note that many people did not own a tv in 1953, but there were 20 million viewers who watched the Coronation ceremony. 70 years later, it is estimated that up to 27 million viewers will watch the ceremony.
A recent poll for BBC Panorama was carried out to give a picture of people’s opinion of the monarch. The conclusion was that “58 percent of people asked said they wanted to keep the monarchy while 26 percent said they wanted an elected leader instead, and 16 percent said they did not really care.”
What will they be wearing?
The ceremony promises a colourful and vibrant spectacle.
The dress code is formal day wear.
The choice of clothes is a guarded secret, although the Palace offered a peek of the embroidery on Queen Camilla’s gown.
Literally, the day will be a big burden on the King’s shoulders.
King Charles will wear layers of glittering, golden robes, many of which were created for his royal ancestors.
Prince William will assist his father with the robes during the ceremony. When he is crowned, he will wear the Supertunica. It is made of gold and weighs around 2 kgs. The Imperial Mantle will be worn over the Supertunica. It weighs 4 kg. His crown weighs over 2 kilos.
The Sword of Offering will be clipped to his waist and symbolises wisdom to make decisions between good and evil. He will hold a sceptre during the crowning. On leaving Westminster Abbey, the King will wear the purple ‘Robe of Estate‘.
Bookies are giving odds on what the main protagonists are likely to be wearing. Here is what is most likely:
King Charles – clothes likely to be tailored by Ede & Ravenscroft
Queen Camilla – likely to be dressed by Bruce Oldfield. Consideration has been given to the tough economic times and she will not wear the most luxurious tiara. Instead it has been confirmed that she will wear the more discreet crown that belonged to Queen Mary’s with 2,200 diamonds valued at ‘only’ £400 million. The money is on Camilla wearing white
Princess of Wales – likely to be wearing Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen with Jenny Packham as an alternative, and the money is on blue with her wearing a hat rather than a tiara and the late Princess Diana’s sapphires.
Princess Anne will wear her military uniform.
Harry and Megan – will they or won’t they?
Harry and Megan are somewhat overshadowing the King’s coronation. The saga and alleged family feuds have dominated the headlines since the couple’s marriage in 2018.
A number of reliable sources have confirmed that Harry will definitely attend the ceremony at Westminster, but will Megan be joining him or won’t she? Harry being at the Coronation is one of the safest bets so far.
It is therefore safe to assume that Harry will be there but following the publication of his book ‘Spare‘ and the couple’s controversial Netflix docuseries, their relationship with the family has soured and taken a downhill turn. The couple are not even covered by State security as they may not even have access to a safe place in the UK since they have allegedly been evicted from Frogmore Cottage, their grace and favour residence on the King’s Windsor Estate.
Some more bookies’ odds:
- Harry To Attend the Westminster Abbey Coronation of King Charles III-2500
- Harry & Meghan to relocate permanently to U.K. In 2023; +2000
Appearance on the Balcony
Who will wave from the Buckingham Palace balcony with the new king and queen? The obvious ones are the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family. The coronation odds suggest that Prince Edward and Princess Anne will most likely appear. These are the most popular bookies’ odds.
- Prince Edward; -10000
- Princess Anne; -10000
- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh – 8000
- Timothy Laurence; -8000
- Duke Of Kent; -5000
- Princess Alexandra; -2500
- Prince Harry; +800
- Prince Andrew; +1000
- Zara Tindall; +1500
- Peter Phillips; +2000
Royal watchers are curious about the possible appearance of Andrew, one of the king’s younger brothers. A number of alleged sexual abuse scandals and his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have forced him to keep a low profile and step back from his royal duties. It is therefore unlikely that he will waving from the balcony.
Prince Edward, the current Duke of Edinburgh, spent a lot of time with the late Queen Elizabeth II. In the same way the Duke of Kent is also a long-time working royal and the cousin of the late Queen. There’s a very good chance that they’ll both appear on the balcony. In the same way the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra are both over 80 years old. This means that there is a very good chance that they will both be included on the royal balcony to wave to the ‘country’ and the rest of the world.
Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, and her husband, former sportsman Mike Tindall will not be waving from the balcony either according to The Mirror newspaper.
And the menu of the day
Coronation Quiche of course. In 1953, it was Coronation Chicken !
The recipe for the official Coronation Quiche was chosen and released by the King. It will be served to guests at the Coronation lunch in Buckingham Palace after the ceremony.
People who have tried the quiche recipe have commented on social media that it is more like a spinach pie and prefer the 1953 Coronation Chicken created by celebrity chefs Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume from the Cordon Bleu Cookery School.
Trivia – History in the making
The ceremony will take place on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey in London During the ceremony, Camilla will be crowned alongside her second husband King Charles III. She will be the King’s second wife.
Queen Elizabeth was the longest reigning monarch in the UK. However it is likely that King Charles will be one of the shortest reigning monarchs. The King is 74, and Camilla is 75. This makes them the oldest King and Queen crowned in British history.
Camilla currently styled as Queen Consort, will drop the word ‘consort’ and her formal title she will be Her Majesty the Queen.
Dozens of world leaders, but not US President Joe Biden, are expected to be among the 2,000 attendees at the service.
Queen Elizabeth II stopped wearing fur in 2019, so no ermine for King Charles or Queen Camilla !
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