King Charles III Coronation: Key elements of historic Crowning revealed

King Charles III will officially be crowned in a landmark Coronation ceremony tomorrow, May 6, at the Westminster Abbey in London.

As the hours tick by for the historic occasion, the Royal Family shared an exclusive first look at the Coronation Theatre on their Instagram on May 5, with the caption: “Tomorrow’s Coronation Service will take place in the ‘Coronation Theatre’ at the heart of Westminster Abbey.”

According to the Palace, the ‘key elements of the stage for the first Coronation in almost 70 years’, include the Coronation Chair, the Stone of Destiny, Chairs of Estate, Throne Chairs, and the Cosmati Pavement.

The post also details the importance of each element, starting with the Coronation Chair, which has been the ‘centrepiece of coronations for over 700 years’.

“It (the Coronation Chair) is where His Majesty (King Charles) will sit to be anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to receive the regalia and to be crowned.”

The Stone of Destiny sits under the Coronation Chair, and is considered an ‘ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy’ and has been ‘used for centuries in the inauguration of its Kings’.

The Chairs of Estate, positioned South of the High Altar, is where Her Majesty the Queen Consort Camilla will be crowned. The Chairs of Estate feature the royal cyphers of the Queen and King.

Next in importance are the Throne Chairs, also known as the Chairs of State, and will be where King Charles ‘will receive homage from Archbishop of Canterbury and Prince of Wales (Prince William).

As for the Cosmati Pavement; the Royal Family’s Instagram post shared: “It was laid in 1258 by order of Henry III. The Coronation Chair will be positioned here.”

King Charles’ historic coronation, the first in 70 years, will be held at the Westminster Abbey in London at 11 AM, with hundreds of dignitaries, royal family members, and high profile guests expected to attend.