When Was Coronation Day 2023 in the UK?

On Saturday, May 6, 2023, Charles III was crowned monarch of the United Kingdom in Westminster Abbey, London.

Was The Coronation of King Charles III a Public Holiday?

The date of the Coronation, May 6, was not a public holiday. A national bank holiday (the common term for all non-weekend public holidays in the UK) was declared on Monday, May 8 to mark the coronation.

But not all communities honored the extra day off. In Scotland, local authorities could choose whether to declare a bank holiday, and leaders in the Scottish archipelago of Shetland opted out for May 8, citing costs among other concerns.

NEWS: New Holidays for King Charles III >

Operation Golden Orb

The coronation of the new King and Camilla Parker Bowles as Queen on May 6 set off a series of festive events around the United Kingdom, organized under the code name “Operation Golden Orb.”

Pomp and Circumstance

Since 1066, Westminster Abbey has been the setting for the coronation ceremony of nearly every British monarch. On May 6, 2023, the Archbishop of Canterbury led the elaborate crowning ceremony under the gothic arches of the central London landmark, broadcast live on the BBC.

During the ritual, Charles recited the Coronation Oath and was crowned with the historic St. Edward´s Crown—made up of a gold frame set with precious gems.

Surprisingly, coronations are not actually a requirement for a monarch. Technically, Charles became King upon the death of his Mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

A Modern Take

According to the press office at Buckingham Palace, the new King hopes to embrace both tradition and a modern view of royalty. In an official statement, it was said the ceremony was designed to “reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long standing traditions and pageantry.”

In keeping with this more streamlined, contemporary view of the monarchy, King Charles´ coronation procession was shorter and smaller than his mother´s, which boasted 16,000 participants along a 7 km route.

The Big Lunch and Help Out

On May 7, the Coronation Big Lunch took place, featuring street parties in towns and cities across the nations of the UK. Later that evening, the Coronation Concert and a laser light show was held at Windsor Castle.

A major theme of the new King´s celebrations was volunteerism. To encourage more people to get involved in community service, major non-profit coalitions organized the Big Help Out campaign, hoping to get people to use the bank holiday of May 8 as a day to contribute to local causes.

In addition, the Royal Voluntary Service awarded the Coronation Champions Award to draw attention to local citizens helping their communities. Her Majesty The Queen Consort issued a statement applauding the Awards as a way “to shine a light on the herculean efforts of our nation’s volunteers. Up and down the country, millions of unsung heroes are contributing to their local communities, giving generously of their time and their talents to enhance the lives of others.”

The Coronation of King Charles III was only observed in the year 2023.

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.