On May 6^th, the world will see the new King of England, Charles III, be coronated at Westminster Abbey.

Rooted historically in religious ceremony, a coronation is a grand, regal celebratory event in which the monarch is presented with special royal objects, such as jewels and sceptres, and the crown is placed upon their head in front of the nation, or world if televised.  King Charles III will be the first coronation since our late Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Traditionally a coronation has consisted of six phases: recognition, oath, anointing, investiture (crowning), enthronement and the homage. King Charles will swear to uphold the law and Church of England. The service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, which has been a long standing duty for the position holder since 1066.

The ceremony is due to begin at 11am, following a royal procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. The Queen’s coronation in 1953 lasted approximately 3 hours, however it is rumoured that King Charles’ ceremony will be shorter. The King and future Queen Camilla will then proceed back to the palace where they will be joined by family members on the balcony.

The event will be broadcast on TV through Sky News, Sky Showcase, YouTube, Freeview channel 233, Virgin channel 603, BT channel 313 and Saorview channel 23. It will also be publicly broadcast at more than 50 large screen sites across the UK.

Many communities will be hosting local street parties too.

The Big Help Out 

On the Monday after the coronation, Monday 8^th May, there will be a national bank holiday in which people are encouraged to take part in The Big Help Out.

Thousands of organisations across the country are getting together to give us all a chance to help out in our own local communities. The hope is that no matter what you’re good at or what skills you have, there will be something you can do to help, and perhaps turn this into a regular or semi-regular volunteering slot.

Oasis is getting involved too – so why not check out your local Hub to find out if they could use a hand!

For more opportunities check out the Big Help Out website or download the app.