King Charles III's Coronation: The Exclusive Guest List Unveiled

Here's a list of guests set to attend the crowning ceremony on May 6, ranging from King Charles and Queen Camilla's inner circle to foreign monarchs.

By Khushi Srivastava

Updated on May 06, 2023 | 01:24 AM IST | 369.9K

King Charles’s Coronation guest list

On May 6th, Westminster Abbey will host a grand ceremony to crown King Charles and Queen Camilla, with dignitaries from around the world invited to witness this historic event. While US President Joe Biden won't attend, over 100 other heads of state will be present, along with UK parliamentarians, celebrities, and representatives from various communities and charities. The invitation, adorned with a beautifully hand-painted watercolour and gouache illustration, emphasises the exclusive nature of the guest list, which includes 2,300 individuals. Many guests from different parts of the globe will be travelling to London to witness this historic occasion, and here, we have listed all of those who will attend the coronation.

What is Coronation?

King Charles’s Coronation guest list

A coronation is a significant ceremony that invests a monarch with their regal powers, featuring grand celebrations and the presentation of royal ceremonial objects, including the Crown Jewels. The crown is placed on the sovereign's head during the ceremony, which takes place in front of numerous esteemed guests. While the objects used in coronations may have changed over time, the English coronation of monarchs has remained largely consistent for almost a millennium. This year, the world will witness the coronation of King Charles III, the first coronation of a sovereign in the United Kingdom since Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

When is the Coronation and what will happen?

The Coronation service is scheduled to commence at 11 am on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey. Following the ceremony, a series of events, including a concert at Windsor Castle, will take place over the weekend. The King and Queen Consort will embark on The King's Procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will conduct the service, during which Their Majesties will be crowned at the Abbey in London. Buckingham Palace has stated that the ceremony will honour the monarch's current role and vision for the future while still adhering to long-standing traditions and pageantry.

The Palace has emphasised that the Coronation is a solemn religious service as well as a time for celebration and pageantry, with a structure that has remained consistent for over a millennium.

The upcoming Coronation is expected to retain its core elements while reflecting the spirit of the times. Westminster Abbey has been the site of the ceremony for the past 900 years, with the Archbishop of Canterbury presiding over the service almost continuously since 1066.

Coronation will include numerous ceremonies that were previously seen during the late Queen's reign, including the oath, anointing, homage, and enthronement. King Charles III will be officially crowned with the crown of St Edward placed on his head, while sitting on the Coronation Chair, also known as Edward's Chair. He will hold the sovereign's sceptre and rod, representing his control over the nation, and the sovereign's orb, symbolising the Christian world.

However, unlike the 1953 Coronation of his mother, the anointing of the King will take place out of sight, behind a three-sided screen instead of just a canopy. This new addition to the ceremony is a tribute to the Commonwealth and the King's commitment to sustainability. The service has also been planned to be more inclusive of different faiths and community groups, reflecting the ethnic diversity of modern Britain as per the King's wish.

King Charles III will be the first monarch to publicly pray during his Coronation service. He will ask to be a "blessing" to people "of every faith and conviction". While over 8,000 guests from 129 countries attended the late Queen's coronation, the event this year will be limited to 2,000 due to health and safety restrictions.

The King wishes for a diverse congregation to witness the ceremony and has invited representatives from his numerous charity affiliations and the voluntary sector. However, only a few Members of Parliament and peers have been invited to the event.

King Charles’s Coronation guest list

The coronation of King Charles III is scheduled for this weekend, and while initial reports suggested a scaled-down service, the guest list is steadily growing. Here, we provide a detailed list of all the attendees expected to be present at the ceremony on May 6th.

The British royal family

The upcoming coronation ceremony will have members of the House of Windsor in attendance. These members include Princess Anne, who is Charles's sister, his son Prince William and daughter-in-law Catherine, who is the Princess of Wales. Additionally, Prince George, his grandson, will be a page of honor at the ceremony. Although Prince Harry will attend, his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will not be present at the event.

All the members of the British royal family who are expected to attend:

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, with their children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis
Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence
Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, along with their children: Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex
Prince Andrew
Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank
Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike Tindall
Peter Phillips
Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent
Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Alexandra
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
Lady Sarah Chatto (Princess Margaret's daughter) and her husband, Daniel Chatto
David Armstrong Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (Princess Margaret's son)

Foreign royals

Traditionally, other crowned heads of state do not attend the coronation ceremony. However, numerous foreign monarchs are anticipated to be present at King Charles' coronation. During Queen Elizabeth's coronation, Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga was one of the few foreign monarchs who attended. At present, several monarchs have confirmed their attendance. Here’s the list:

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco
Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
King Carl XVI Gustav and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
Queen Anne-Marie and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
King Tuheitia and Makau Ariki Atawhai, Māori royals of New Zealand
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida of Thailand
King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u of Tonga
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Lady Julia, Ashanti royals of Ghana
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan
Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku of Malaysia
Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
King Hamad of Bahrain
Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait
King Mswati III of Eswatini
King Letsie III and Queen Masenate of Lesotho
Prince Turki bin Muhammad Al Saud of Saudi Arabia
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar
Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said of Oman
Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco

Queen Camilla's family

While Queen Camilla's family has not made any public announcements about their attendance, it is highly likely that her children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, along with their respective families, will be present at the event. Also expected to attend are her sister Annabel Elliot, her nieces Alice Irwin, Katie Elliot, and Ayesha Shand, and her nephew Ben Elliot. Additionally, three of her grandsons and one of her grand-nephews will serve as pages of honour. Her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, is also on the guest list.

The upcoming coronation ceremony will reportedly be attended by various members of the Princess of Wales's family, including:

Carole Middleton (mother)
Michael Middleton (father)
Pippa Middleton (sister) and her husband James Matthews
James Middleton (brother) and his wife Alizee Thevenet

The family's presence is expected to add to the grandeur of the event.

UK leaders, British MPs, and peers

According to a report by The Telegraph, the guest list for the coronation ceremony is not yet public, but it is said that only 40 Members of Parliament (MPs) and 40 peers will be in attendance. While the confirmed attendees have not been fully disclosed, some names have been announced.

Rishi Sunak, the UK's Prime Minister, and his wife Akshata Murthy will both attend the Coronation.
According to The Daily Mail, no other Cabinet members will be given a plus one.
Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, is expected to attend.
Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, is also on the guest list.
Nicholas Lyons, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, will attend the Coronation.
Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, expressed his excitement on Twitter for being one of the few Members of Parliament who won the ballot to represent the House of Commons.
Andrew Carter, MP for Warrington South, is also expected to attend.
Brendan O'Hara, MP for Argyll and Bute, is on the guest list.
Ian Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye & Lochaber, will attend the Coronation.
Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin vice-president, is also expected to attend.
Alex Maskey, the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, is on the guest list.
Lesley Hogg, the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Assembly, will also attend.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, is expected to attend the Coronation.

List of cabinet members:

Oliver Dowden - Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Jeremy Hunt - Chancellor
James Cleverly - Foreign Secretary
Suella Braverman - Home Secretary
Ben Wallace - Defence Secretary
Michelle Donelan - Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary
Michael Gove - Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary
Steve Barclay - Health Secretary
Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the Commons
Kemi Badenoch - Business and Trade Secretary
Therese Coffey - Environment Secretary
Mel Stride - Work and Pensions Secretary
Gillian Keegan - Education Secretary
Mark Harper - Transport Secretary
Alex Chalk - Justice Secretary
Lucy Frazer - Culture, Media and Sport Secretary
Chris Heaton-Harris - Northern Ireland Secretary
Alister Jack - Scotland Secretary
David T C Davies - Wales Secretary
Keir Starmer - Labour leader
Lindsay Hoyle - Speaker of the House of Commons

All seven former Prime Ministers who are still living are expected to attend:

Liz Truss
Boris Johnson
Theresa May
David Cameron
Gordon Brown
Tony Blair
John Major

King Charles’s Coronation guest list

British Nobility

Compared to Queen Elizabeth's coronation 70 years ago, Charles's coronation will have fewer aristocrats in attendance. Lady Pamela Hicks, a former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen, has declined the invitation, but she sees it as a wise decision, according to her daughter India.

Despite this, some members of the nobility will attend the ceremony due to their historical role in it. These individuals hold various positions in the ceremony, as outlined below.

Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk - responsible for organizing the coronation
David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley - was involved in the ceremony along with his wife, Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, and their son, Oliver, who will be a page of honor
Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Errol - acting as the Lord High Constable of Scotland and carrying a silver baton or staff
Anthony Lindsay, 30th Earl of Crawford and 13th Earl of Balcarres - serving as Deputy to the Great Steward of Scotland
Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll - participating in the coronation
Joseph Morrow - the current Lord Lyon King of Arms and taking part in the King's procession
Delaval Thomas Harold Astley, 23rd Baron Hastings - was also involved in the ceremony.

Foreign heads of state

Leaders from around the world will attend. Here's who's said they'll be there:

Emmanuel Macron, President of France
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Mary Simon, Governor-General of Canada
Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
First Lady Jill Biden, leading a U.S. delegation
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia
David Hurley, Governor-General of Australia
Chris Hipkins, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, and her husband, Dr. Richard Davies
Christopher Luxon, leader of the opposition in New Zealand
Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany
Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy
Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President of India
Han Zheng, Vice President of China
Michael Higgins, President of Ireland, and his wife, Sabina Higgins
Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach of Ireland
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Louise Araneta-Marcos, President and First Lady of the Philippines
Wavel Ramkalawan, President of Seychelles, and his wife, Linda Ramkalawan
Mario Abdo Benítez and Silvana López Moreira, President and First Lady of Paraguay
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union Commission
Charles Michel, European Union Council President
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
Amina Jane Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations
Borjana Krišto, Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus
Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka
Macky Sall, President of Senegal
Dame Froyla Tzalam, Governor-General of Belize
Cornelius A. Smith, Governor-General of the Bahamas, and his wife, Clara Smith
Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas
Michael Pintard, Leader of the Opposition in the Bahamas
Bob Dadae, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea
David Vunagi, Governor-General of Solomon Islands
Võ Văn Thưởng, President of Vietnam
Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe
Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic
Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil
Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of Austria
Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicília, Co-Prince of Andorra
Narayan Prakash Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal.

Religious representatives

Prince Charles has expressed his desire to be known as the "defender of the faith" instead of "Defender of the Faith," acknowledging the religious diversity present in the United Kingdom. In a 2014 statement, he stated that he believed it was possible to both defend and protect various faiths. As a result, at his coronation, delegates from various faith communities will be in attendance, reflecting this belief.

List of Religious Leaders Participating in a Ceremony:

Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis - Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom (Judaism)
Ven Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera - Head Monk of the London Buddhist Vihara and Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain (Buddhism)
Indarjit Singh, Baron Singh of Wimbledon - Prominent member of the Sikh community (also participating in the ceremony) (Sikhism)
Radha Mohan das - Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple representative (Hinduism)
Aliya Azam - Education and Interfaith Coordinator at the Al Khoei Foundation (Islam)

The upcoming Anglican ceremony will be graced by distinguished Anglican leaders, including:

Justin Welby, who will officiate the service as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York.
John Armes, the Anglican bishop of Edinburgh.
Paul Butler, the Bishop of Durham.
Michael Beasley, the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
David Hoyle, who will attend as the Dean of Westminster.

King Charles’s Coronation guest list

Celebrities

List of Confirmed Celebrities to Attend the Coronation Service:

Bear Grylls - Chief Scout
Stella McCartney
Joanna Lumley - (will later join Sky News for their coverage)
Rowan Atkinson
Nick Cave
Sam Kerr - (will carry Australia's flag)
Lionel Richie
Edward Enninful
Ant McPartlin
Declan Donnelly

People with ceremonial roles

List of the participants in the coronation ceremony:

Antonia Romeo, Clerk of the Crown in Chancery: responsible for recording the coronation
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff: will act as Lord High Constable of England for the day
Frances Dymoke, a farmer: will carry the Royal Standard
Cadet Warrant Officer Elliott Tyson-Lee: will carry the flag of the United Kingdom

Here are the four men who will carry the Standards of the Quarterings of the Royal Arms and Standard of the Principality of Wales:

Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster
Charles Paget, 8th Marquess of Anglesey
Nicholas Alexander, 7th Earl of Caledon
Alexander Scrymgeour, 12th Earl of Dundee, who will carry the Lion Rampart of Scotland.

People who will carry King Charles's regalia in the procession:

Sir Gordon Messenger, the Governor of HM Tower of London: St Edward’s Crown as Lord High Steward of England
Baroness Elizabeth Manningham-Buller: St Edward's Staff
Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry: the Sceptre with Cross
Baroness Floella Benjamin: the Sceptre with the Dove
Dame Elizabeth Anionwu: the Orb
Brigadier Andrew Jackson (The Keeper of the Jewel House): the Sovereign’s Ring
Petty Officer Amy Taylor: the Sword of Offering
Simon Abney-Hastings, the 15th Earl of Loudoun: the Golden Spurs
Penny Mordaunt, Lord President of the Council: the Sword of State
Air Chief Marshal the Lord Peach: the Sword of Mercy (The Curtana)
The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux: the Sword of Spiritual Justice
The Lord Houghton of Richmond: the Sword of Temporal Justice

The following individuals will be responsible for presenting the King with the regalia during the coronation ceremony:

Rupert Francis John Carrington, the 7th Baron Carrington - Spurs
Baron Syed Kamall - Armills
Baroness Gillian Merron - Robe Royal
Rev. John McDowell, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh - Orb
Baron Narendra Patel - Ring
Indarjit Singh, Baron of Wimbledon - Coronation Glove
Rev. Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross, and Caithness, and Episcopal Primus of Scotland - Sceptre with Cross
Rev. Andrew John, the Archbishop of Wales - Sceptre with Dove

During Queen Camilla's coronation, several people will be responsible for carrying her regalia. The individuals and the corresponding items they will carry are listed below:

Baroness (Helena) Kennedy of The Shaws: The Queen Consort's Rod
General Sir Patrick Sanders: The Queen Consort's Sceptre
Charles Wellseley, 9th Duke of Wellington: Queen Mary’s Crown
The Rt. Reverend and Rt. Hon the Lord Chartres: The Queen Consort's Ring

Here are the individuals who will present Queen Camilla with her regalia:

Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, The Bishop of Dover: She will present the Queen Consort's Rod.
Rt. Reverend and Rt Hon. Lord Chartres: He will present the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross.
Brigadier Andrew Jackson: He will present the Queen Consort's Ring.
The Archbishop of Canterbury: He will once again perform the crowning ceremony.

Members of the public

It is anticipated that the charities backed by King Charles and Queen Camilla will be extended invitations to the upcoming event, although the list of invitees has not yet been disclosed. Buckingham Palace announced in April that over 850 community and charity, representatives are expected to be present, with a significant number being recipients of the British Empire Medal (BEM).

Also Read: Who is Max Woosey and why is he invited to King Charles' Coronation?