King Charles III has made plans for his coronation to be “inclusive” and “less archaic”, according to royal commentator Jennie Bond. The new monarch reportedly wants to reflect the changes seen in British society over the 70 years since his mother’s coronation in 1953.
While it is expected to be slightly reigned in due to the current cost of living crisis, the King also desires a sense of “gravity and solemnity” for the occasion, as the Queen had.
Her own ascension to the throne took place in similarly financially lean times, less than 10 years after the end of World War II and when rationing was still in use.
Former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond said that the ceremony, which will take place in Westminster Abbey, will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry”.
She told OK! magazine: “2022 was an extraordinary and traumatic year in so many ways.
“It had lots of ups and downs – the Platinum Jubilee, the Queen’s passing, her funeral and the continuation of the Prince Harry and Meghan saga.
“What we’re all witnessing with the New Year is the end of an era and the true beginning of a new era.
“The job is now securely Charles’s and he will forge through the year with enormous enthusiasm.
“He has such a strong work ethic and he will clearly be looking towards the coronation.
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She added: “When we saw him make his first speech as King, we saw that change in tone – being King is his solemn duty.
“He clearly felt the weight of the job on his shoulders and that will be apparent in the coronation.
“It will be a mixture of a little less of the stiff, ancient formality but it will retain the basic structure of something extremely important happening.”
Ms Bond said that “unity” was particularly important to Charles following the upheaval of 2022 and the difficult circumstances the country has experienced.
