The coronation of King Charles III

Welcome to HistoryExtra's coronation hub. As Britain's prepares for the crowning the new monarch, discover the history behind the occasion with experts insights from leading historians and curated highlights from our archive.

Start with these essential reads

Tracy Borman

Historian Tracy Borman's coronation highlights

A view of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation ceremony from the rafters of Westminster Abbey, 2 June 1953 (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

Coronation pitfalls: 5 dos (and 5 don'ts) for crowning a new monarch

The coronation of Henry III, depicted in a late-13th-century manuscript (Photo by © British Library Board. All Rights Reserved / Bridgeman Images)

The soft power of royal ceremonies, pomp and pageantry

The life of Charles III

Charles III, whose coronation on 6 May “will be significant for the kind of king that emerges”, says Alice Hunt (Photo by Hannah McKay / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Charles III: your guide to the reigning King of England

Prince Charles, aged 4, driving a toy car in the grounds of Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

King Charles III: a life in pictures

Coronations: the historical context

Queen Elizabeth II processes down the nave of Westminster Abbey during her coronation on 2 June 1953 (Photo by Chronicle / Alamy Stock Photo)

General History

Coronation A-Z of royal coronations in Britain

Low angle view of the Westminster Abbey

General History

Why are British monarchs traditionally crowned in Westminster Abbey?

HEX_Voices_Michael Wood

Michael Wood on the coronation of Charles III "The symbolism of the royal promise still means something today"

The Imperial State Crown, which alone has 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies is a priceless symbol of the British monarchy (Picture by Getty)

General History

6 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Crown Jewels

What makes a good coronation? Tracy Borman answers

General History

What makes a good coronation?

Which British monarch had the most successful coronation?

General History

Which British monarch had the most successful coronation?

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Professor David Carpenter discusses the history of Westminster Abbey

General History

Video podcast | David Carpenter on history of Westminster Abbey . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

On the HistoryExtra podcast

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Pod Tracy B Coro WL

How (and how not) to stage a coronation . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Pod Alice Hunt WL

General History

Pomp & power: royal ceremonies through the centuries . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Pod David Carpenter WL

General History

Westminster Abbey: everything you wanted to know . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

HistoryExtra's Monarchy Masterclass with Tracy Borman

Watch now | The Monarchy, a masterclass with Tracy Borman

In this video masterclass series, popular historian Tracy Borman charts the changing fortunes of the monarchy, the evolution of the crown and reveals the secrets behind its remarkable survival.

Watch all five episiodes now

Historic coronations

Explore three of the most momentous royal ceremonies in British history

William the Conqueror was the second king of England to be crowned in 1066

The coronation of William of Normandy on Christmas Day in 1066

Queen Victoria receives the sacrament as part of her five-hour coronation service, in a 19th-century painting by Charles Robert Leslie (Photo by The History Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)

Extravagance, crowds and blunders: the coronation of Queen Victoria

Elizabeth is borne from Westminster Abbey in a gold coach first used for the state opening of parliament by George III in 1762. (Getty Images)

Becoming Queen: Elizabeth II’s coronation

The Royal Family

Everything you need to know about the Royal Family and its lineage, from the record-breaking reign of Elizabeth II to why they chose the name 'Windsor'

The British royal family at the Queen's annual birthday parade 2019

A brief guide to the British royal family, by The Crown’s historian Robert Lacey

Charles and Camilla, 1979

Charles and Camilla A history of their romance

Elizabeth II poses for a portrait in Buckingham Palace in December 1958

Queen Elizabeth II 50+ facts about her life and reign

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of United Kingdom. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Second World War

The Windsors at war: what did the royal family do during WW2?

The 1969 documentary was made amid a feeling that there was an increasing awareness of a need to ‘sell’ the monarchy to the people, writes historian Sarah Gristwood. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

‘Royal Family’: the fly-on-the-wall documentary the Palace doesn’t want you to see

Elizabeth II surveys troops in Brisbane, Australia during her 1977 silver jubilee tour. There has been increasing debate about the degree to which documents relating to the royal family should be open to the public (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

The royal family and their right to privacy: who should have access to the records?

Kings Queens Timeline WL

General History

Monarchy timeline From Hastings to the Windsors in 122 moments

Emerald Fennell plays Camilla Parker Bowles (then Shand) in 'The Crown'

In profile: Queen Consort Camilla

Queen Elizabeth II in a garden with one of her dogs, March 1953. (Photo by Bettmann via Getty Images)

Elizabeth II: the queen who saved the royals

Prince Philip: the loyal consort

7 memorable moments in the history of Buckingham Palace

Q&A How did the royals choose 'Windsor'?