The 9 key figures in King Charles's coronation ceremony

The coronation of King Charles and the Queen Consort will take place on Saturday 6 May, with 2,000 guests set to attend the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

From the Duke of Sussex, to the Dean of Westminster, it’s time to look at the central figures on the day and behind the scenes.

Here’s your guide to who’s who in the King’s coronation.

The King

King Charles III, 74, formerly known as the Prince of Wales, was the longest-serving heir to the throne before becoming monarch on 8 September 2022, after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

In less than two weeks, King Charles will be officially crowned in a ceremony where he will take an oath in front of the nation and his throne as the next sovereign.

King Charles is known for his previous work as a passionate climate campaigner and an advocate of art.

During his time as the Prince of Wales, he founded a youth charity called “The Prince’s Trust” – an organisation that aims to help young people with employment, education and enterprise.

Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981 and they divorced in 1996. Charles then got re-married to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.

The Queen Consort

The spotlight will also be on Camilla when she is anointed at Westminster Abbey and will then be known as Queen Camilla.

The Queen Consort was described as the “third person” in Charles and Diana’s relationship.

During that time, there was speculation in the media over an affair between Charles and Camilla, which led to the Prince and Princess of Wales getting divorced in 1996.

Reflecting on the negative press she received during that period, in an interview with British Vogue in June 2022, Camilla, now 75, admitted it “wasn’t easy”.

“I was scrutinised for such a long time that you just have to find a way to live with it,” she said.

Years on, after establishing herself in the Royal family and in her royal duties, the former Duchess of Cornwall is now a patron or president of over 90 charities with key themes of her work including literacy, animal welfare and campaigns against domestic and sexual violence.

The Earl Marshal

Edward Fitzalan-Howard, The Earl Marshal and the 18th Duke of Norfolk – holds an important role in the King’s upcoming coronation ceremony.

The title is traditionally held by the highest-ranking duke in England and the role itself dates back to medieval times.

The Earl Marshal is responsible for state ceremonies such as coronations, funerals, and the opening of parliament.

The Oxford-educated father-of-five inherited the role as duke in 2002 from his father Miles Francis Stapleton Fitzalan-Howard, the 17th Duke of Norfolk.

Edward, who is reported to be worth more than £100m, apparently oversees proceedings with a “mixture of flair, timing, absolute precision and with great humour”.

In September last year, the duke was banned from driving for six months for using his phone behind the wheel – despite claiming he needed his licence to arrange the upcoming coronation.

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Most Revd Justin Welby will be making his mark during the coronation as he will proceed to anoint and crown the King and Queen Consort.

The Archbishop was ordained in 1992 and spent his first 15 years serving in the Diocese of Coventry.

During the King’s coronation, the archbishop will be in charge of preparing the order of service and officiating the ceremony.

The archbishop has admitted the coronation is giving him “nightmares”, saying: “I dreamt we got to the point (of the coronation) and I’d left the crown at Lambeth Palace.”

Dean of Westminster

The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, 61, was appointed as the new Dean of Westminster by the late Queen in 2019.

He has the right to instruct the sovereign in all matters relating to the ceremony and to assist the archbishop at the anointing.

Dr Hoyle also conducted the late Queen’s funeral last year.

The Prince and Princess of Wales

As heir to the throne and a future king, Prince William will also be at the ceremony where he is expected to pay homage to his father – the King – during the proceedings.

Kate, too, is a future queen and will, like Camilla, be anointed and crowned one day.

Prince George

Prince George, 9, will be one of eight Pages of Honour during the service, joining a procession through the nave and assisting with the holding of robes.

The future heir to the throne, along with his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are then expected to be present on the Buckingham Palace balcony with their parents and the King and Queen Camilla.

The Duke of Sussex

Buckingham Palace announced Prince Harry will be at the King’s coronation, though he is not expected to have a formal role in the ceremony.

In a statement, it said it was “pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May”.

“The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” the statement added.

A source told the Daily Telegraph part of the reason why Meghan is not attending is because she did not receive a satisfactory response to a letter she sent to Charles expressing concern about unconscious bias in the Royal Family.

But the Duchess’s spokesperson denied this and said any suggestion she was thinking about correspondence from two years ago was “false”.

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In a statement released through journalist Omid Scobie, the couple said: “The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago.

“Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous.

“We encourage tabloid media and various other royal correspondents to stop exhausting the circus that they alone are creating.”

Earlier this year, Prince Harry released his tell-all memoir Spare, where the royal opened up about his experiences in the institution, family life, war and trauma.

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