King Charles III’s official coronation is scheduled for May 6, 2023 – the same day his grandson’s fourth birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor may not live in the United Kingdom anymore, but many still find it surprising that the monarchy would cross these dates.
Buckingham Palace announced the plans for King Charles’ official coronation last month. It’s not clear how or why this date was chosen – nor whether the palace officials realized it was Archie’s birthday or not. The king will be crowned in Westminster Abbey in London, England. According to the official palace statement, “the Coronation will reflect the monarchs’ role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding tradition and pageantry.”
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Many royal admirers were speculating that the king would choose June 2 as the date of his coronation, as that was the day his mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953. British monarchs have been crowned in Westminster Abbey for the last 900 years, but the considerations that they take in choosing the date are unclear.
Markle and Prince Harry already scheduled another family celebration around the royal duties earlier this year. In June, their daughter Lilibet turned one year old on the same weekend as the queen’s Platinum Jubilee. According to a report by PEOPLE, the Sussexes were in the U.K. at the time and celebrated with a “casual, intimate backyard picnic” at their Frogmore Cottage home.
At the time, sources close to the royal family said that then-Prince Charles had a pleasant and “emotional” visit with Archie and Lilibet, in spite of the reports of a rift within among the royals. They said: “It was a fantastic visit. The prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time. The Prince and the Duchess [of Cornwall] were absolutely thrilled to see them.”
The insider added that it was “wonderful” to have Prince Harry and Markle visit the U.K. after they moved to California. They went on: “It was very special to have some time with him. He hadn’t met Lilibet, his granddaughter, and so to meet her for the first time was very emotional – it was a wonderful thing.”
So far, the royal family has not announced its plans for Archie’s birthday in May. The king’s coronation will be held on May 6, 2023, in London.
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