King Charles III’s coronation date is already marked on the royal family calendar for another reason.
Buckingham Palace announced Tuesday that the new King will be officially crowned on May 6, 2023 — the same day his grandson Archie Harrison celebrates his 4th birthday.
The coronation date is earlier in the year than widely speculated, as many believed that King Charles would pick June 2 to honor the date of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.
“The Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,” the palace said in a statement, adding that Queen Camilla will be crowned alongside her husband. Keeping with royal tradition, the ceremony will commence at Westminster Abbey in London, where British monarchs have been coronated for the last 900 years.
The coronation marks the second time that a royal milestone falls on a birthday weekend for one of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s young children. Over the summer, their daughter Lilibet turned 1 on June 4, the third day of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee weekend.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited close friends and family to gather for a “casual, intimate backyard picnic” at their Frogmore Cottage home and shared a new photo of their daughter (showing off her red hair!) to celebrate the occasion.
Soon after, a royal source confirmed to PEOPLE that King Charles enjoyed an “emotional” visit with his grandchildren, who traveled to the U.S. with their parents from their California home for the celebrations.
“It was a fantastic visit. The prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time,” the source said, adding that it was “wonderful” to have the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back in Britain.
The trip marked Lili’s first visit to the U.K. Meghan and Harry’s daughter was born in California in June 2021 and had yet to visit her dad’s homeland. Archie was born in the U.K. in May 2019 but hadn’t been back since he was around 6 months old.
“The Prince and the Duchess [of Cornwall] were absolutely thrilled to see them,” the insider added, as Charles had not seen his grandson Archie “for a bit of time.”
“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,” the source said.
The trip also allowed Lili to meet her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, for the first time. Meghan and Harry named their daughter after the monarch, as Lilibet was the Queen’s childhood nickname.
Following the Queen’s death on Sept. 8 at age 96, Prince Harry reflected on “first meetings” in a personal tribute to his late grandmother.
“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood
Following the Queen’s death on Sept. 8 at age 96, Prince Harry reflected on “first meetings” in a personal tribute to his late grandmother.
“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” Harry said in a statement on Sept. 12.
these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III.”
=
