King Charles' Coronation Guest List: Who's Attending (That We Know About)
The guest list ranges from British celebrities to international royal families.
In just a few short weeks, millions of people across the globe will be tuning in to King Charles' coronation, and preparations for the historic event are fully underway. The three-day-long celebration starts on May 6 and will include a star-studded coronation concert, among other events.
Kicking off the celebration is, of course, the coronation ceremony held at Westminster Abbey where the King and Queen Consort will be crowned side-by-side in a religious ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. While most of the world will have to make do by watching the ceremony at home, the coronation plans include about 2,000 people in attendance, including members of the royal family, foreign royals and leaders, politicians, celebrities, and even members of the public. So who exactly can you expect to see at the ceremony? Here's everyone we know who is—and isn't—going to King Charles' coronation.
The Royal Family
Although King Charles has opted for a "slimmed-down" approach to his coronation, you can, of course, expect to see major members of the royal family in attendance. This includes Prince William and Princess Kate, and their three children, Prince George (who will make history at his grandfather's coronation), Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
It's also been confirmed that Prince Harry will be in attendance at his father's coronation. However, his wife Meghan Markle will stay behind in California with her and Harry’s two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Other royal family members expected to attend include: Charles's sister, Princess Anne, along with her daughter and son-in-law, Zara and Mike Tindall; Charles' brother, Prince Andrew (although his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will not be attending) and his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie; and Charles' youngest brother, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie.
Queen Consort Camilla's family will also attend the coronation including her son, Tom Parker Bowles, and daughter, Laura Lopes, along with a number of her grandchildren who are taking on ceremonial roles.
Foreign Royals and Leaders
In past British coronations, foreign crowned royals have not been invited to attend. However, King Charles has broken tradition with his coronation's guest list. Several crowned royals around the world are making the trip to London for the coronation, including: King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Prince Akshino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan, Queen Anne-Marie and Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, King Carl XVI Gustav and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and more.
Additionally, some global leaders are set to attend the historic event. While President Joe Biden will not be attending the coronation, he will be sending his wife, First Lady Jill Biden in his place, per CNN. Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron are reportedly in talks to attend, as well as representatives from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Brazil, and more.
British Politicians
There are a number of British Members of Parliament (a.k.a. MPs) and peers set to attend King Charles' coronation, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt, and more.
Several former Prime Ministers will be in attendance as well such as Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, and John Major.
Celebrities
Fellow royalty and governmental heads aren't the only ones set to attend King Charles' coronation. You can also expect to see a number of famous faces with ties to the royal family in the crowd. So far, David and Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney, Bear Grylls, Joanna Lumley, Rowan Atkinson are all confirmed to see Charles crowned.
Members of the Public
In April, Buckingham Palace announced that invitations to King Charles' coronation have been extended to over 800 members of the public. This includes 450 British Empire Medal recipients, and 400 "young people" who will represent charitable organizations and watch the coronation during a "special private viewing" at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey.
If you're currently outside the U.K., you can use a VPN like ExpressVPN—which has a 30-day free trial—to watch the coronation live on the BBC, which aired Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.
