'700-year-old oak chair, 12th-century spoon, holy oil': All you need to know about King Charles' coronation

New Delhi: The Coronation of King Charles will take held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London. A Coronation is both the symbolic religious rite in which a sovereign is crowned and the actual act of laying a crown on a monarch's head. It formalises the monarch's function as the head of the Church of England and commemorates the transfer of their title and powers. However, the monarch does not have to be crowned to become King. Even before the Coronation, Charles is the King of England.

The event will begin at 11 a.m. (London time) and will be televised live on BBC. The service will be followed by a three-day celebration. Here are the main moments to look forward to, from the religious symbolism of his coronation until the moment the crown is placed on his head:

Coach procession: King Charles and his wife Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the contemporary Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The coach was built to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the reign.

The pair will return from the Abbey in the 260-year-old Gold State Coach, which can only drive at walking speed. The coach weights 4 tonnes and requires 8 horses to pull it. A one-mile-long procession of 4,000 armed forces members.

Anointment: Charles will be anointed with holy Chrism oil, which is manufactured from Mount of Olives olives and is revered in Jerusalem.

Crowning: King Charles will be crowned by sitting on a coronation chair that is roughly 700 years old and will be awarded bejewelled orbs, spectres, swords, and rings. The 2.2 kilogramme St Edward's Crown will be worn by King Charles III.

The Kohinoor diamond will not be set in Camilla's crown: Queen Consort Camilla will forego the Queen Mother's crown for her coronation because it contains the Kohinoor diamond. Instead, she will wear the Queen Mary crown.

Attendees: People from all walks of life have been invited to attend the once-in-a-lifetime event. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US First Lady Jill Biden, Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Indian-origin chef Manju Malhi, and Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor are among those honoured.

Prince Harry will attend the coronation event, making his first public appearance with the Royals since his tell-all memoir Spare was released in January. The ceremony will also be attended by Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, King Charles III's niece Zara Tindall, Zara Tindall's husband Mike Tindall, and other younger royals.

Coronation Cost
King Charles III's coronation is projected to cost approximately £100 million (around 1021.5 crore). Because the coronation is a state event, the British government will foot the expense. 

The estimated cost is double that of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, when the British government spent £1.5 million, equivalent to roughly £50 million (around 528.7 crore) today. However, the event's worldwide TV rights are projected to more than pay the costs, and it will be a huge boost to tourism.

When and how to watch the Royal Wedding
The event is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. (4:30 p.m. in India), with the King's procession arriving at Westminster Abbey shortly before. BBC One and BBC Radio will broadcast the ceremony live. The Coronation of Charles will also be broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.