Royalty
How will King Charles’ Coronation differ from Queen Elizabeth’s?
It’s been nearly 70 years since the last UK coronation, when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2nd June 1953. Since then, a lot has changed, especially King Charles III’s approach to his coronation on 6th May 2023.
Let’s take a look at some of the key differences between these two historical events.
The ceremony and celebrations
The late Queen’s coronation was a grandiose affair involving a 4 hour long ceremony at Westminster Abbey, attended by 8,250 guests. The ceremony was followed by a 5 mile journey around London in the Golden State Carriage. The ceremony is thought to have cost around £1.57 million.
Credit: The Royal Family
Compared to the uplifting celebrations in 1953, the King’s coronation has been billed as a ‘solemn religious’ event out of respect for his late mother’s passing. It’s expected to be a reflection of the monarch’s modern role in society, whilst still being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
The ceremony itself will be just 60 minutes long and His Majesty is expected to take a significantly shorter procession in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The guestlist has been drastically reduced to just 2,000 guests.
Credit: BBC
In keeping with tradition, King Charles will be crowned with St Edward’s Crown during the coronation ceremony. The St Edward’s crown can be seen on the reverse design of the UK Coronation £5 coin.
Interestingly, the King is also depicted wearing a crown for the first time ever on the collector versions of the UK Coronation coin range.
Dress code
In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II – then just 26 years old – wore a white silk dress designed by Norman Hartnell. The dress was embroidered with floral emblems, each representing countries of the Commonwealth at the time.
Additionally, she wore an accompanying crimson velvet 6.5 metre Robe of Estate, which was ornately decorated with gold lace.
Credit: BBC
The King will introduce a more relaxed dress code, reflecting a more modern Britain. He may even choose to wear his military uniform.
The same traditional coronation regalia will be used during the ceremony. Some of these items can be seen within the design of the UK Coronation £5 design, such as the St Edward’s Crown and the sovereign’s sceptre with dove and and cross.
70 years on…
The 1953 coronation was the first to be televised, and for many it would have been the first big event they’d watched on television. His Majesty’s coronation will be widely televised and there is sure to be extensive coverage of the ceremony across the internet and social media.
A special emoji has even been created to mark the event. A cartoon depiction of the St Edward’s Crown with a purple velvet cap will appear automatically on social media platforms when someone uses a hashtag relevant to the coronation.
Credit: BBC
Tag us and use these hashtags in your coronation posts to see the crown emoji in action!
#Coronation, #CoronationConcert, #CoronationWeekend and #CoronationBigLunch
Change Checker’s Coronation Activity Pack!
We’re kicking off our Coronation weekend celebrations with some free-to-download activity sheets.
From Coronation bingo, which you can play on the big day, to some colouring sheets for the downtime in between events – we’ve got your party plans covered!
Download your kit below:
Add the UK King Charles Coronation Coins to your collection
UK’s FIRST Coronation 50p – JUST RELEASED!
The UK’s FIRST Coronation 50p and £5 coin have JUST been released!
In this blog, I’ll share all you need to know about these new coins, including how they could become the most sought-after issues EVER.
2023 UK Coronation 50p
The most significant royal event of our generation has been celebrated with a UK 50p coin, struck by The Royal Mint to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III.
This is the UK’s FIRST coronation 50p – Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 was marked with a Crown coin.
The design features the royal cypher set against Westminster Abbey, where the King will be crowned.
But, what makes this coin particularly special is a feature you eagle eyed collectors will be sure to spot.
Simply take a look on the obverse of this 50p and you’ll notice it differs from other King Charles III coins…
That’s because The Royal Mint have created a collector version of the coin with an unusual twist – showing a crowned effigy of the King!
Whilst we’ve all grown familiar with seeing a crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth on our coins, traditionally male monarchs do not wear crowns on UK coinage – which is why the standard King Charles coins show him uncrowned.
However, breaking from tradition to commemorate this remarkable royal event, the new King Charles III Coronation 50p shows His Majesty wearing the Tudor Crown.
This special obverse design is only available in collector quality and can’t be found in your change – making for a unique addition to any collection.
What’s more, the first 50,000 will be available in LIMITED EDITION Change Checker Coronation Cards featuring a gold edge to mark the event.
Don’t miss the chance to own yours for just £5.99 (+p&p) here >>
Is the UK’s FIRST Coronation 50p the most sought-after coin EVER?
Collecting firsts are key for driving up demand – just think back to the worldwide popularity of the UK’s first royal 50p, the Platinum Jubilee 50p.
Within the first 24 hours of release, all limited edition presentations of the Platinum Jubilee 50p completely SOLD OUT.
In fact, even the Brilliant Uncirculated quality presentations of the Platinum Jubilee 50p and £5 coins are still selling for £26 on secondary market sites.
AND, the circulating version of the Platinum Jubilee 50p recently sold for £20 on eBay.
So, considering this is the UK’s FIRST coronation 50p, as well as the addition of a unique obverse design, this new coin has all the hallmarks of a classic story.
Coronation celebrated on UK’s flagship royal coin
Alongside the 50p coin, The Royal Mint has also issued a brand new UK £5 – the flagship royal coin.
The reverse design by Timothy Noad features a depiction of St. Edward’s Crown, accompanied by the sovereign’s sceptre with dove and the sovereign’s sceptre with cross with the inscription “THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III 6 MAY 2023”.
The obverse also features the special crowned portrait of His Majesty, created especially for the Coronation Coin Range.
This brand new £5 coin is the perfect pairing to the UK’s first coronation 50p. Get your hands on it in Brilliant Uncirculated quality >>
Don’t miss out on owning the 2023 Coronation coins
Avoid disappointment by adding the 2023 UK Coronation 50p and £5 coins to your collection today.
Don’t forget, the first 50,000 collectors will receive the Brilliant Uncirculated 50p in LIMITED EDITION Change Checker Coronation Cards featuring a gold edge.
Demand for King Charles III Coins reaches across the pond
Since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, there’s been a huge shake up in the numismatic world. Not only have collectors been rushing to secure the very last coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II, but wanting to be the first to own new coins bearing King Charles III’s effigy.
But UK collectors aren’t the only ones wanting to collect new King Charles III coins…
A recent survey carried out by The Royal Mint revealed that coin collectors in the United States are interested in collecting new UK commemorative coins. Coin collectors in the US said their attitude to UK coins is changing as a new British monarch takes to the throne.
The figures
- 21% of US coin collectors said they see the start of King Charles III’s reign as an opportunity to begin collecting UK commemorative coins.
- 44% of US coin collectors already purchase UK commemorative coins.
- 54% of US collectors of UK commemorative coins say they plan to increase their UK commemorative coin spend in 2023.
- 76% of US collectors of UK commemorative coins have a positive view of King Charles III. This rose to 81% among a younger audience.
The Head of International Marketing at The Royal Mint, Josh Nesfield, said: “This new research shows growing appetite among US collectors for UK commemorative coins and how the change in UK monarchy is creating new coin interests for US Coin Collector. For years, The Royal Mint has supported US coin collectors as they build their UK commemorative coin collections. We are delighted that more collectors plan to start building their UK coin collections.”
What does this mean for UK collectors?
This encouraging research highlights a continued appetite for UK coins among US numismatists, with it undeniably increasing in line with the new monarchy. The increasing excitement among US collectors means that demand for new UK coins will be at an all time high, especially during the lead up to King Charles III’s coronation.
Considering this, collectors will want to act fast to make sure they don’t miss out on owning these significant issues. Especially as demand is sure to increase in years to come.
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If you haven’t already registered your interest in UK King Charles III Coronation coins, be sure to sign up here to avoid missing out when they become available >>
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