Here are some fun facts about King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla and the history of coronation ceremonies

His Majesty The King

1. Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born at Buckingham Palace on 14th November 1948 at 9.14pm, weighing 7lbs 6oz. He was christened on 15th December 1948 at Buckingham Palace.
2. The King was the first heir to the throne to earn a university degree. The King studied archaeology and anthropology in his first year at the University of Cambridge, switching to history for the remainder of his degree. His Majesty also spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth (April to June 1969) learning Welsh.
3. While at school, Charles played the piano, trumpet and cello. He continued to play the cello while an undergraduate at Cambridge, performing in a symphony concert by the Trinity College Orchestra on 4th December 1967.
4. His Majesty obtained his RAF wings as Flight Lieutenant Wales in August 1971.
5. The King, as Prince of Wales, was given the title, 'Keeper of the Cows', by the Masai in Tanzania in 2011 to recognise his work as a farmer.
6. His Majesty is an author. He wrote The Old Man of Lochnagar, based on stories he told his younger brothers growing up. The King has also written books on the natural world and the environment including 'Harmony'; and 'Climate Change, a Ladybird Expert Book'.
7. The King is a keen painter and had a watercolour displayed in the Royal Academy's 1987 summer exhibition, after it was submitted anonymously.
8. In 1975, His Majesty became a member of the Magic Circle, a society of stage magicians founded in London in 1905, after passing his audition with a magic trick.
9. The King made a cameo appearance on Coronation Street in 2000, and on EastEnders in 2022 in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
10. His Majesty has presented the weather forecast on the BBC. This took place during a visit to BBC Scotland's studios in 2012.

Her Majesty The Queen Consort

1. Camilla Rosemary Shand was born on 17 July 1947 at King’s College Hospital, London.
2. Her Majesty has personal links to military organisations connected to her father, Major Bruce Shand, who was awarded two military crosses. The Queen Consort has attended many occasions with veterans, serving soldiers and officers of the 9th/12th Lancers with whom her father served. Major Shand also fought with the Desert Rats in the Second World War before being captured during the Battle of El Alamein.
3. The King and The Queen Consort married in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor on 9th April 2005. This was followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
4. The Queen Consort adopted two rescue Jack Russell terriers, Beth and Bluebell, as puppies from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. On a visit to Battersea Old Windsor in 2020, Jack Russell Beth assisted Her Majesty in unveiling a plaque (with a little help from some foodie treats!)
5. The Queen Consort keeps fit by taking Silver Swan ballet classes.
6. Her Majesty is a fan of the BBC programme, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, and on two occasions has had the opportunity to dance with judge Craig Revel-Horwood and former judge Len Goodman.
7. A self-confessed bibliophile, Her Majesty has said that the book she returns to over and over again is ‘Pride and Prejudice’.
8. The Queen Consort enjoys playing Scrabble and Wordle.
9. In the build up to Her Majesty’s 75th birthday, The Queen Consort made her Vogue debut in June 2022.
10. Her Majesty does not have her ears pierced, instead choosing to wear clip-on earrings.

A History of Coronations

1. King Charles III will be crowned on 6th May 2023 in Westminster Abbey, with The Queen Consort being crowned beside him.
2. Westminster Abbey has been the setting for every Coronation since 1066. Before the Abbey was built, Coronations were carried out wherever was convenient, taking place in Bath, Oxford and Canterbury.
3. On Christmas Day 1066, William the Conqueror became the first monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
4. The youngest ever monarch was Mary, Queen of Scots, who became Queen in 1542 when she was just six days old.
5. The contemporary form of the coronation dates from 1902, when King Edward VII was crowned. This consists of a state procession from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey, another procession inside, the Recognition, the Anointing, the Coronation Oath, the Homage and finally another procession from the Abbey back to the Palace.
6. Their Majesties’ Coronation will include 12 new commissions of music, including a Coronation Anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber, a Coronation March by Patrick Doyle, and other works by Ian Farrington, Sarah Class, Nigel Hess, Paul Mealor, Tarik O'Regan, Roxanna Panufnik, Shirley J. Thompson, Judith Weir, Roderick Williams, and Debbie Wiseman. The Official Royal Harpist, Alis Huws, will also perform as part of the Coronation Orchestra.
7. The oil which will be used to anoint King Charles III has been consecrated in Jerusalem. Olive oils from the Mount of Olives, not far from His Majesty’s grandmother Princess Alice’s crypt, were mixed as part of making the chrism oil.
8. The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the first to be televised and for most people, it was the first time they had watched an event on television. 27 million people in the UK watched the ceremony on television and 11 million listened on the radio.
9. Coronation Chicken was invented for the guests who were to be entertained, following Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation. The food had to be prepared in advance, and Florist Constance Spry proposed a recipe of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce with a well-seasoned dressed salad of rice, green peas and mixed herbs. Constance Spry's recipe won the approval of the Minister of Works and has since been known as Coronation Chicken.

10. Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t the only one who occupied the Coronation Chair on 2nd June 1953. On the morning of her Coronation, a black cat called Matins was found sleeping on the chair in Westminster Abbey.