King Charles III — then Prince Charles — attends the "A Starry Night In The Nilgiri Hills" event hosted by the Elephant Family in partnership with the British Asian Trust at Lancaster House on July 14, 2021 in London, England

Royal family

King Charles III Labeled ‘Cruel’ Over His New Coronation Date

Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles III will be crowned on Saturday, May 6, 2023 — and the date has royal fans calling him ‘cruel.’

by Perry Carpenter

Published on October 13, 2022

2 min read

Why will King Charles III be crowned in May 2023?

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, King Charles acceded to the throne and it was immediately suggested he would have a spring or summer 2023 coronation date. The most popular prediction around the United Kingdom was that Charles would be crowned on June 2.

The reason that date was thought to be a guarantee was that it coincided with the 70th anniversary of his mother’s coronation. Elizabeth officially became queen on February 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died. But, she wasn’t crowned until 16 months later — June 2, 1953.

According to Express, Charles wasn’t interested in sharing a coronation date with his late mother and overshadowing the historic anniversary. So, instead of choosing the obvious date of June 2, he opted for May 6.

The new sovereign has been labeled ‘cruel’ over his coronation date

The palace says that Charles chose the date of May 6 in consultation with the UK government, the Church of England, and the Royal Household. However, they haven’t shared any details about why that specific day was picked.

Previously, the date was known as the wedding anniversary of the late Princess Margaret — Queen Elizabeth’s sister and King Charles’ aunt — who married Antony Armstrong-Jones on that day in 1960.

May 6 also happens to be the birthday of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Because Charles chose his grandson’s fourth birthday as the date of his coronation, he’s facing harsh criticism from Harry and Meghan’s fans.

“So King Charles The Cruel has set his Coronation for the 6th of May next year… AKA his grandson Prince Archie of Sussex’s 4th birthday,” one skeptic wrote on Twitter. Another asked, “Is the King’s coronation date the same as Archie’s birthday deliberately?”

“Royalists freak out when the Sussexes release a picture two days after the rest of the family or does anything when a birthday pic of the Cambridge kids is released, saying it overshadows them, but by all means schedule your coronation on Archie’s birthday. The audacity,” wrote a third.

Some royal fans had a different take on King Charles’ coronation date

One fan posited that choosing Archie’s birthday as his coronation date meant that King Charles was attempting to extend an olive branch to his estranged son.

“Coronation day is Archie’s birthday too. That for me symbolizes that although the Royal family is an institution, family will always be family. I hope it’s an olive branch from father to son and King to Prince,” the hopeful royal watcher wrote.

Another royal fan guessed it was a strategic move on the part of the palace amid the ongoing rift between the Sussexes and The Firm.

“The coronation of King Charles III. and Queen Camilla will take place on May 6, 2023 – the birthday of Archie. Great move Your Majesty,” they tweeted.

King Charles’ coronation is expected to be on a smaller scale than his mother’s, with approximately 2,000 guests witnessing a ceremony that will include the same core elements of her traditional service.