--- title: The Parallels Between Elizabeth and Charles' Coronations description: Here are all the biggest similarities and differences between King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II's coronations canonical: https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/ author: Yasmeen Serhan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-05-06T16:20:42.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-06-01T06:57:45.850Z article:section: World og:title: Two Coronations, 70 Years Apart og:description: Here are all the biggest similarities and differences between King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II's coronations og:url: https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93ee62b7c1357545/698a3ca6457a527051d67922/coronation-charles-elizabeth-images.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: coronation-charles-elizabeth-images og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Two Coronations, 70 Years Apart twitter:description: Here are all the biggest similarities and differences between King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II's coronations twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93ee62b7c1357545/698a3ca6457a527051d67922/coronation-charles-elizabeth-images.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # The Visual Parallels Between Elizabeth II and Charles III's Coronations ## Video: Watch the Biggest Moments From King Charles III's Coronation [Watch (HLS stream): Watch the Biggest Moments From King Charles III's Coronation](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/HjO97pBm.m3u8) (6:29)  _Published 2023-05-06. Watch the biggest moments from King Charles III's coronation, where Charles and Camilla were crowned._ May 6, 2023 4:20 PM CUT  Coronation of King Charles III, May 6, 2023; Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, June 3, 1953 Coronation of King Charles III, May 6, 2023; Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, June 3, 1953Jonathan Brady—Pool Photo/AP; Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images  by [Yasmeen Serhan](/author/yasmeen-serhan/)  ## Yasmeen Serhan May 6, 2023 4:20 PM CUT The last time Britain held a coronation, on a [similarly rainy spring day](https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/library-and-archive/library/publications/historical-weather-factsheets/coronationday2june1953.pdf "undefined") in 1953, then Prince Charles was just four years old. Photos [from that day](https://people.com/thmb/Wna%5FcldkrTFiuO8H1YD5Imp-12E=/750x0/filters:no%5Fupscale%28%29:max%5Fbytes%28150000%29:strip%5Ficc%28%29:focal%28999x0:1001x2%29:format%28webp%29/gettyimages-2667907-1-dc5bdf6cf4504322b282df74491d6e1a.jpg "undefined") show the young heir standing in between his grandmother, the Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret, with a bored expression on his face—not unlike [another young royal](https://time.com/6277758/prince-louis-coronation-king-charles/ "undefined"). Seventy years later, at King Charles III’s coronation, there are plenty of echoes with the past. Much like his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, Charles’ ceremony brimmed with [ritual](https://time.com/6277461/golden-spurs-king-charles-coronation/ "undefined") and [symbolism](https://time.com/6277382/coronation-symbolism-king-charles-iii/ "undefined") rooted in centuries-old tradition. Both coronations were deeply religious affairs and featured much of the pomp and pageantry that one would expect from a major royal event. Quite aside from the terrible weather, both ceremonies took place against [difficult economic backdrops](https://time.com/6275383/king-charles-iii-coronation-cost-taxpayers/ "undefined"): At the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, post-war rationing was still in place. Today, Britain remains in the grips of the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.  Victoria Jones—Pool/AP **Read More**: [_Charles Has Been Crowned King. Here Are the Latest Updates_](https://time.com/6277570/king-charles-coronation-latest-updates/ "undefined") But there were also a number of key differences. Compared to Elizabeth’s, Charles’ coronation was a more scaled-back affair, with fewer people in attendance and a shorter service and procession than his mother’s. Whereas the Queen was crowned alone in 1953 (her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, was not, [as is custom](https://time.com/5222279/why-prince-philip-wasnt-king/ "undefined") for the consorts of female sovereigns), Charles was crowned alongside his wife, the now [Queen Camilla](https://time.com/6270960/how-camilla-parker-bowles-became-queen/ "undefined"). In Charles’s coronation, there was a greater effort to make the service more inclusive and reflective of Britain’s diversity, most notably through the inclusion of a [diverse array of faith leaders](https://time.com/6276374/king-charles-coronation-religious-diversity/ "undefined"). In Charles’s coronation oath, he said: “Grant that I may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” One of the starkest differences between Charles’ and Elizabeth’s coronations was their oaths. When Elizabeth became queen, Britain was still very much an empire—and, as such, she pledged to “govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories.” Charles, meanwhile, now rules over a considerably smaller realm. In his oath, he pledged only to “govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, your other Realms and the Territories.” --- ### More from TIME --- But perhaps the most obvious difference between 1953 and the present day is how the monarchy is viewed. In today’s Britain, the monarchy enjoy’s the support of just 58% of the population. Charles’ coronation was subject to high-profile, if limited, anti-monarchy demonstrations. Some protesters were [even arrested](https://time.com/6277591/anti-monarchy-protesters-arrested-king-charles-coronation/ "undefined").  Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret Rose and members of the immediate and extended Royal Family, as well as foreign dignitaries, after her Coronation ceremony.Central Press/Getty Images  King Charles III and Queen Camilla are pictured with members of the working royal family: (L-R) Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Anne, Princess Royal, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, The Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.Hugo Burnand—Buckingham Palace/Getty Images  Queen Elizabeth II and her pageant pass on the way to her coronation ceremony on June 2, 1953.Central Press/Getty Images  King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort travel in the Diamond Jubilee Coach, built in 2012, as they approach Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023.Carl Court—Getty Images  Spectators, some sheltering beneath umbrellas, watching the Coronation procession of Elizabeth II.Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images  Crowds watch as the procession makes its way along the Mall during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.Bruce Adams—WPA Pool/Getty Images  Queen Elizabeth II's coach passes down the Mall.Dixie Dean—Mirrorpix/Getty Images  The Diamond Jubilee State Coach, accompanied by the Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry, travels along The Mall en route to Westminster Abbey.Gareth Fuller—WPA Pool/Getty Images  The Queen and her retinue, who are carrying her train, at her coronation.Hulton Archive/Getty Images  King Charles III takes part in his and Queen Camilla's coronation ceremony with pages Prince George, Lord Oliver Cholmondley, Nicholas Barclay, and Ralph Tollemache.Jonathan Brady—WPA Pool/Getty Images  Queen Elizabeth II during her coronation ceremony.Fox Photos/Getty Images  King Charles III during his coronation ceremony.Jonathan Brady—WPA Pool/Getty Images  The Canopy being placed over the Queen prior to the Anointing.Daily Herald Archive/National Science and Media Museum/SSPL/Getty Images  Service personnel from Regiments of the Household Division holding the Freedom of the City of London, hold the Anointing Screen as the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby prepares to place the St Edward's Crown onto the head of Britain's King Charles III.Richard Pohle—Pool/AFP/Getty Images  A TV hook-up in Marpole Community Centre, Vancouver allows over 1200 people to see the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II as televised from London.Bettmann Archive/Getty Images  People watch a television screening of the coronation of King Charles III during the Coronation party at Lincoln Center in New York City.Jeenah Moon—Getty Images  The Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis/Getty Images  The Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.Neil Mockford—Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/"},"headline":"The Visual Parallels Between Elizabeth II and Charles III's Coronations","datePublished":"2023-05-06T16:20:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-06-01T06:57:45.850Z","description":"Here are all the biggest similarities and differences between King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II's coronations","url":"https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/","keywords":["royals","Londontime","King Charles III's Coronation"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Yasmeen Serhan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/yasmeen-serhan/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/royals/","name":"royals"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/","name":"The Visual Parallels Between Elizabeth II and Charles III's Coronations"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch the Biggest Moments From King Charles III's Coronation","description":"Watch the biggest moments from King Charles III's coronation, where Charles and Camilla were crowned.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/HjO97pBm/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-05-06T14:07:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/HjO97pBm.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/","duration":"PT6M29S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6277790/the-visual-parallels-between-elizabeth-ii-and-charles-iiis-coronations/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```