Plans for coronation
How will Australia be represented at the Coronation of His Majesty The King?
The Australian Government will be represented at the Coronation by the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, the Prime Minister, and Ms Jodie Haydon, and by His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), the Governor-General, and Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley.
They will be joined by State Governors, and a number of other notable Australians.
How were the Australian invitees for the Coronation determined?
Australian representatives have been drawn from a wide range of outstanding people to show the world the best of our values.
- These values include caring for others, serving community, and championing progress.
- There will be representation from First Nations peoples, a holder of the Victoria Cross for Australia, and the Cross of Valour.
- These will also be representatives from the Australian Defence Force.
How will Australia observe the Coronation?
There will be events in Australia to mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.
- Illumination of significant buildings and monuments across Australia in Royal Purple on 6 and 7 May 2023.
- Flying of the Australian National Flag, Australian Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag on 6 and 7 May 2023.
- A flag notice will be issued through the Commonwealth Flag Network to encourage flying of the Flags.
- On Sunday 7 May 2023 at 3pm, a National 21 Gun Salute will be conducted by Australia’s Federation Guard on the forecourt of Parliament House in Canberra, and weather permitting, followed by a flypast by the Royal Australian Air Force.
Will a flag notice be issued for the Coronation?
A flag notice will be issued via the Commonwealth Flag Network.
Is Australia giving a gift to The King to mark his Coronation?
On behalf of the people of Australia, The Australian Government will provide a gift to His Majesty The King for his Coronation by way of a $10,000 national contribution to Australian charity Friends of the Western Ground Parrot. This contribution will go towards the conservation of the Western Ground Parrot found only in the remote south-eastern corner of Western Australia. Also known as Kyloring by local Noongar people, the Western Ground Parrot is one of the rarest parrots in the world with a population estimated at less than 150 birds. The Western Ground Parrot is critically endangered and is a priority species under the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2023.
Western Ground Parrots are medium-sized green parrots. They are shy and rarely seen, as they spend most of their time on the ground in low dense heathland. More information on the Friends of the Western Ground Parrot can be found on their website.
How can Australians send messages of congratulations to The King?
Correspondence can be sent to The King at:
His Majesty The King
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
The King and Australia
Where can I find an official portrait of The King?
While a photograph of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort was recently unveiled, an official Australian portrait of The King will be released at a later date.
The Australian portrait will be announced in due course and distributed through Federal MPs and Senators via the Nationhood Material Program.
In the interim, portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II may continue to be displayed.
What is The King’s title in Australia?
It is still correct to refer to The King in the following ways:
- His Majesty King Charles III
- His Majesty The King
- The King
- His Majesty
If required, The King’s formal Royal style and title in Australia is:
King Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Australia and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.
What is The Queen Consort’s title?
Her Majesty is currently referred to as the Queen Consort to distinguish from Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Following the Coronation, it would be appropriate to refer to The Queen Consort as Her Majesty Queen Camilla.
Further information about The Queen Consort can be found on the Royal website.
How many times has The King visited Australia?
The King has visited Australia 16 times. He has made 15 official visits to Australia as The Prince of Wales and also attended Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in 1966.
The 15 official visits were:
- 22 to 23 December 1967 - Attended Prime Minister Holt's Memorial Service
- 30 March to 8 April 1970 - Accompanied Her Majesty The Queen’s Royal Visit
- 12 to 30 October 1974 - Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince Charles, K.G
- 1 to 11 November 1977 - Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- 18 to 19 May 1978 - Attended Funeral of The Late The Right Honourable Sir Robert Menzies K.T., A.K., C.H., F.R.S., Q.C.
- 8 March to 1 April 1979 - Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- 12 to 28 April 1981 - Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- 20 March to 17 April 1983 - Royal Visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales
- 27 October to 8 November 1985 - Royal Visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales
- 25 January to 3 February 1988 - Royal Visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales
- 24 January to5 February 1994 - Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- 28 February to 5 March 2005 - Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- 5 to 10 November 2012 - Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall
- 10 to 15 November 2015 – Royal Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall
- 2 to 10 April 2018 – Royal Visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall
Quick facts about The King and the Commonwealth
His Majesty King Charles III became King on 8 September 2022, following the passing of his mother Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The King is the Head of State of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, including Australia.
The King has visited Australia 16 times. He has made 15 official visits to Australia, in addition to studying two terms at the Timbertop Campus at Geelong Grammar School in 1966 as a 17 year-old.
His Majesty was the longest serving heir apparent in British history.
He was the first British Royal heir to earn a degree – studying at Cambridge University from 1967-1970.
The King, as Prince of Wales, has founded 17 charities.
The King married Her Majesty The Queen Consort on 9 April 2005, with their wedding taking place at Windsor Guildhall, followed by a Service at St George’s Chapel.
Head of the Commonwealth
There are 56 members of the Commonwealth today, being its 15 realms and 41 other countries.
The 15 Commonwealth Realms are:
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Belize
- Canada
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- St Christopher and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Tuvalu
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Solomon Islands
- St Vincent and The Grenadines
The 41 additional countries are:
Africa
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Kingdom of Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Togo
- Uganda
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Zambia
Asia
- Bangladesh
- Brunei Darussalam
- India
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Pakistan
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
Caribbean and Americas
- Dominica
- Guyana
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Barbados
Europe
- Cyprus
- Malta
Pacific
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Nauru
- Samoa
- Tonga
- Vanuatu
Accession and coronation
Accession
Accession describes the event of a new Sovereign taking the throne upon the death of the previous King or Queen.
The accession of a new Sovereign is automatic.
The King acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022.
Coronation
The Coronation of a new Sovereign follows some months after his or her accession, following a period of mourning.
The Coronation is centred around a religious ceremony, and has remained largely unchanged for over a thousand years.
Further information about the history of the Coronation can be viewed on the Royal website.
What is the role of the Governor-General following the Coronation?
The Governor-General’s role does not change.
The Governor-General is His Majesty The King’s representative in Australia.
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