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King Charles III will soon make his Buckingham Palace balcony debut as monarch.
The British royal family traditionally gathers on the iconic balcony of the royal residence in London for big occasions, and the King's coronation in May will include such an appearance. Following the coronation ceremony that will see King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6, they will take part in the Coronation Procession to Buckingham Palace, where Charles will appear on the balcony for the first time as monarch.
The royal couple will be joined by fellow members of the royal family on the balcony, although it's not clear exactly who that will include.
Although extended family members filled up the Buckingham Palace balcony each year for Queen Elizabeth's birthday parade, known as Trooping the Colour, the appearance was limited to only working royals (those who carry out official duties for the monarch) in June 2022 during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. This meant that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who stepped back from their royal roles in 2020, and Prince Andrew, who is no longer a working royal following his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, did not appear on the balcony.
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The family members who appeared on the palace balcony during Trooping the Colour were the Queen, the then-Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton with their three children, Princess Anne and Sir Tim Laurence, and Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex with their two children. The Queen's cousins were also in attendance.
An even smaller number of the royals appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony to cap off the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking Queen Elizabeth's historic 70 years on the throne. Following the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the Queen appeared alongside Charles and Camilla as well as Prince William and Kate with their children.
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King Charles acceded to the throne upon the death of his mother on Sept. 8, 2022. However, the coronation ceremony is where he and his wife, Queen Camilla, will be formally crowned.
King Charles has appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony dozens of times since his childhood. He and his sister, Princess Anne, even joined their parents on the balcony after Queen Elizabeth's 1953 coronation. Charles was just 4 at the time.
Over the weekend, Buckingham Palace announced plans for King Charles' coronation weekend, which will include three days of festivities. "Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort hope the Coronation Weekend will provide an opportunity to spend time and celebrate with friends, families and communities across the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth," the palace said in a press release. "Their Majesties are looking forward to marking the occasion with the public throughout 2023."
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Following the coronation on Saturday, May 6, the Coronation Concert the next day will feature a lineup of "global music icons and contemporary stars," supported by a world-class orchestra and dancers, broadcast live from Windsor Castle's East Lawn. The centerpiece of the Coronation Concert will be "Lighting up the Nation," where iconic locations across the United Kingdom will be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
Also on Sunday, citizens across the U.K. will take to their streets, gardens, parks and community spaces for a Coronation Big Lunch with their neighbors.
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On May 8, citizens are encouraged to participate in an effort dubbed "the Big Help Out." Organized by the Together Coalition, along with the Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups across the U.K., the Big Help Out will encourage communities to come together and volunteer to support their local areas.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will likely return to the Buckingham Palace balcony again in June for Trooping the Colour when the King celebrates his public birthday just six weeks after the coronation. The palace previously announced that the annual festival, which sees hundreds of soldiers marching at Horse Guards Parade followed by a flypast over the palace, will take place on June 17, 2023.
Queen Elizabeth's actual birthday was April 21, but it was celebrated by the public each June for a practical reason — the weather is better! King Charles' birthday is in November, but it appears that he will keep the public festivities around the same time as his mother.