What is the coronation logo? Meaning behind the design of King Charles’s emblem explained and when it is used

Millions are set to watch the King be crowned in a pomp-filled weekend-long celebration.

The event will celebrate the monarchy’s history and legacy, but King Charles III has ensured his own tastes are reflected as well.

The new coronation emblem is designed to represent his interests.

What is the coronation logo?

The coronation website reads: “The coronation emblem – which will feature throughout May’s historic celebrations – pays tribute to the King’s love of the natural world, depicting the flora of the four nations in the shape of St Edward’s Crown.

“The official coronation emblem is now available for use for all activities associated with the coronation including community and national events, publications, retail, and merchandising.

“The emblem pays tribute to the King’s love of the natural world, unifying the flora of the four nations of the United Kingdom; the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales and the shamrock of Northern Ireland. Together, the flowers create the shape of St Edward’s Crown, with which His Majesty The King will be crowned during the coronation service at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 6 May. The emblem has been designed using the red, white and blue of the union flag.

“The emblem will feature throughout the historic celebrations in May, including the coronation service at Westminster Abbey and the coronation concert at Windsor Castle, as well as national events, street parties and community gatherings. The emblem will also be used for all official merchandise commemorating the coronation of the King and the Queen Consort, and across digital and social media.”

Created by the internationally revered designer Sir Jony Ive KBE and his creative collective, LoveFrom, the emblem symbolises and celebrates the historic beginning.

Speaking about the design, Sir Jony said: “It is such an honour to be able to contribute to this remarkable national occasion, and our team is so very proud of this work. The design was inspired by King Charles’s love of the planet, nature, and his deep concern for the natural world.

“The emblem speaks to the happy optimism of spring and celebrates the beginning of this new Carolean era for the United Kingdom. The gentle modesty of these natural forms combine to define an emblem that acknowledges both the joyful and profound importance of this occasion.”

You can download the emblem to use yourself, and it is available in both English and Welsh here.

When is the coronation?

The King and Queen will be crowned in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May.

Here is the full timetable of events:

• 6am – viewing areas open along the procession route
• 7.15-8.30am – guests to Westminster Abbey begin to arrive at security checkpoints in Victoria Tower Gardens
• 9am – congregation to be seated inside the Abbey
• 9.30-10.45am – heads of state, overseas government representatives, Government ministers, First Ministers, former PMs, foreign royals and members of the Royal Family arrive
• 9.45am – the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry begin to gather ready for the procession from Buckingham Palace
• 10.20am – the King and Queen’s procession sets off from the Palace
• 10.53am – the King and Queen arrive at Westminster Abbey
• 11am – Charles and Camilla enter the Abbey through the Great West Door and the service begins
• 12pm – the King is crowned. The Archbishop of Canterbury places the St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head. The Queen is expected to be crowned subsequently. Trumpets will sound and gun salutes will be fired across the UK.
• 1pm – the service ends and the newly crowned King and Queen begin their coronation procession back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach
• 1.33pm – Charles and Camilla are expected to enter Buckingham Palace through the Centre Arch
• 1.45pm – the King and Queen receive a royal salute from the military in the Palace gardens
• Around 2.15pm – the King, Queen and members of the Royal Family appear on the Palace balcony to watch the flypast

According to Buckingham Palace, the coronation itself – which is expected to be scaled back from previous versions – will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry”.

The service will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”.

i revealed that Commons authorities have been told that about 3,000 dignitaries will be invited to the coronation service – a fraction of the 8,000 guests who came to the Queen’s coronation more than 70 years ago.

What is the official coronation route?

The coronation procession route of King Charles III stretches to only 1.3 miles, a quarter of the length of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s five-mile celebratory journey.

After they are crowned, Charles and Camilla will make their way back from Westminster Abbey via a tried and tested journey. They will follow Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall back to Buckingham Palace – the reverse of their route to the Abbey earlier in the day.

It is much shorter than the Queen’s five-mile return expedition around central London, which saw the 27-year-old monarch waving to crowds along Piccadilly, Oxford Street and Regent Street. The Queen’s journey to her crowning on 2 June, 1953 was 1.6 miles, and included a tour along the Victoria Embankment by the River Thames.

The grand procession in 1953 took two hours and featured tens of thousands of participants, with the two-and-a-half mile cavalcade taking 45 minutes to pass any given point.

Charles’s shorter routes are understood to have been chosen for practical reasons, with a preference for the familiar journey used on many a royal occasion.

How do I watch the coronation?

BBC

Kirsty Young and Huw Edwards are among the BBC presenting team for the broadcaster’s coronation coverage on Saturday 6 May.

The coronation programme, which will cover the lead up to the Westminster Abbey service, the ceremony, the return procession to Buckingham Palace and the King’s balcony appearance, will see former Desert Island Discs presenter, Young, in a studio at the Palace.

She will also anchor a special live broadcast of the coronation concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May.

Edwards will be standing outside Westminster Abbey on the Saturday as it opens its doors to the congregation, and other presenters offering a rolling coverage of the day.

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On Sunday, the concert on Windsor Castle’s East Lawn will see TV presenter Clara Amfo and Diversity dance-troupe member Jordan Banjo speaking backstage to the artists, who will perform for an crowd of about 20,000.

Radio 2 DJs Zoe Ball and Dermot O’Leary, Radio 4’s Martha Kearney and royal correspondent Jonny Dymond will also be among those presenting the weekend’s coronation coverage on BBC Radio and BBC Sounds.

Ahead of the celebration, new BBC programmes such as Charles R: The Making of a Monarch, Stitching For Britain and Sing For The King: The Search For The Coronation Choir will air.

Channel 4

Channel 4 will offer viewers an alternative coronation viewing experience, including a documentary focusing on the Duke of York’s now-infamous Newsnight interview.

The two-part programme will see former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis speak in detail about how she came to grill Andrew over his relationship with the late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew – The Problem Prince, in 60-minute episodes, will also feature archive footage, an interview with former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister and access to Palace insiders.

The broadcaster will also air Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy, which sees the Scottish comedian take a look back at its more than 1,000-year history and ask if the Royal Family “has a place in today’s world” and “should it continue”?

The Windsors Coronation Special will see Harry Enfield, as king, invite Harry and Meghan to his special day, as the comedy show returns after three years with a special one-off hour-long programme.

On the day Charles and Camilla are crowned, Channel 4 says its schedule “will provide an escape from the pomp and ceremony”.

Sky

Dame Joanna Lumley will be joining Sky News for its coverage of the festivities surrounding the coronation.

The Absolutely Fabulous actress, who provided commentary for Sky News at the Queen’s Jubilee last year, will be attending the service at Westminster Abbey as a guest of Charles and Camilla.

She will then join the broadcaster’s coronation line-up, which includes royal events commentator Alastair Bruce and presenters Kay Burley and Anna Botting.

In addition to the live coverage, Sky News will air the documentary My King, My Country on how the public feels about the monarchy, and Burley will speak to the people who know Camilla well for the podcast Queen Camilla: For The Love of Charles.

ITV

ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby will front the broadcaster’s coverage of the coronation alongside Julie Etchingham.

Bradby, a close friend of the Duke of Sussex, will lead proceedings on 6 May from a special studio outside Buckingham Palace.

On Saturday from 6am, Good Morning Britain presenters Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard will be live from Westminster Abbey, while Ranvir Singh will be outside speaking to guests as they arrive.

Kate Garraway will be live from Buckingham Palace, Charlotte Hawkins will be with the Armed Forces and Laura Tobin will be live from the Long Walk in Windsor.

On Friday, the day before the event, the programme will be dedicated entirely to coronation content, including the best food for street parties and fashion looks.

In the week leading up to the coronation, Good Morning Britain will feature experts, dignitaries and friends of the King and Queen, including Hugo Vickers and Andrew Morton.