See King Charles III and Queen Camilla's Coronation Invitation With a Subtle Nod to Late Queen Elizabeth

The invitation to King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation is packed with subtle nods to the royal family. Take a look at the card.

By Gabrielle Chung Apr 05, 2023 1:05 AMTags
Watch: Will Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Attend King Charles' Coronation?

The countdown is on for King Charles III and Queen Camilla's coronation.

With a month to go before the crowning ceremony, Buckingham Palace has unveiled the invitation to the highly-anticipated royal event on May 6. As seen in imagery released on April 4, the invite's artwork—which will be printed on recycled card and sent out to 2,000 guests—features gold foil detailing and a nature motif hand-painted in watercolor.

"The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla," the card reads. "By command of the King the Earl Marshal is directed to invite [guest] to be present at the Abbey Church of Westminster on the 6th day of May 2023."

Designed by illustrator Andrew Jamieson, the letter contains subtle nods to Charles and the rest of the royal family. As the Palace notes on its website, plants such as bluebells, cornflowers, rosemary and wild strawberries all appear in groupings of three to signify the 74-year-old becoming the third monarch of his name.

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All About King Charles III's Reign

The card is also decorated with lily of the valley—a flower featured in the late Queen Elizabeth II's coronation bouquet back in 1953 and was said to be one of her favorites—and the coat of arms for Charles and Camilla, 75. Meanwhile, a wren and a robin sit atop the letter C, a nod to the couple's shared initial.

In addition to the invite, the Palace also released a portrait of Charles and Camilla taken by Hugo Burnand in honor of the upcoming coronation, as well as details about the courtiers representing the pair at the ceremony.

Handout/Buckingham Palace via Getty Images

Prince William and Kate Middleton's oldest child, Prince George, will be one of the eight Pages of Honour to walk the procession inside London's Westminster Abbey. Other boys tapped for the honor include Camilla's grandsons Freddy Parker Bowles, Gus Lopes and Louis Lopes.

So, who else will be invited to the royal gathering? The Palace is keeping the full guest list under lock and key, though a rep for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle confirmed in March that the couple received "email correspondence" from the king's office about the coronation.

Handout/Hugo Burnand/Buckingham Palace via Getty Images

The spokesperson told Associated Press, "An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time."

Should the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the coronation, which falls on the fourth birthday of their son Prince Archie, it will be their first in-person meeting with Charles since the release of Harry's bombshell memoir, Spare. Harry, who also shares 22-month-old daughter Princess Lilibet with Meghan, said in January that he was undecided on his attendance given "a lot that can happen between now and then."

"But the door is always open," he told ITV. "The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it."

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