King Charles III's coronation date clashes with grandson Archie's fourth birthday
King Charles III's official coronation date next year clashes with another important milestone within the royal family – his grandson Archie's fourth birthday.
The new British monarch is set to be crowned alongside wife Camilla, Queen Consort on May 6, 2023, Buckingham Palace announced earlier today.
On the very same date, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's eldest child Archie Mountbatten-Windsor will turn four.
The palace's decision to hold the coronation on this date has now sparked speculation over whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend.
READ MORE: King Charles III's coronation date announced with Camilla, Queen Consort, to also be crowned
King Charles III will be coronated on May 6, 2023. Aaron Chown/PA Wire
May 6, however, has historic importance within the royal family for a number of other reasons.
It marks the wedding anniversary of the Queen's sister Princess Margaret to her ex-husband, the Earl of Snowdon, in 1960. It is also the date that Charles' great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII, died in 1910.
Upon announcing the day of the new King's coronation, the palace said the date was chosen in "consultation with the government, Church of England and the royal household".
"The ceremony will see His Majesty King Charles III crowned alongside the Queen Consort," Buckingham Palace said in a short statement on Tuesday (Wednesday morning AEDT).
Meghan and Harry have not yet publicly commented on the date of Charles' imminent coronation nor if they plan on attending.
Meghan and Harry's son Archie will turn four on Charles' coronation date. Getty
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The couple have previously celebrated Archie's birthday privately. His third birthday was marked with a sweet photo of the young Sussex holding a balloon.
In lieu of presents, Meghan and Harry had asked for people to donate to a fund for COVID-19 vaccinations in poor nations via their Archewell site.
When Lilibet turned one on June 4 – the third day of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations – the former royals hosted a "casual, intimate backyard picnic" at their Frogmore Cottage home.
The King, whose accession to the throne came following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, will sign a proclamation formally declaring the date of the coronation at a meeting of the Privy Council later this year.
The Sussexes have previously celebrated their children's birthdays in private. Duke and Duchess of Sussex/Alexi Lubomirski
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The statement from Buckingham Palace also appears to confirm recent speculation the ceremony will be a scaled back version of the pomp and ceremony of Elizabeth II's 1953 Coronation, which had 8000 guests.
The Coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry," the palace said.
So far only the date and location has been confirmed and "further details will be announced in due course".
It was previously speculated King Charles may choose a date close to June 2, which would have marked the anniversary of his mother's coronation ceremony 70 years ago.
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