Coronation guests: who has been invited to King Charles III coronation, who won’t be attending - guest list

Earlier this month, it was reported that calligraphers were meticulously adding the final touches to the invitations to the King's coronation.

In photos shared on the royal family’s official social media accounts, the large, elaborately decorated invitations for the 6 May ceremony could be seen being handwritten with "New Royal Blue" ink.

Two calligraphers from London Scribes Calligraphers, who have been working for the Royal Household for more than 15 years used traditional italic dip pens and specially blended inks to craft the invites by hand.

One of the calligraphers, Jenny Collier, called the process "meditative". She said calmness was required to keep a steady hand, and that all names were being double-checked.

Buckingham Palace has said the 2,000 guests invited to Westminster Abbey will “each receive a personalised invitation that has been beautifully hand-finished by a small team of calligraphers”. But who exactly will be receiving one of the historic invitations - and which notable names have been snubbed?

Here is everything you need to know about it.

Who’s been invited to the coronation ceremony?

This coronation is expected to be quite different to the Queen Elizabeth II’s. Last year, it was reported that the King was planning a “less expensive” coronation ceremony than his mother’s, and a “slimmed down” number of working royals on the day, as an acknowledgement of Britain’s cost of living crisis.

That means a much smaller number of guests than attended the Queen’s coronation 70 years ago. Though the final guest list has not yet been confirmed, a variety of foreign royals, heads of state and politicians are certain to attend.

In a historic break with tradition, members of foreign royal families are also anticipated to be invited to the ceremony. A coronation, according to centuries-old tradition, should be a holy event between the monarch and their subjects in the presence of God. But King Charles will invite his counterparts from all over the world.

Foreign heads of state from all over the world, including those from Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Hungary, and Monaco, will also be present at the event. Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola and Charles Michel, the three presidents of the EU, will all attend.

Earlier this year, Parliamentarians were outraged after learning that only a small number would be permitted to attend the ceremony. Members who believe they have a right to attend have even been arguing their case to the Cabinet Office.

Only 20 MPs and 20 peers were expected to receive invitations to Westminster Abbey, but those with knowledge of the incident claim those numbers have now more than doubled.

Officials have also found a way to make a much larger number of MPs and peers feel involved in the proceedings, by issuing 400 standing tickets to a sectioned off area of Parliament Square just outside the carriage gate entrance to Parliament.

Will there be any celebrities there?

There will also be a wide range of volunteers and representatives from many of the King's charity affiliations at the ceremony, including more than 450 British Empire Medal recipients, invited in recognition of their volunteering, charity work or for being community champions during the UK’s Covid-19 lockdowns.

Among the well-known figures attending the King's coronation will be Ant and Dec, Lionel Richie and the illusionist Dynamo, all due to their relationship with the Prince's Trust

Ant and Dec are currently hosting I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!’s South African “all-stars” edition, but they have been invited in their capacity as the trust's goodwill representatives. They are involved in a program to increase accessibility in the media industry and have hosted the charity's awards 10 times.

Who won’t be going?

The Duchess of Sussex, who will stay in California with her children, is perhaps the most high-profile individual who will not attend.

Announcing her absence, the Palace said: “Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.”

The desire to celebrate Archie's fourth birthday, which occurs on the same day as the coronation, was one of many reasons the Duchess chose not to attend, according to the Telegraph.

Sarah, Duchess of York won't attend the coronation either, although she is anticipated to take part in a special Royal family celebration following the investiture.

She stated that "you can't have it both ways" in an interview earlier this month, expressing her understanding of why she was not invited. “Being divorced … I don't think you can have it both ways,” she told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

US President Joe Biden also informed King Charles over the phone that he would not be attending the coronation and that his wife Jill, the first lady, would instead represent the US. Washington has worked hard to refute claims that the president's choice to skip the event was meant as a snub.

The Queen’s former bridesmaid Lady Pamela Hicks has also not been invited to the King’s coronation, her daughter India Hicks has said.

In a post on Instagram, the designer and former fashion model revealed that Buckingham Palace had told her mother that she would not be invited to the coronation due to their decision to slim down the guest list. She said that the Palace rang her mother to give her the news.