It was as if just yesterday the longest-reigning British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away and the news took the world by storm. But now the next big Royal event is this upcoming Saturday, May 6, 2023: The Coronation of King Charles III.

It has been decades since the last coronation of a British Monarch, the last was of course for Charles’ mother Elizabeth II who was coronated “in June 1953,” according to The New York Times. The previous Queen’s crowning was the first coronation in history and was televised through coordination with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Since then, “the royal House of Windsor has changed radically from ‘a magical monarchy to a public service monarchy,'” as said by Vernon Bogdanor, a constitutional expert at King’s College, in The New York Times.

The coronation itself is a historical event that has artifacts and traditions that date back hundreds of years. The basic structure of the event itself is a procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abey, a famous historical church that is the traditional ground for coronations and royal weddings. Next is the ceremony itself which contains, “the oath, anointing, homage and enthronement,” according to The Telegraph. Along with his own coronation, his second wife Camilla Parker Bowles will be officially coronated as Queen Consort. Although she is Queen, it is worth noting the difference between her title and the previous Queen’s title. Camila is consort, meaning she is just the spouse of the monarch. As for Elizabeth II, she was Queen Regnant: the one who was born royal and the established reigning monarch.

But like most things related to popular celebrities, there is drama and controversies. As mentioned in the New York Times, “‘The public eye is grown more unforgiving, its gaze, like its judgments, more relentless,’ Catherine Mayer wrote in ‘Charles: The Heart of a King,’ a biography updated last year after its initial publication in 2015. ‘Even so, if the Windsors wish to see the biggest dangers to the survival of the monarchy, they need only look in the mirror.’” Especially in recent years, the Royal Family’s conflicts have become news headlines and frequent topics of discussion, specifically because of Charles’ second son Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and the second son of Queen Elizabeth II: Prince Andrew. Due to past conflicts, there was much speculation on whether or not all of the previously mentioned individuals would be invited to the coronation. To cut to the chase, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are attending the coronation but will not have any important roles in the coronation due to the fact that they are not working Royals. Meghan Markle and her children with Harry, however, are not attending.

So after reading all of this, should you care?

Probably not, interest in this topic is subjective. Some Wayne Hills students, although intrigued, have their own opinions related to the coronation. Hills senior Gianna Passaro commented on the age of the King, “The average age of a British Monarch is 30—bro is 73. I think that King Charles’ reign won’t lead to anything productive because of the age that he is starting at.”

On the other hand, sophomore Maddy D’Aleo has a more positive perspective on the Coronation. She said, “Although Charles is old and has an iffy reputation because of what happened with Princess Diana, history is being made and I’m just excited to see how grand the ceremony is.”