This one-day conference, hosted by the Centre for British Politics and Government, explores the constitutional, cultural and political impacts of the upcoming coronation, with a focus on the presentation by those responsible for organising the event of the key issues involved.

Questions will include how far coronation planning has invoked continuities from previous conferences, and the extent to which innovations have been either advertised or cloaked under the heading of continuity. The known constitutional issues raised by legal, theological and political experts will be debated, alongside explorations of the challenges involved, including needed practical adaptations of coronation protocols in the light of the reform of the House of Lords since the last coronation, and a will for the coronation to appear relevant to modern society, while retaining attractive levels of pomp and ceremony. The sacred and secular balance in the coronation will also be addressed.

The event, which is free of charge, courtesy of the Department of Political Economy, will be a hybrid event, with a limited in-person attendance in Bush House North East 1.02, and online via zoom.

For those attending in person, tea and coffee and a sandwich lunch will be provided, and there will be a post-conference reception. The conference will also be recorded, and the event will subsequently be made available, as well as via a conference report. The intention, post the actual coronation, is to revisit this event and to publish papers based on the issues and conclusions reached.

The conference format has been organised around four round table sessions, shaped both by expert panellists and a round-table-style discussion, based on questions and contributions from attendees (both in person and online). The named experts will briefly address and explain their focus on the coronation, including histories of previous coronations, precedent and reinterpretation of traditions, and the symbolism and meaning surround the coronation as a sacerdotal event.