Swiss president to attend coronation of Charles III

Union Jacks in Regent Street on Tuesday, ahead of King Charles III's Coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6 Keystone / Andy Rain

Alain Berset will attend the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III in Westminster Abbey on May 6. The Swiss interior minister, who holds the rotating presidency this year, has accepted the invitation from Buckingham Palace, his spokesman said on Tuesday.

Berset and his wife will be among the 2,000 guests attending the event next Saturday, said Christian Favre, co-head of communications at the interior ministry, confirming a reportExternal link on the website lematin.ch.

According to news agency AFP, the guests will include foreign leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. US President Joe Biden will be represented by his wife, Dr Jill Biden.

Keystone / Neil Hall

Also present will be several heads of European royal families including Willem-Alexander and Maxima of the Netherlands, Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Charlene, as well as the King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain. They will be joined by politicians and representatives of British civil society.

Charles, 74, was Prince of Wales for 64 years until the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, in September. He then became king, although the news and preparations have largely been overshadowed by the family feudExternal link between Charles’s two sons, William and Harry.

King’s Procession

The Coronation will begin in London with the King’s Procession, a two-kilometre ride in a carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

The ceremony itself is due to begin at 11am local time (1pm Swiss time) and will last about an hour, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the head of the Anglican Church.

Charles and his second wife, Camilla, will leave by carriage for the Coronation Procession to Buckingham Palace, this time accompanied by a procession of nearly 4,000 military personnel in full regalia. Afterwards, the Royal Family will appear on the palace balcony to greet the crowds and watch the Royal Air Force fly over.

The most recent Swiss representation in the United Kingdom was on September 19, 2022, when Berset’s predecessor as president, Ignazio Cassis, attended the funeral of Elizabeth II. He sat next to Joe and Jill Biden in Westminster Abbey.