King Charles set to honour Prince Philip at coronation with a very special detail

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images and Matt Dunham - WPA Pool / Getty Image/Future)

published 26 February 2023

King Charles is keen to ensure his father is not forgotten at his coronation and is set to honour Prince Philip with a subtle but very special detail.

King Charles will honour his late father, Prince Philip, at his coronation, which will take place on May 6 2023, celebrating his heritage with Greek Orthodox music.
The gesture alludes to the sacrifice Prince Philip made when he married the late Queen, a sacrifice that saw him give up his princely title and religion.
In other royal news, Carole Middleton's 'embarrassment' over Prince William and Kate's wedding revealed.

King Charles' coronation is set to be a historic event. Though it will be an exciting day, the bittersweet celebration will be tinged with sadness at the loss of the late Queen. For those who are there at Westminster Abbey, and the royal fans watching at home, it’s set to be an emotional occasion as the monarch honours both his late mother and father.

As more details about the day continue to come out, it has now been shared that King Charles, through his personal selection of coronation music, will honour Prince Philip’s most selfless act and celebrate his cultural heritage.

12 newly commissioned pieces of music will soundtrack the day. This music not only includes a Coronation Anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber, but also Greek Orthodox music selected to celebrate Prince Philip. While it has not been specified exactly which pieces of Greek Orthodox music will be played, a statement from the Palace has confirmed that this choice was made as a tribute to Prince Philip.

King Charles’ coronation will take place just a few weeks after the two-year anniversary of Prince Philip's passing. While he was best known by his British titles and for being the crown's longest serving Consort, he was originally born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1921 on the island of Corfu.

As reported by The Independent, Philip was baptised in the Greek Orthodox Church before his family went into exile when he was just 18 months old.

Upon arriving in England and prior to his marriage to the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Philip renounced his title as Prince of Greece and Denmark in favour of becoming a British citizen and had taken on the Mountbatten name from his mother’s family.

One month before his marriage to the Queen, Philip gave up his Greek Orthodox faith and was baptised into the Church of England.

Prince Philip, The Queen, Princess Anna and King Charles

During a 2018 visit to Greece, King Charles spoke of his deep links to Greece, speaking about Prince Philip’s own father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.

As reported in the Greek City Times, Charles said, “For my part, my own connections to Greece have particular meaning – after all, it is the land of my grandfather. In Britain, as across the Western World, the profound influence of Greece has, since ancient times, shaped the way we think, the way we build, the way we learn and the way we govern.”

Related articles:

Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.