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The rules of the coronation: how does constitutional convention differ from custom and practice?

By Carolyn Harris and Philippe Lagassé, on 6 May 2025

Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey two years ago today. Much tradition is bound up with the coronation, but how much of it is binding on the monarch, and what elements of it can his successor do away with, should he wish? In this post, Carolyn Harris and Philippe Lagassé outline the difference between a constitutional convention, which is considered to be constitutionally binding, and custom and practice, which are not. They discuss how Charles III’s coronation differed from those of his predecessors, before looking forward to the coronation of the next monarch and how the current heir to the throne might also do things differently, should he become king.

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Filed under Monarchy, Church and State

Tags: Act of Settlement, Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles II, Charles III, Commonwealth, constitutional convention, Coronation, Edgar the Peacable, Edward VII, Edward VIII, Elizabeth II, George IV, Harold II, henry III, House of Commons, Monarchy, Prince of Wales, Prince William, william IV

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The rules of the coronation: how does constitutional convention differ from custom and practice?

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