Buckingham Palace Shares Look at King Charles' Coronation Invitations Receiving 'Final Touches'

Royals from around the world, charity representatives and more had their names handwritten by calligraphers on invitations to King Charles' crowning ceremony

The Royal Family Instagram
The Royal Family Instagram

King Charles' coronation invitations are nearly complete!

On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace shared new photos of a calligrapher at work on the intricate invitations on the royal family's Instagram and Twitter accounts.

"Putting the final touches on some very special invitations…," the caption said. "The 2,000 invited guests to the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey will each receive a personalised invitation that has been beautifully hand-finished by a small team of calligraphers."

"Among the guests at the Coronation will be over 450 British Empire Medal recipients, who have been invited in recognition of the contributions made by remarkable volunteers, charity representatives and community champions," it continued, as photos showed two completed cards.

Related:King Charles' Coronation Program Includes a Family Photo Featuring Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

The Royal Family Instagram
The Royal Family Instagram

The palace previously announced that the King, 74, invited over 850 community and charity representatives to his historic crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey on May 6. Over 450 British Empire Medallist (BEM) recipients were invited to see the service from the ancient Abbey itself.

The BEM honor is often distributed at the local level for outstanding community service or achievement, celebrating exemplary volunteer or charity work with lasting impact. Many of the medalists invited to the coronation provided instrumental support or service to their communities during COVID-19 lockdowns.

The colorful card with a floral border was designed by Andrew Jamieson, a heraldic artist and manuscript illuminator. The hand-painted watercolor and gouache illustration is being printed and distributed on recycled cards — a nod to the King's lifelong interest in sustainability.

The Royal Family Instagram
The Royal Family Instagram

"The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla," the letter heralds. "By command of the King the Earl Marshal is directed to invite [name] to be present at the Abbey Church of Westminster on the 6th day of May 2023."

Special symbolism covers the invitations. A close look shows two birds perched on the letter C, which is flanked by King Charles and Queen Camilla's coats of arms. The Queen Consort's crest has been updated to reflect her installment as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter last summer, while the flowers are grouped in bunches of three to reflect that Charles is the third King of his name.

The flora flows into an illustration of the Green Man — "an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign," the palace said.

Buckingham Palace Official invite to King Charles' coronation
Buckingham Palace Official invite to King Charles' coronation

Related: How King Charles and Queen Camilla Will Make Royal History at Their Coronation

Several royal houses from around the world have also confirmed their attendance — including foreign monarchs, in a break from tradition. In years past, monarchs from other countries typically did not attend a British king or queen's crowning ceremony, instead sending heirs, consorts or other family members to represent them.

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Hugo Burnand / Buckingham Palace King Charles and Queen Camilla
Hugo Burnand / Buckingham Palace King Charles and Queen Camilla

Buckingham Palace also announced last week that Prince Harry will attend his father King Charles' coronation while Meghan Markle will not.

"Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," the palace said in a statement last Wednesday.

Prince Harry wanted to be at the service to support his father at this important moment in his life, a friend tells PEOPLE.

Although there are three days of events surrounding the coronation, including a concert at Windsor Castle and a day dedicated to volunteering efforts, the Duke of Sussex, 38, is not expected to attend outings aside from the crowning ceremony. The palace had no comment or guidance on whether Harry will join King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the coronation.

Karwai Tang/WireImage Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Karwai Tang/WireImage Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Meanwhile, Meghan is staying in California with the couple's two children. May 6 is also Prince Archie's fourth birthday, and she will spend the weekend celebrating with him and his sister, 22-month-old Princess Lilibet, PEOPLE understands.

King Charles' crowning ceremony will be more modest than his mother's coronation 70 years ago. The 2,000 select guests invited inside Westminster Abbey on May 6 are a fraction of the 8,251 people at Queen Elizabeth's ceremony, and King Charles' church service has been cut down to about 60 minutes — a third of Queen Elizabeth's nearly three-hour coronation in 1953.

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