King Charles coronation: Crown for the monarch, costly medals for 400,000 people

It appears as if King Charles III's grand coronation has something in store for everyone. While the King will get the crown and the throne at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 400,000 people will be awarded a special coronation medal for their efforts to pull off the mega event.

According to Sky News, the medals will be given to military personnel, emergency workers, police officers, choristers as a heartfelt token of gratitude to the people of the United Kingdom. In addition to that, the King’s Coronation Medal will be presented to those in the armed forces who have completed five years of service by Friday. 

Made of nickel silver, the medals will feature the King and Queen Consort on one side, and the Sovereign’s personal monogram on the other. They also are inscribed with a royal cypher, a laurel wreath and the date of the coronation, May 6. The silver medals are expected to cost the British government as much as £ 35 million, according to reports, as per The Daily Mail. "The Coronation would not be possible without the dedication and selfless service shown by our armed forces and other public servants," said Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden. 

Coronation medals: A royal 'thank you from the nation'

"This medal is a fitting recognition of their efforts, and a thank you from the nation. It will be worn with pride for years to come," Dowden added. In the words of Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, the medals will "act as a reminder of the important part each person has played in this moment of history."

Medals have been a crucial part of several royal events in the past, including the late Queen Elizabeth's Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees. The royal tradition dates back to 1603, when the first coronation medal was awarded under King James I's reign. This time, King Charles followed the footsteps of George VI by including the Queen on the medal. In 1937, the medals featured Queen Elizabeth. On Saturday, tens of thousands of the items will showcase Queen Consort Camilla, ready to be crowned as the Queen.