Ontario to Celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III

Then-prince Charles during a visit to Ottawa in 2017.

On May 6, 2023, Ontario will celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen. This historic occasion will mark the first coronation of a Canadian Head of State in seven decades.

To commemorate The King’s Coronation, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Premier Doug Ford, Speaker Ted Arnott, and Indigenous leaders will hold a flag raising ceremony, 21-gun salute, and drum circle at 11:15 a.m. on May 6. The ceremony will also include a special presentation of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. Members of the public are invited to attend; the event will also be available to view via livestream on the Government of Ontario YouTube Channel.

Following the ceremony, ‘Coronation Celebration: A Fun Royal Fair’ will be held on the South Lawn of Queen’s Park from noon to 6 p.m. Free family fun activities will include carnival rides and live entertainment. A ‘Taste of Ontario’ will provide complimentary food and beverages from Ontario farmers and processors. The Coronation Celebration is open to the public, free of charge.

Extending the celebrations across the province, 10 major cultural attractions and 39 provincial parks will offer free admission for day use. To find out more about the provincial parks, please visit Ontario Parks.

Participating cultural attractions

Cultural attractions offering free admission on May 6 include:

  • Art Gallery of Ontario
  • Fort William Historical Park
  • McMichael Canadian Art Collection
  • Niagara Parks’ Butterfly Conservatory and Floral Showhouse
  • Ontario Science Centre
  • Royal Botanical Gardens
  • Royal Ontario Museum
  • Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
  • Science North
  • Upper Canada Village
  • Participating provincial parks

39 provincial parks across Ontario will be open and offer free admission to the public. Find the list of open parks at Ontario Parks.

Visitors will be able to book their day use permit at 26 parks that will be open on May 6 and participating in the advance daily vehicle permit service starting on May 1 at 7 a.m.

The Ontario Parks Reservation website can be found at the following link, Ontario Parks Reservation System or customers can navigate from our OntarioParks.com webpage. Where available, reservations for a daily vehicle permit are recommended but not required.

Customers can go directly to the reservation website through the link, or they can navigate through the “Reservations” drop down if they are on the ontarioparks.com main page.

Quick Facts

  • Canada is a constitutional monarchy, and The King is Canada’s Head of State
  • His Majesty King Charles III acceded to the Throne on September 8, 2022, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
  • The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III is the first coronation of a Canadian Head of State in seven decades.
  • The Lieutenant Governor is the King’s representative in Ontario.