OK, we all had a feeling it was going to happen but a brief statement from another royal household confirmed that the Coronation celebrations will be getting started before the big day itself.

As they confirmed who will be attending the upcoming events in London, the Dutch Royal Family gave us one of the first formal announcements of a glittering pre Coronation events.

In a brief statement, it was confirmed that King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will be in Westminster Abbey on May 6 2023 as King Charles III and Queen Camilla are crowned.

However, the same announcement said that Princess Beatrix, who ruled the Netherlands from 1980 until 2013, and Princess Catharina-Amalia, 19, the heir to the throne, will be at ”the reception at Buckingham Palace prior to the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla”.

It’s long been reported that The King would hold some kind of event for his royal guests ahead of the ceremony where he will be crowned. It’s now confirmed that this takes place just hours before the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Royal presence at the Coronation will look slightly different from past ceremonies. Until 2023, heirs or representatives of royal households always attended the ceremony with monarchs and consorts staying away. This was to keep the focus on the new monarch and this historic moment in their reign.

However, times change. Across Europe, several ruling dynasties find themselves with young heirs and so kings and queens will also be in attendance.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will attend rather than the heir to the throne, Princess Leonor, who is 17 and still studying at Atlantic College in Wales. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco will also be present – the heir to the throne in the Principality is their son, Prince Jacques, who is 8 years old. It’s also been reported that King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians will attend rather than the heir, Princess Elisabeth, who is 21 years old and studying at Oxford University.

One notable exception to this pattern is in Sweden. The heir to the country’s throne, Crown Princess Victoria, will be in attendance. However, she will be with her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, who is marking his Golden Jubilee this year. Queen Silvia and Victoria’s husband, Prince Daniel, will remain in Stockholm.

The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla takes place on May 6 2023 at Westminster Abbey.