THE ROYAL FAMILY saw the glorious celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee followed by the solemn occasion of her death and state funeral in 2022.
And the royals are taking centre stage again in 2023 with Earl Marshal Edward Fitzalan-Howard masterminding King Charles’ Coronation.
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Who is the Earl Marshal?
The title of Earl Marshal is held by the highest ranking Duke in the country, a position first created in 1672.
It is a role that is responsible for arranging the state opening of parliament, organising state funerals of sovereigns as well as the accession and coronations of new monarchs.
The role is a hereditary position with the current Earl Marshal inheriting the position when his father died in 2002.
What is the Earl Marshal’s role at King Charles’ Coronation?
The Earl Marshal is responsible for the organising of the event of the Coronation of the new King.
Initially, he had to arrange the guest list for the coronation which is to be focused on a more modern Britain.
8,000 people attended the coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II, however this figure has been cut to 2,000 for the planned coronation of Charles III.
The coronation of the new king will take place at Westminster Abbey and will be a mix of the traditional and modern.
It will be the Earl Marshal’s role to oversee the entire event from the arrangements to the smooth running of the day itself.
Who is the Duke of Norfolk Edward Fitzalan-Howard?
Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the current Duke of Norfolk, inherited the titled of Earl Marshal.
He is the most senior peer in Britain currently.
The Fitzalan-Howards are one of the oldest aristocratic families in the country.
Edward Fitzalan-Howard lives in his ancestral home of Arundel Castle in West Sussex.
The property dates back to the 11th century and has been the seat of the Duke of Norfolk and his ancestors for over 850 years.
He was educated at Ampleforth College before later going on to study at Lincoln College in Oxford.
His brother, Lord Gerald Fitzalan-Howard, starred in the ITV show Keeping Up With The Aristocrats.
Fitzalan-Howard’s sister, Lady Marcia Fitzalan-Howard, is an actresss who appeared in 1980s comedy The New Statesman as Sarah B’Stard.
He has five children with his wife whom he has been separated from for some time before they finalised their divorce in 2022.
The family have had a longstanding relationship with the monarchy and his ancestor, the third Duke of Norfolk, was the uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom became wives of King Henry VIII.
Fitzalan-Howard was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the RVO for services to the monarchy during the Queen’s Jubilee honours.