King Charles Coronation: Bishop of Durham honoured by role

The Bishop of Durham said it will be an honour to take part in the coronation of the King who he said believes in tradition but "also moving forward."

The Right Reverend Paul Butler will act as bishop assistant to the King, alongside The Right Reverend Michael Beasley, Bishop of Bath and Wells.

The role is awarded through historic links to previous coronation ceremonies.

King Charles III's coronation takes place in London on Saturday.

The role of bishop assistant dates back hundreds of years and the Bishop of Durham and the Bishop of Bath and Wells have assumed the duty since the coronation of Richard I.

They will accompany King Charles into Westminster Abbey and will be present throughout the ceremony.

Bishop Butler said: "It is a huge honour and privilege to have been asked to undertake the role that some of my predecessors have done for many previous coronations.

"It's very much a servant role, but maintaining that tradition is very important to the King.

"I know he is a very strong believer in tradition but also of taking tradition forward."

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said: "These roles are steeped in history, in some cases dating back 800 years, so it will be wonderful to see these centuries-old traditions played out on Coronation Day."

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