The Cook Islands will be represented by the King’s Representative Sir Tom Marsters and Lady Tuaine Masters at the King’s Coronation this week.

The coronation of King Charles III, which takes place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, will be attended by a host of dignitaries and international heads of state.

The Marsters will be accompanied by Official Secretary Anthony Brown

According to the BBC, invitations for the formal ceremony have been sent to about 2000 people, while 850 community members have been invited in recognition of their charity work.

Cook Islands local historian Howard Henry said he expected most Cook Islanders to support the event.

“I expect the majority of the Cook Islands population are broadly supportive of the monarchy, certainly I detect no animosity towards King Charles III, and his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was certainly held in high regard,” Henry said.

This is the first Coronation ceremony for the United Kingdom since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, died in September last year aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

King Charles III will be the 40th monarch crowned in the Abbey.

Meanwhile Henry said in light of the coronation, the Cook Islands should also seriously consider becoming a full member of the Commonwealth.

“I think it’s taken for granted that we’re not actually full members. We’re part of the Commonwealth, but we don’t have full status. It’s the reason why the Cook Islands Prime Minister doesn’t attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings,” he said.

“It’s a very easy process, I suspect if Cook Islands applied to be full members of the Commonwealth, there would be absolutely no objection to it.”