King Charles gets his own James Bond story for his Coronation

Shortly before his coronation, British King Charles III gets his own story about the famous secret agent James Bond.

Charlie Higson will write the new short story On His Majesty's Secret Service
photo © Stuart Bertie

On His Majesty's Secret Service will be released on Thursday 4 May 2023 ahead of the Coronation on Saturday 6 May - and 60 years after the publication of Ian Fleming's tenth novel, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, in 1963.

Author Charlie Higson has written the new adventure about 007 and the monarch, publisher Ian Fleming Publications told British media. The new work is a nod to the existing Bond story On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

In On His Majesty's Secret Service, Bond must prevent the ceremony from being brutally disrupted the day before the coronation.

Higson, who has written several books from the Bond children's series Young Bond, was asked to write the coronation story more than a month ago. "I was overjoyed until I realized it had to be ready for the coronation in May. Writing the book in such a short time is as thrilling and heart-pounding as a Bond mission. Although, of course, no one would fire at me."

King Charles III (when he was still the Prince of Wales) with Daniel Craig on the set of No Time To Die in 2019

The action of this entirely new 007 adventure brings Bond into the present day. It is the 4th of May, two days before the Coronation of King Charles Ill and the world's favourite spy has his work cut out for him. Bond is sent at the last minute to thwart an attempt to disrupt the Coronation by the wealthy, eccentric and self-styled Athelstan of Wessex, who is on a deadly mission of his own to teach the United Kingdom a lesson. Can Bond dismantle his shady plans and defeat his privately hired team of mercenaries?

On His Majesty's Secret Service will be available digitally as an eBook, as an audiobook (read by Charlie Higson), and as a hardback, online and in bookshops from 4 May.

Click here to pre-order on Amazon

Proceeds from the book will go to the National Literacy Trust, an organization that helps underprivileged children with reading and language. Charles's wife, Queen Consort Camilla, is a patron of that foundation.