To celebrate his coronation, Charles III will have his very own James Bond

A new James Bond novel is to be published on the occasion of the coronation of King Charles III in May, in which Britain's best-known spy will try to thwart an attack disrupting the royal ceremony, the book's publisher announced on Friday. .

Ian Fleming Publications, the company that owns the literary rights to the character created by Ian Fleming, has announced that it has asked Charlie Higson to write this new adventure. The 64-year-old British author and actor, a big fan of 007, is already at the origin of five novels telling the adventures of a teenage James Bond, written for young audiences.

The new novel is due for publication on May 4, two days before the coronation of King Charles III on the 6th. It will be titled On His Majesty's Secret Service, a male version of the title of Ian Fleming's 10th novel published 60 years ago: On Her Majesty's Secret Service. “The coronation of King Charles III is a momentous event for the country,” explained Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications. “We wondered how we could celebrate it, and the answer seemed obvious to us. The book On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming was first published on April 1, 1963. What better way, 60 years later, to mark this new chapter in history than by publishing a whole new story? »

The plot of the new installment is set in contemporary times, two days before the king's coronation, and Bond is tasked with foiling a last-minute attack aimed at disrupting the ceremony. “When Ian Fleming Publications contacted me with the idea of ​​writing an adult Bond story just over a month ago, I was super excited. Until I realized it had to be ready for the coronation in May,” Higson said.

All royalties from the sale of the book will be used to support a reading and writing association for underprivileged children.