After Charles’s coronation: big street parties, criticism of arrests

With full-page cover photos and numerous special pages, British Sunday newspapers honored the first coronation of a monarch in 70 years. “King of the world” wrote the Sunday Mail, “coronation splendor” the tabloid “The Sun on Sunday”. Up to 20.4 million people across the country watched the ceremony on television – significantly fewer than the state funeral of Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, when 26.5 million tuned in. According to Teletest data, 552,000 people watched the coronation on ORF2, which corresponded to a market share of 53 percent.

However, the opposition Labor Party has criticized the actions of the Conservative authorities against opponents of the monarchy. Several MPs expressed concern about the arrests. The head of the Republic organization, Graham Smith, was released from custody after 16 hours on Sunday night, but his mobile phone was confiscated. He criticized that there was no longer a right to peaceful protest in Great Britain.

The government had recently tightened the right to demonstrate, and now the police have reason to make arrests if there is a suspicion that there could be serious disruption. In total, the London police had arrested 52 people – according to activists in many cases without reason. Chief of Operations Karen Findlay defended the approach as proportionate. On the other hand, Labor leader Jess Philips stressed that “our nation and our King are not so vulnerable that they cannot accept harmless protests with different views”.

Lightning visit from Harry

The lightning visit of Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles, to his old home also caused a stir in the conservative British media. The 38-year-old landed in Los Angeles on Saturday evening (local time) after the coronation. One reason for the quick return: Harry’s son Prince Archie also celebrated his fourth birthday on Saturday. Mother Duchess Meghan stayed at home in California with Archie and Lilibet (almost two years).

Harry and Meghan, who left royal duties years ago, have repeatedly criticized the palace in general and Harry’s brother Prince William and stepmother Queen Camilla in particular. The fifth heir to the throne attended the coronation in Westminster Abbey. But he was no longer there when the royal family waved to the fans from the palace balcony.

Harry has a difficult time with the conservative British media, which is close to the royal family. The newspaper “Telegraph” mocked him as the “Marquis of Montecito”, after Harry and Meghan’s Californian place of residence. “Awkward” was his short trip, judged several newspapers. The term, which has a negative connotation, also means “sensitive”, but above all “embarrassing”. But Harry was quite happy during the ceremony in Westminster Abbey. His arrival almost got lost amidst other royals.

Big Coronation Dinner

Regardless of the family quarrels, the celebrations continued on Sunday. Tens of thousands of street festivals and tea parties honoring the royal couple were planned across the country under the motto “Coronation Big Lunch”. “Whether this is your first ‘Big Lunch’ or it’s on the calendar every year, we send our best wishes to everyone involved,” Charles and Camilla wrote in a message on the royals’ Instagram. “We hope it will be a great event for everyone.”

According to media reports, the king’s youngest brother, Prince Edward, and his wife, Duchess Sophie, want to mingle with the people in Cranleigh. The daughters of the royal brother Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are expected in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. Charles and Camilla themselves are expected at the big “Coronation Concert” at Windsor Castle in the evening. A palace spokesman said the royal couple were “deeply touched after yesterday’s celebrations” and very grateful to everyone who contributed.

At the “Big Lunch” people from all over the country meet for a joint banquet on the street. The street festivals have been celebrated annually since 2009 and are intended to promote contacts between neighbors and combat loneliness. It also collects for charity. This year they are all about the coronation.

The “Coronation Quiche” is likely to be served frequently. The palace had published the recipe for the coronation. The official coronation dish with spinach, broad beans and tarragon is simple, contains no expensive ingredients and is vegetarian-friendly. King Charles is thus continuing a tradition: there was already an official recipe for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953: Coronation Chicken is now considered a standard dish in British households.

Stars at the coronation concert in the evening

In the evening, a spectacular coronation concert with music stars is planned at Windsor Castle. 20,000 people are expected to attend. Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli and former boy band Take That are expected to perform at the Coronation Concert organized by the BBC. The concert will be rounded off with a laser show and flares in the sky.

Churches across the country were able to take part in part of the coronation ceremony on Sunday. The score for the specially written coronation anthem by the British star composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has been distributed to 6,000 churches. They can now play “Make a Joyful Noise” at their services. The composition, which premiered after the coronations in Westminster Abbey, was an “antidote” after his son died of cancer a few weeks ago, Lloyd Webber told Channel 4 TV.

As the palace announced, Queen Camilla’s coronation bouquet was laid at her request in the famous London church on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which symbolizes the British World War II dead. The bouquet of English spring flowers includes auricula and lily of the valley – both featured in the Queen’s wedding bouquet in 2005 – and hellebore, which the king wore in his buttonhole at the time.