The coronation in Westminster Abbey, a procession, a concert broadcast on the BBC, on a public holiday. Buckingham Palace unveiled this Thursday evening the program for the three days of festivities that will surround the coronation of King Charles III in the United Kingdom, set for May 6.
Buckingham Palace began unveiling on Saturday the program for the three days of festivities on the occasion of the coronation of King Charles III: after the ceremony on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, there will be a concert of stars, a “grand national luncheon and initiatives to promote volunteering. The coronation of Charles, 74, will take place eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8 at the age of 96.
Buckingham wants to make “this historic event” a moment of celebration, which gives “the opportunity for people to come together”. But will the royal family themselves be reunited? Buckingham did not say in its statement if Harry and his wife Meghan, exiled in California, will be present. The palace has never officially reacted to the prince’s explosive book, The Alternatepublished on January 10, in which he makes harsh accusations against several members of the royal family, in particular his brother William and the queen consort Camilla.
The coronation of Elizabeth II dates back to 1953
The coronation is traditionally held in the months following the accession to the throne. This period allows both to observe the national mourning and the royal mourning, and to organize the ceremony.
The last coronation, that of Elizabeth II, dates back to June 2, 1953. For the first time, the ceremony, grandiose, had been broadcast on television and watched by 27 million Britons, for 36 million inhabitants at the time. . It had lasted more than three hours, in front of 8,251 guests massed in the Abbey. 129 nations and territories were officially represented.
The “king’s procession” to the coronation
The coronation ceremony of Charles III will take place on the morning of May 6, at Westminster Abbey, like the previous coronations of British monarchs for 900 years. It will be, as tradition dictates, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church. “The coronation is a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” Buckingham says. The ceremony “will be forward-looking, while being steeped in tradition and long-standing pageantry.” Charles’ wife, Camilla, will also be crowned.
Charles III and Camilla will arrive in Westminster from Buckingham Palace in a procession called the “King’s Procession”. After the ceremony, they will return to Buckingham as part of the “coronation procession”, for which they will be joined by other members of the royal family. To conclude this first day, the king and queen consort, accompanied by members of the royal family, will appear on the balcony of Buckingham, to greet the crowd.
A concert in Windsor
The next day will be a concert at Windsor Castle, west London, with “international music icons and contemporary stars”. It will be broadcast on the BBC. Buckingham, however, did not mention the names of the artists who will perform on stage. Among the audience will be volunteers from charities supported by Charles and Camilla.
A “coronation choir” will also perform a concert, featuring singers from refugee choirs, the public health service, LGBTQ+ and deaf singing groups. In the evening, iconic locations across the UK will be illuminated.
A “grand coronation luncheon” on May 7
The population will also be invited on May 7 to participate in the “grand coronation lunch”, neighborhood parties to “celebrate friendship”. “Thousands of events” should take place in the streets, gardens, parks, according to Buckingham.
These popular celebrations recall those that took place in June 2022 for Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, for her 70 years of reign. Across the UK, tens of thousands of neighbours’ lunches and picnics had been organized to celebrate this hugely popular monarch.
On Monday, May 8, which will be a public holiday, people will be encouraged to volunteer. The move aims to “bring people together and create a volunteer movement that will last beyond coronation weekend,” the palace said.
