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London (AFP) – On Saturday, Buckingham Palace revealed the program for the celebrations of the coronation of King Charles III, which will last for three days. After the ceremony on May 6 in London’s Westminster Abbey, a star-studded gala, a national “big lunch” and initiatives to support volunteering will be held.
King Charles III, 74, will be crowned eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 at the age of 96.
Buckingham wants to make “this historic event” a celebratory occasion that gives “people an opportunity to meet”.
The question: Will the royal family be reunited? Buckingham Palace did not say in its statement whether Harry and his wife Meghan, who live in California, would attend.
The palace issued no reaction or comment on Prince Harry’s explosive book, “The Alternative,” which was published on January 10 and leveled scathing accusations against a number of members of the royal family, particularly his brother William and his stepmother, Queen Camilla.
This event is traditionally held in the months following accession to the throne. This period allows observance of the period of national mourning and royal mourning at the same time and the organization of the celebration.
The last coronation of Elizabeth II dates back to June 2, 1953. For the first time on that day, the lavish ceremony was broadcast on television and watched by 27 million Britons out of 36 million people at the time. It lasted more than three hours and was attended by 8,251 guests at the cathedral, officially representing 129 countries and territories.
a celebration
The coronation of Charles III will take place on the morning of May 6 in Westminster Abbey, just like previous coronations of British monarchs 900 years ago. The religious ceremony is presided over by tradition, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
“The coronation is a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement, noting that the ceremony “will look to the future despite its roots in time-honored tradition and royal pageantry.”
Charles’ wife, Camilla, will also be crowned.
Charles III and Camilla arrive at Westminster Castle from Buckingham Palace in a procession called the “King’s Procession”. After the ceremony, they return to Buckingham in the “coronation procession” and are joined by other members of the royal family.
At the conclusion of this first day, the King and Queen, accompanied by members of the royal family, will take to Buckingham Terrace to greet the crowd.
light
The next day, a concert will be held at Windsor Castle, west London, featuring “world music icons and contemporary stars” and broadcast on BBC. But Buckingham did not reveal the names of the participating artists.
The event will be attended by volunteers for charities supported by Charles and Camilla. The Coronation Choir will also perform a concert featuring singers from refugee choirs, the Public Health Service and deaf and gay singing groups.
In the evening, famous landmarks across the UK will be lit up.
On 7 May residents will be invited to the “Grand Coronation Luncheon” and neighborhood parties will be held to “celebrate friendship”. “Thousands of events” will also be held in streets, parks and gardens, according to Buckingham.
These popular celebrations recall those that took place in June 2022 on the occasion of Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, 70 years after her reign.
At the time, tens of thousands of luncheons and picnics were organized across the UK to celebrate the hugely popular Queen.
Monday, May 8, which will be a public holiday, people will be encouraged to volunteer. The move aims to achieve “a rapprochement between the population and the creation of a volunteer movement that will continue beyond the coronation holiday,” according to the palace.
© 2023 AFP
