“Katy Perry and Lionel Richie Headline Coronation Concert for King Charles III and Queen Camilla”

The big concert to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, featuring stars like Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, took place this Sunday evening in front of Windsor Castle.

About 20,000 spectators gathered outside Windsor Castle on Sunday evening to attend the big concert organized to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla. The new sovereigns were also, flag in hand in the stands, surrounded by several members of the royal family, including William and Kate and their children George and Charlotte.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh sat close to the King and Queen, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak behind them. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his ex-wife the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, were also present, as were Zara Tindall and her husband Mike.

The Prince of Wales, William, went on stage to pay tribute to his father and had a few words for Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September, who would be a “very proud mother”. Addressing the crowd, he said his grandmother was ‘up there watching us fondly’. Then addressing his father Charles III he said all his pride.

“Dad, we are all so proud of you,” the heir to the throne said. “For more than 50 years, across the UK, the Commonwealth and the world, he (Charles, editor’s note) has dedicated himself to the service of others, current and future generations.”

The prince praised the king for warning of environmental damage ‘long before it was an everyday problem’. He ended by saying “God save the King”, which was repeated aloud by the crowd before the national anthem was sung.

stars on stage and cameos

The evening was hosted by actor Hugh Bonneville, best known for his role in the “Downton Abbey” series and the “Paddington” films. American singers Lionel Richie and Katy Perry performed some of their hits. Members of the royal family have notably been seen dancing and singing to Lionel Richie’s ‘All Night Long’ including the King and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

To the delight of the crowd, Katy Perry, wearing a golden dress, performed “Roar” and “Firework”.

The group Take That (without Robbie Williams) and the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli were also on the bill.

The Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Ballet, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and Royal Opera also took part in the show. The evening was marked by impressive illuminations on the castle where the flags of the Commonwealth countries were projected. In the sky, lighting using drones represented butterfly, bee, whale, flowers, in homage to the king’s passion for nature.

A video of Tom Cruise piloting a plane was released, in which the actor addressed the monarch in these terms: “From pilot to pilot. Your Majesty, you can be my teammate at any time.” In this brief pre-recorded appearance, the Hollywood star humorously underlined the king’s military experience in the Royal Air Force, where he learned to fly planes and helicopters. The monarch, now Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, served in the forces between 1971 and 1976.

Actor Pierce Brosnan also said in a pre-recorded video that the King had developed a ‘multitude of action man skills’ over the years, as archival footage of Charles III, in train skiing, windsurfing or even flying, were broadcast.

Adventurer Bear Grylls also reminded viewers that the King ‘even went through Royal Marines commando training – one of the toughest programs in the world’.