Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8 and her eldest son, Charles, automatically became king. But for the pomp and pageantry of the British crown to be completed, something was missing: the coronation. A month after the queen’s death, the date was set: on May 6, Carlos and Camila would both be crowned as kings in London’s Westminster Cathedral. Now, when there are barely three and a half months left for what will be a day of festivities and celebrations, the royal house has finally given details about how that coronation will be organized, 70 years after the last one, in a party that will last for three days.
The Buckingham Palace has offered this weekend new details about the coronation of King Charles III of England (who is and will be 74 years old when he ascends the throne, thus being the oldest king to be crowned in the country) and the queen consort Camila, who will have place in the United Kingdom (especially in London) from Saturday 6 to Monday 8 May 2023 —which has been declared a national holiday— and whose celebration will include a concert open to the public at Windsor Castle. Something relatively similar to what was planned to celebrate 70 years on the throne of Elizabeth II, last June.
The ceremony will be presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury (primate of the Church of England) and the service will reflect “the current role of the monarch and look to the future, while taking root in the traditions and pomp of yesteryear”, as as the royal statement has stated.
The three-day celebration will take place on the first weekend of May. On Saturday the 6th the main ceremony will take place. Then it will be the coronation in Westminster Abbey, which the monarch will arrive in a procession through the streets of London, and which will continue with another procession back to Buckingham that will be even longer and where they will be accompanied by members of the Royal family.
The event will end with the usual royal greetings from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where William of England, Charles’ eldest son, and his wife, Catherine, will play a key role, as they are already heirs to the throne. It is still unknown if Enrique, the youngest son of King Carlos and at the center of the controversy due to his recent and explosive book of memoirs, will be invited to the festivities and to the balcony, or if he will finally attend them, alone or in company of his wife, Meghan Markle, or their two children.
From there, the official and unofficial festivities will arrive. On Sunday, May 7, a concert will be held at Windsor Castle and the act of the so-called Great Coronation Luncheon. The last day, Monday the 8th, will be dedicated to volunteer program actions.
On Sunday, May 7, the British news channel BBC and the studios of the same chain will organize and broadcast the special coronation concert live from Windsor Castle, which will allow access to the public with the sale of thousands of tickets . As announced by the royal statement, through a national vote organized by the BBC, several thousand people will be selected to receive free tickets to the Coronation Concert in Windsor. The concert will also be attended by volunteers from the charitable associations in which the kings of England collaborate and will feature “a world-class orchestra that will interpret the favorite musical themes of some of the most important artists in the world,” the statement added. In addition, it will feature performances by dancers and special effects in the east garden of the castle.
At the moment it has not been announced who will perform, in addition to this orchestra, but the statement points to “stars” of music, in addition to the so-called Coro de la Coronación, “a diverse group created by community choirs and singers amateur from across the UK, as well as choirs from refugee, healthcare, LGTBQ+ and deaf communities.” A documentary will reflect the stories of the people who make up the choir and who, they say, “represent the many faces and voices of the country.” The Coronation Choir will be joined in the celebration by the so-called Virtual Choir, with singers from all over the British Commonwealth. The key and center of the recital will be a light show called Lighting up the Nation (Lighting up the nation) where iconic places in the country will be illuminated in a special way.
In addition, that Sunday will take place the so-called Great Coronation Lunch -The Coronation Big Lunch-, for which all the neighbors and communities of the country will be invited “to share food and fun”. Finally, on May 8, a holiday Monday for all British people, The Big Help Out Day will be celebrated, in which people are encouraged to participate in the volunteer programs that are being carried out in their local areas.
