2023-05-07 17:12:16
Thousands of luncheons and street parties were held across the UK on Sunday after the historic coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, ahead of a major concert scheduled for the evening at Windsor Castle.
Jill Biden, the wife of the US President, joined a lunch outside Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for volunteers, Ukrainian refugees and youth groups. Nothing was missing, neither the garlands of British flags and coronation pennants, nor the “King Charles III” mugs.
A “very pleasant moment”
More than 67,000 “big lunches” and neighborhood parties had been recorded for this long coronation weekend. The last two jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II had already given rise to such “big lunches”. Several members of the royal family were expected there, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie in Cranleigh in Surrey (south), Princess Anne and her husband Tim Laurence in Swindon (west) and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew , in Windsor. In a message on Instagram, the king and queen sent their “best wishes” to the participants in these great lunches wishing them a “very pleasant moment”.
But 72% of Britons, unmotivated by the coronation, had no intention of taking part in any celebration, according to a recent YouGov poll. After several days of rehearsals, receptions, garden parties and solemn coronation at Westminster Abbey in front of a global television audience, the 74 and 75-year-old royal couple had still planned on Sunday to attend the big concert organized in front of 20,000 spectators at the Windsor Castle (West London). Some enthusiastic spectators arrived hours in advance, British flag on their shoulders. The Prince and Princess of Wales William and Kate came there to greet the crowd in the early afternoon.
“Glorious Coronation”
The American singers Lionel Richie and Katy Perry, the Chinese pianist Lang Lang, the Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli and a choir of more than 300 people from very diverse backgrounds will perform in particular at the concert. But no British headliners. Actor Tom Cruise is set to make a video appearance, as is Winnie the Pooh, possibly following in the footsteps of the Paddington Bear, star of a video where he had tea with Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of the concert of the Jubilee in June 2022. On Monday, a public holiday granted especially for the coronation, the British were encouraged to participate in voluntary actions.
The religious coronation on Saturday in London of Charles III, gave rise to a historic day, with all the pomp associated with the great events of the monarchy. Even the rain – systematic during the last five coronations, said the weather services – was there. The photo of Charles crowned made the front page of all British newspapers as well as many international headlines.
Eight months after his accession to the throne on the death of his mother Elizabeth II, Charles III, wearing heavy ancestral ceremonial robes, was crowned at Westminster Abbey in front of 2,300 guests according to an ancient Anglican rite, modernized at the margin. His wife Camilla was also blessed and crowned. Accompanied by a spectacular military procession, the couple then returned in a golden coach to Buckingham Palace, from where they greeted the crowd from the famous balcony. It was the first coronation for 70 years, when Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953.
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