London
CNN
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Buckingham Palace On Saturday, he revealed details of King Charles III’s coronation, which is set to be less extravagant than his mother’s ceremony 70 years ago, in a reflection of the cost of living crisis plaguing many Britons.
Three days of festivities would take place, with the Coronation on Saturday 6 May, a “Grand Coronation Lunch” and “Coronation Ball” the following day, and an additional bank holiday on the Monday. On the final day, the public will be invited to join “The Big Help Out” by volunteering in their communities.
The palace said the coronation itself would be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
It will, the palace reiterated, “reflect the role of the monarch today and look to the future, while being rooted in ancient traditions and delights.”
This line from the palace has been interpreted by experts as a sign that Charles’ coronation will be different and more subdued than the one his late mother experienced seven decades earlier, with a shorter ceremony and modifications to some of the feudal elements of the ritual. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth was the first live televised royal event and lasted three hours.
Charles and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, would arrive at Westminster Abbey in a procession from Buckingham Palace, known as the “King’s Procession”, and return later in a larger ceremonial procession, known as the “Coronation March”, accompanied by other members of the royal family.
The King and Queen, along with members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wrap up the day’s events.
At this point, the palace has not specified which family members will appear in the procession and on the balcony, after Prince Andrew’s continued banishment from public life as a result of the historic sexual abuse allegations and the publication of Prince Harry’s memoirs that criticized his family.
Royal historian Kate Williams said: “It would help Charles a lot with his image if Harry and Meghan were there.” He previously told CNN. “It would look especially bad for him if his son wasn’t around because, of course, Harry is still very high in the line to the throne, and so are his children.”
The next day, May 7, thousands of events are expected to take place across the country as part of the “big coronation lunch,” while yet-to-be-named “world music icons and contemporary stars” will gather at the “Coronation Garden” concert, said the palace. East of Windsor Castle.
The ceremony will be attended by a general audience made up of volunteers from the King and Queen’s charities, as well as several thousand audience members chosen through a national poll conducted by the BBC.
Palace said they will see “world-class orchestral theatrical interpretations of musical favorites in front of some of the world’s biggest artists, alongside artists from the world of dance… and a selection of spoken word series delivered by the stars of stage and screen.” , adding that a list will be released in due course.
A diverse group made up of British refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and Deaf signature choirs, will form the ‘Coronation Chorus’ and will also perform at the concert, along with the ‘Virtual Choir’, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth.
Known locations around the country will also be lit up with projections, lasers, drone shows, and lighting as part of the concert.
The bank holiday festivities will conclude Monday with “The Big Help Out,” which will aim to “bring communities together and create a lasting volunteer legacy from Coronation Weekend.”
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