(London) The coronation weekend of King Charles III. will be marked by a celebrity concert at Windsor Castle, as well as a nationwide “Grand Luncheon” following the May 6 ceremony at Westminster Abbey and royal processions, Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday.
Posted at 5:42 p.m
The coronation of 74-year-old Charles comes eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8 at the age of 96.
Buckingham didn’t say in his statement whether Harry and his California-exiled wife Meghan would be in attendance.
The palace has never officially responded to the prince’s explosive book, The Substitute, in which he makes allegations against several members of the royal family, most notably his brother William and consort Camilla.
The coronation ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday morning, May 6, and will be traditionally performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church.
“The coronation is a solemn service and an occasion for celebration and pageantry,” says Buckingham. The ceremony “will be forward-looking while steeped in tradition and long-standing pageantry.”
Charles III and his wife Camilla will arrive in Westminster from Buckingham Palace in a procession called the ‘King’s Procession’.
After the ceremony, they return to Buckingham as part of the ‘Coronation Procession’, accompanied by other members of the Royal Family.
“At Buckingham Palace, the King and Queen, accompanied by members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony to end the day.”
The next day there will be a concert at Windsor Castle in west London featuring “international music icons and contemporary celebrities”.
On stage is a “coronation choir” with singers from refugee choirs, the public health service and LGBTQ+ singing groups.
On Sunday, too, the population is invited to take part in the “Big Coronation Dinner”, neighborhood festivals to “celebrate friendship”. According to the press release, “thousands of events” are to take place in the streets, gardens and parks.
On Monday May 8th, which will be a public holiday, people are encouraged to volunteer. The move aims to “bring people together and create a volunteer movement that will last beyond Coronation Weekend”.