British King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort of England attended the presentation Address by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, in the Palace of Westminster, central London on September 12, 2022, after Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8.
Dan Kitwood AFP Getty Images
Buckingham Palace is planning a weekend of community events and volunteerism to mark the coronation of King Charles III, which wants to highlight the monarchy’s relationship with the country as Britain takes on a new monarch for the first time in 70 years.
The plans were revealed as the royals released their schedule for the three-day coronation weekend, which will begin with the coronation of Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, on Saturday, May 6.
The ceremony at Westminster Abbey will begin with a procession from Buckingham Palace to the abbey. It will be followed by another procession, where Charles and Camilla will be joined by other members of the royal family, and seen on the balcony of the palace.
But at the weekend there will be more than crowns, scepters and ermine robes.
The kingdom wants the coronation to demonstrate that the monarchy still has a role to play in a multicultural country struggling to overcome a cost-of-living crisis, budget cuts and a wave of strikes from public sector workers.
While there is widespread respect for Queen Elizabeth II, as demonstrated by the tens of thousands of people who waited hours to file her coffin after her death in September, there is no guarantee that respect will be transferred to her eldest son.
The coronation will be a solemn service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, but the palace is also planning a weekend of events highlighting the diverse communities and cultures that contribute to modern Britain.
The palace is asking neighbors across the country to take part in the “Coronation Big Lunch” on Sunday, May 7 – the latest incarnation of the block party that has become a staple of big royal celebrations.
That night there will be a concert at Windsor Castle featuring a choir drawn from amateur groups across the UK, including a refugee choir, a National Health Service choir, an LGBTQ singing group and a deaf choir. The “Coronation Choir” will perform alongside other singers from the Commonwealth who will appear virtually during the televised concert which will also include an as yet unknown headliner.
During the concert, locations across the country will be illuminated using projections, lasers and drone displays.
The next day, the palace invited people across the country to participate in ”The Big Help Out,” encouraging them to volunteer in their own communities.
“The Big Help Out will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work they do to support their local area,” the palace said in a statement. “The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteers to bring the community together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.”