Street parties, concert, luncheons: How Britain will celebrate King Charles' coronation

Traditional processions, street parties, grand luncheons, light shows and a concert at Windsor Castle will be among the main attractions when Britain’s new King Charles III wears the Imperial Crown on May 6, the Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Saturday (January 21).

Charles, 74 acceded to the throne after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

The news of the coronation comes at a time when the British Royal family is in the midst of a major controversy, sparked by Charles’ son, Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare, in which he spills some of the closely-guarded secrets of the family including feuds with his brother and heir-apparent Prince William.

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May 6 will also see the coronation of Charles second wife, Camilla, as the Queen consort.

“Their Majesties, The King and The Queen Consort hope the Coronation Weekend will provide an opportunity to spend time and celebrate with friends, families and communities across the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth,” the Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

On May 8, Britons will get an extra bank holiday to participate in ceremonies and a special concert.

The main coronation event will be held at London’s Westminster Abbey and will be followed by the traditional pageantry used for anointing monarchs over the last thousand years.

After this, the King and the Queen consort will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace along with other family members to greet visitors.

The Windsor Castle concert will be held on May 7, and is expected to feature some of the most-famous entertainers of the world as well as a special coronation choir. After that buildings across the United Kingdom will be lit up as part of the ‘Lighting up the Nation’ ceremony, the palace said in a release.

The coronation choir will be a diverse and inclusive group, “created from the nation’s keenest community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom, such as Refuge choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups, and deaf signing choirs.”

Several thousand pairs of tickets will be made available via public ballot to enable Britons to attend the concert for free, the statement said.

Produced by the BBC Studios, the Coronation Concert will be aired live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds.

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On the day of the Coronation Big Lunch on May 7, communities and neighbours would be encouraged to feast together.

On May 8, people would be encouraged to participate in the ‘Big Help Out,’ and volunteer to join “work being undertaken to support their local areas.”

It is, however, still a mystery whether Prince Harry and his family will be invited to the coronation as the royal family has not made it clear which family members will be part of the event.