LONDON (AP) — Buckingham Palace is planning a weekend of community events and volunteerism to mark the coronation of King Charles III, aiming to highlight the monarchy’s ties to the nation as Britain crowns a new sovereign for first time in 70 years.
The plans were revealed on Saturday when the palace published the schedule for the three-day coronation weekend, which will begin with the coronation of Carlos and Camila, the queen consort, on Saturday, May 6.
The ceremony at Westminster Abbey will be preceded by a procession from Buckingham Palace to the abbey. It will be followed by another procession, in which Carlos and Camila will join other members of the royal family, and an apparition on the balcony of the palace.
But there will be more to the weekend than crowns, scepters and ermine robes.
The palace wants the coronation to show the monarchy still has a role to play in a multicultural nation struggling to deal with a cost-of-living crisis, budget cuts and a wave of strikes by public sector workers.
While there was widespread respect for Queen Elizabeth II, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of people who waited hours to walk past her coffin after her death in September, there’s no guarantee that reverence will be transferred to her eldest son. .
The coronation will be a solemn service presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, but the palace is also planning a weekend of events that will highlight the diverse communities and cultures that contribute to modern Britain.
The palace is asking neighborhoods across the country to take part in the «Great Coronation Luncheon» on Sunday, May 7, the latest incarnation of the block parties that have become a staple of grand royal celebrations.
That evening there will be a concert at Windsor Castle with a choir made up of amateur groups from across the UK, including refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ singing groups and deaf choirs. The “Coronation Choir” will perform along with another made up of singers from across the Commonwealth who will appear virtually during the televised concert which will also include as yet undisclosed headliners.
During the concert, venues across the country will be lit up with projections, lasers, and drone displays.
The following day, the palace will invite people from all over 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 themselves and join the work being done to support their local areas,” the palace said in a statement. “The goal of The Big Help Out is to use volunteerism to bring communities together and create a lasting legacy of volunteering starting on coronation weekend.”