PARTY TIME
A CONCERT to mark the King's coronation looks set to be a star-studded affair that could dwarf his late mother's Platinum Jubilee.
The musical spectacle at Windsor Castle is expected to feature performances from global icons like Ed Sheeran and Elton John, and rock royalty Queen.
11
11
11
Other world-famous artists such as Eric Clapton, Sting, Cliff Richard, Rod Stewart and surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr may also make an appearance.
And mega stars Harry Styles and Dua Lipa are rumoured to be in talks to be on the bill.
There is even speculation Charles' celebration could bring the Spice Girls back together for the first time since the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
No line-up has yet been confirmed, but whoever makes the cut will take the stage on the East Lawn on May 7.
READ MORE ROYAL NEWS
The audience will include volunteers from the King, 74, and Queen Consort’s charities, plus several thousand members of the public.
Free pairs of tickets can be won in a public ballot run by the BBC, which will broadcast the show live.
The Coronation Choir, a diverse group that will be created from the nation's keenest community choirs and amateur singers such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs, will also make an appearance alongside The Virtual Choir, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth.
The music will be complimented by spoken word sequences likely to feature top actors.
Most read in Fabulous
The palace said the centrepiece of the concert, dubbed "lighting up the nation", will see the country join together in celebration as landmarks across the UK are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
The coronation weekend, which runs May 6 to 8, will also feature a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance, grand parades, a Big Lunch and volunteering.
The ceremony itself will take place at Westminster Abbey on the Saturday morning, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
According to the palace, it will be "a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry".
It will "reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry", a spokesperson added.
Charles and Camilla, 75, will arrive at the Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as "the King's procession", and after the service they will return in a larger ceremonial procession, known as "the coronation procession", joined by other members of the royal family.
They will then stand on the balcony to conclude the day's events.
The palace has not said exactly which family members will appear in the coronation procession or on the balcony, but there is debate as to whether Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan Markle, 41, will make the journey over from the US.
It will be very grand and will probably eclipse the Queen’s funeral and Platinum Jubilee in terms of pageantry.
Dr Bob Morris
Meanwhile, people are invited to gather for a meal on Sunday, overseen and organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project.
The Queen Consort has been patron of the Big Lunch since 2013.
The palace said thousands of events are expected to take place in streets, gardens and parks in every corner of the UK.
Monday, a bank holiday, has been set aside for volunteering and is being billed as "the big help out".
Organised by The Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the UK, it aims to highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities.
The palace said in tribute to the King's public service, the big help out "will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas".
The aim of the day is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said tens of thousands of people are expected to visit London to experience the coronation.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said the coronation is "a huge milestone in the history of the UK and Commonwealth", adding that the weekend of events will bring people together to celebrate "the mixture of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great".
Arrangements for the coronation, like those for the Queen's funeral in September, will be diplomatically sensitive, given the likely presence of leaders from scores of different countries.
'AMAZING SIGHT'
It could also pose difficulties for the royal family following the release of the Duke of Sussex's controversial memoir Spare, with a question mark over whether Harry and Meghan will be among those attending.
During an interview with Tom Bradby on ITV, Harry was asked if he will come to the coronation if he is invited, and he said: "There's a lot that can happen between now and then.
"But, you know, the door is always open. The - the ball is in their court.
"There's a lot to be discussed and I really hope that they can - that they are willing to sit down and talk about it, because there's a lot that's happened in six years.
"And prior to that as well."
The scale of the event could be even larger than the Queen's funeral, partly because overseas leaders will have more time to plan their travel.
The funeral saw leaders from most countries receive an invitation.
But representatives from Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan were not invited, while Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua were invited only at ambassadorial level.
Royal experts predict the event could also dwarf last year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Constitutional expert Dr Bob Morris, of University College London, said: "It will be very grand and will probably eclipse the Queen’s funeral and Platinum Jubilee in terms of pageantry.
"There will be more bands and more people.
"It will certainly be an amazing sight. But it won’t be the grand affair we had in 1953, which had all the colonial troops. It will feel less imperial."
A concert held outside Buckingham Palace for the late Queen's Jubilee featured performances from artists including Diana Ross, George Ezra, Alicia Keys and Mabel.
Read More on The Sun
The Government has already launched a consultation on extending pub opening hours throughout the coronation weekend.
That could mean pubs in England and Wales being allowed to stay open until 1am on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
Topics