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The coronation of King Charles III. is the first in the UK for 70 years. But it should not stop at the ceremony alone. Celebrations are held for three days. Many items on the program recall the celebration of the Queen’s 70th birthday.

With a major concert and street parties all over the UK, the coronation of King Charles III. be celebrated. The palace announced details on Sunday evening about the long coronation weekend from May 6 to 8. Accordingly, the ceremony itself will take place on Saturday morning at London’s Westminster Abbey. There the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will crown Charles and his Queen Camilla.

It is the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years. Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was also crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. She died on September 8, 2022. Since then, her eldest son has been king.

It will be a service that will reflect the monarch’s current role and look to the future, but will also be rooted in time-honoured traditions and pageantry, the palace said. It is an “occasion for celebration and splendour”.

Appearance on the balcony

Charles and Camilla will be in procession from Buckingham Palace to the church and then back to City Palace, accompanied by other members of the royal family. There, the royal family will show themselves to the spectators on the balcony at the end of the festivities.

It is still unclear which family members will be present. The question is whether Charles’ youngest son Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan have been invited to the coronation. Harry had made serious accusations against the palace and his family in his recently published biography “Reserve”. For the 70th anniversary of the throne of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, in June 2022, Harry and Meghan traveled to London. However, at that time only the closest relatives were present on the balcony, who took on representative duties. The couple had given up their royal duties.

Music icons and heads of state

Dozens of heads of state from all over the world and tens of thousands of visitors are expected in London for the coronation weekend. British Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan called it a “huge milestone in the history of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth”. A “blend of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great” is celebrated.

The celebrations go beyond the ceremony itself. A major concert featuring “global music icons and contemporary stars” is scheduled for Sunday at Windsor Castle in honor of the royal couple, the palace further announced. The announced lighting effects evoke memories of the Queen’s jubilee concert for Buckingham Palace. Thousands of raffle tickets will be raffled across the country. A “coronation choir” is formed especially for the event, which includes members of numerous special choirs – such as refugees, members of the LGBTQ+ community or the hard of hearing.

Tea parties all over the country

All Sunday, people are invited to street festivals and tea parties for the “Coronation Big Lunch”. Thousands of events are expected across the country, it said. This was also something similar during Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee weekend last June.

Because of the coronation, people in the United Kingdom will also receive a one-off holiday on May 8. Under the motto “Big Help”, the population is encouraged on the day to become acquainted with volunteering in their community. The government is also considering plans to extend pub closing times to all three evenings of the weekend.

(yam/sda/dpa)