“Proud of you, Dad”: William gets personal at the coronation concert

A boy band reunion, Kermit the Frog battling for top seat and royals grooving to the music: around 20,000 fans watched the coronation of King Charles III in front of a spectacularly lit backdrop of Windsor Castle. and his wife Camilla celebrated with a star-studded concert.

The show in the “Garden of the Royal Family”, as British actor Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”, “Paddington”) moderated the spectacle, was the celebration highlight of the coronation weekend. With spring-like temperatures and a sunny festival atmosphere, opera greats such as Andrea Bocelli alternated with pop stars such as Lionel Richie and Katy Perry and a coronation choir consisting of several hundred voices. The 300 artists collectively reciting Emile Sande’s “Brighter Days” included a firefighter’s choir, a choir of the deaf, and a choir of South Asian women.

Dancers from the Royal Ballet collaborated with the Royal Shakespeare Company and other royal artistic institutions in honor of Charles. They played a mix of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and Leonard Bernstein’s musical “West Side Story”. When rock musician Steve Windwood sang “Higher Love” with the Commonwealth Choir, made up of participants from various British ex-colonies, Charles’ niece Zara Tindall and husband Mike danced in their seats. The finale was a critically acclaimed reunion performance by boy band Take That, which left the other royals unable to hold their seats.

Heir to the throne Prince William addressed the newly crowned king with personal words from the podium: “We are so proud of you, Dad,” he said in the direction of the covered Royal Box, where Charles and Camilla met many other royals – including Prince Andrew – and watched the concert. Again and again, heads and camera lenses tilted upwards towards the seats of the royal family.

In Windsor there was no sign of opponents of the monarchy, as had been seen in central London the day before: those who were there probably had nothing against the monarchy – or even supported it, such as crowns, flags and T- shirts revealed. Half of the approximately 20,000 concert tickets were raffled among interested people from the British population – people who had done something special were also invited.

However, the big names of current British pop have stayed away from Windsor: Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Adele and Harry Styles are said to have declined invitations. “If Harry Styles had come I would have lost my mind,” said a young woman wearing a red, white and blue headdress on her way back.

Instead, the BBC – the concert’s official organizer – offered a number of optical and humorous highlights: Illuminated drones painted flowers and animals in the night sky as a tribute to Charles’ love of nature. The sandstone-colored Windsor Castle shone sometimes in gold, sometimes covered in flowers, sometimes in the colors of the Union Jack. Kermit the Frog got to annoy the presenter from time to time and eventually even ended up in his coveted Royal Box, where he was seen with Prince Edward.

“Coronations are an announcement of our hopes for the future,” William quoted his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II as saying during the concert. The core of the British Royals can hope for further stability of the monarchy – at least on this evening their future seemed certain for the time being.

However, the ‘Big Help Out’ day, which was scheduled for Monday – an extra holiday for most Britons to mark the coronation – could be less glorious. People are called upon to join in and do something good for the community in the extra free time. According to The Guardian, interest in it was initially limited. According to official figures, volunteering in British society has been declining for years. It remains to be seen if the new king can do anything about it. (sda/dpa)