London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 23, 2025

Buckingham Palace reveals details about King’s coronation weekend

Buckingham Palace reveals details about King’s coronation weekend

The celebrations will include a star-studded concert at Windsor Castle

A balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace, a concert featuring global stars and a day of volunteering will all form part of celebrations for the King’s coronation.

The palace has revealed new details on plans for events that will take place over the coronation weekend from Saturday May 6 to Monday May 8.

The coronation of the King and Queen Consort 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”.

The service will “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”.

Charles and Camilla will arrive at the Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as “the King’s procession”, and after the service they will return to the palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as “the coronation procession”, joined by other members of the royal family.

At the palace, Charles and Camilla will be joined by family members on the balcony to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.

The palace has not said exactly which family members will appear in the coronation procession or on the balcony.

The UK will get an extra bank holiday for the King’s coronation

Sunday will see “global music icons and contemporary stars” descend on Windsor Castle for the coronation concert which will be broadcast live on the BBC.

Several thousand members of the public will be selected to receive a pair of free tickets through a national ballot held by the BBC.

The audience will also include volunteers from the King and Queen Consort’s charity affiliations.

The show will feature a world-class orchestra playing interpretations of musical favourites fronted by “some of the world’s biggest entertainers, alongside performers from the world of dance”, the palace said.

The performances will be supported by staging and effects located on the castle’s east lawn and will also include a selection of spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen.

The Coronation Choir, a diverse group that will be created from the nation’s keenest community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs, will also make an appearance.

A new documentary exploring the formation of The Coronation Choir will tell the stories of the people representing the many faces and voices of the country.

The Coronation Choir will appear alongside The Virtual Choir, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth, for a special performance on the night.

The palace said the centrepiece of the coronation 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.

Meanwhile, people are invited to gather for a “coronation big lunch” 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, the big help out 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.

It could also pose difficulties for the royal family following the release of the Duke of Sussex’s controversial memoir, with a question mark over whether Harry and wife 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.

Meanwhile, the scale of the event could be even larger than the Queen’s funeral in September, 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.

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.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
UK Transfers Chagos Islands Sovereignty to Mauritius in Strategic Agreement
Bitcoin Surpasses $111,000 Mark for the First Time
Key Developments in UK Business and Economy
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Leaked Secret Report: How the Muslim Brotherhood Is Expanding in France—With Qatari Funding
BYD Surpasses Tesla in European Electric Vehicle Sales
West Nile Virus Detected in UK Mosquitoes for First Time
UK Exposes Russian Cyber Campaign Targeting Ukraine Aid Networks
UK Inflation Rises to 3.5% in April Amid Household Bill Increases
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Taiwan claims China is using cash to win over developing nations
European Parliament Suspends Huawei Lobbyists Amid Corruption Probe
Industry Leaders Express Skepticism Over EU's New Single Market Strategy
European Parliament Considers Lifting Immunity of Five MEPs in Huawei Investigation
‘Plane Full of English Animals’: Footage Documents EasyJet Flight Chaos to Ibiza
Trump and Ramaphosa Hold Contentious White House Meeting Amid Diplomatic Strains
US Billionaires' Wealth Surges by $365 Billion Amid Tax Cut Debate
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces Federal Trial on Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Charges
India Blocks Thousands of Social Media Accounts Amid Tensions with Pakistan
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Ontario Manufacturers Warn U.S. Tariffs Could Create Economic 'Ghost Town'
UK and EU Reach Landmark Post-Brexit Deal to Reset Relations
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Trump Demands Probe into Kamala Harris for Paying Celebs to Fake Endorsements
At Age 92, the World’s Oldest President Has No Succession Plan — and That Could Spark a Crisis
U.S. Concerns Mount Over Chinese 'Kill Switch' Components Found in Solar Power Infrastructure
Bipartisan Criticism Surrounds Trump's Cryptocurrency Ventures
Diplomatic Efforts on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Mexican Navy Ship Collides with Brooklyn Bridge, Injuries Reported
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
U.S. and Philippine Forces Test High-Powered Microwave Weapons in Joint Exercise
China Unveils Advanced AI Surveillance Tools at 12th Police Equipment Expo
Japan's Three Major Banks Report Record High Net Profits for Second Consecutive Year
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
US and EU Make Progress in Trade Talks, While Vietnam Negotiations Also Advance
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial: Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura Testifies About Alleged Abuse
Former Wales Rugby Star Jamie Roberts to Pursue Medical Career
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
Passenger Travels Under Wrong Identity on British Airways Flight
Former FBI Director James Comey Questioned by Secret Service Over Social Media Post
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
After 108 Years: Moody’s Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Russia and Ukraine Hold First Direct Peace Talks in Three Years — But No Breakthrough Yet
×