London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jan 25, 2026

King and Queen say thanks for 'glorious occasion'

King and Queen say thanks for 'glorious occasion'

King Charles and Queen Camilla, crowned in a lavish, historic ceremony on Saturday, were "deeply touched" by the day's events, Buckingham Palace said.

The royal couple were "profoundly grateful" to all who helped to make it "such a glorious occasion" and the "very many" who turned out to show their support, the palace said.

Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise trip to Windsor.

Crowds cheered as the couple chatted to people taking part in the Big Lunch.

A day earlier at Westminster Abbey, more than 2,000 guests including world leaders, fellow kings and queens, celebrities and community champions packed the pews to witness the crowning of a king.

Outside, thousands lined the Mall despite the rain to cheer the king as his horse-drawn carriage passed from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

Later, the couple, still in their crowns, appeared on the palace balcony to wave to the rain-soaked public, keen to be part of a moment in Britain's history.

Millions around the world watched the Coronation, the first in 70 years.

In the UK alone, at least 18 million viewers tuned in, provisional figures suggest.

Celebrations are continuing on Sunday with thousands of street parties and lunches ahead of a star-studded concert.

Tea, cake and union jacks in London's Regent's Park

Anyone for tea? Rishi Sunak sits alongside US First Lady Jill Biden at the Downing Street lunch


In Windsor, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, chatted and shook hands with people picnicking along The Long Walk which leads to Windsor Castle. Many will be gearing up for Sunday night's Coronation Concert.

The lunchtime crowds shouted "hip hip hooray" as the royals sipped a homemade gin cocktail, christened Purple Reign, from union jack paper cups while talking to a group of women in foam crowns.

Catherine, dressed in a pale blue blazer, smiled for a selfie with one woman and crouched down to console a tearful little girl who was overwhelmed by the occasion.

Speaking to another wellwisher, William revealed that his eldest son Prince George - one of the King's pages of honour at the Coronation - is a fan of classic rock music.

Caroline Mulvihill, from the Rock Choir in Windsor and Maidenhead, said: "Will was telling us in their household they have a very diverse music taste and George is very much into AC/DC and Led Zeppelin."

Another choir member, Sam Leckenby, said the royal couple had revealed they were "quite pleased" Saturday's ceremony had been shortened and was not the traditional five hours long.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh joined a Coronation Big Lunch in Cranleigh, Surrey, while the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were at a community street party in Swindon.

The Duke of York's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were attending a lunch in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire.

At Downing Street, the prime minister and his wife hosted their own lunch for community figures, Ukrainian families, youth groups - and US First Lady Jill Biden, who represented President Biden at Saturday's Coronation ceremony.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh mingled with crowds in Cranleigh, Surrey

The Princess Royal visits a street party in Swindon


In all, some 50,000 Coronation lunches are expected to take place in the UK and across the world.

The King and Queen said they hoped the events would be "truly enjoyable", in a message posted on the Royal Family's official Instagram account.

Later at 20:00 BST, the Coronation Concert takes place at Windsor Castle and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 2.

Big names include Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, who were at Saturday's Coronation, as well as Take That, Olly Murs and Paloma Faith.

There will also be musical favourites from a world-class orchestra and a joint performance from The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal College of Music and The Royal College of Art.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ICE and DHS immigration raids in Minneapolis: the use-of-force accountability crisis in mass deportation enforcement
UK’s Starmer and Trump Agree on Urgent Need to Bolster Arctic Security
Starmer Breaks Diplomatic Restraint With Firm Rebuke of Trump, Seizing Chance to Advocate for Europe
UK Finance Minister Reeves to Join Starmer on China Visit to Bolster Trade and Economic Ties
Prince Harry Says Sacrifices of NATO Forces in Afghanistan Deserve ‘Respect’ After Trump Remarks
Barron Trump Emerges as Key Remote Witness in UK Assault and Rape Trial
Nigel Farage Attended Davos 2026 Using HP Trust Delegate Pass Linked to Sasan Ghandehari
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
BlackRock Executive Rick Rieder Emerges as Leading Contender to Succeed Jerome Powell as Fed Chair
Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot and LG CLOiD home robot: the platform lock-in fight to control Physical AI
United States under President Donald Trump completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization: health sovereignty versus global outbreak early-warning access
FBI and U.S. prosecutors vs Ryan Wedding’s transnational cocaine-smuggling network: the fight over witness-killing and cross-border enforcement
Trump Administration’s Iran Military Buildup and Sanctions Campaign Puts Deterrence Credibility on the Line
Apple and OpenAI Chase Screenless AI Wearables as the Post-iPhone Interface Battle Heats Up
Tech Brief: AI Compute, Chips, and Platform Power Moves Driving Today’s Market Narrative
NATO’s Stress Test Under Trump: Alliance Credibility, Burden-Sharing, and the Fight Over Strategic Territory
OpenAI’s Money Problem: Explosive Growth, Even Faster Costs, and a Race to Stay Ahead
Trump Reverses Course and Criticises UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands Agreement
Elizabeth Hurley Tells UK Court of ‘Brutal’ Invasion of Privacy in Phone Hacking Case
UK Bond Yields Climb as Report Fuels Speculation Over Andy Burnham’s Return to Parliament
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
TikTok’s U.S. Escape Plan: National Security Firewall or Political Theater With a Price Tag?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
The Greenland Gambit: Economic Genius or Political Farce?
Will AI Finally Make Blue-Collar Workers Rich—or Is This Just Elite Tech Spin?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Prince Harry Breaks Down in London Court, Says UK Tabloids Have Made Meghan Markle’s Life ‘Absolute Misery’
Malin + Goetz UK Business Enters Administration, All Stores Close
EU and UK Reject Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariff Threats and Pledge Unified Response
UK Deepfake Crackdown Puts Intense Pressure on Musk’s Grok AI After Surge in Non-Consensual Explicit Images
Prince Harry Becomes Emotional in London Court, Invokes Memory of Princess Diana in Testimony Against UK Tabloids
UK Inflation Rises Unexpectedly but Interest Rate Cuts Still Seen as Likely
AI vs Work: The Battle Over Who Controls the Future of Labor
Buying an Ally’s Territory: Strategic Genius or Geopolitical Breakdown?
AI Everywhere: Power, Money, War, and the Race to Control the Future
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Trump vs the World Order: Disruption Genius or Global Arsonist?
Arctic Power Grab: Security Chessboard or Climate Crime Scene?
Starmer Steps Back from Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Amid Strained US–UK Relations
Prince Harry’s Lawyer Tells UK Court Daily Mail Was Complicit in Unlawful Privacy Invasions
UK Government Approves China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London Amid Debate Over Security and Diplomacy
Trump Cites UK’s Chagos Islands Sovereignty Shift as Justification for Pursuing Greenland Acquisition
UK Government Weighs Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Under-Sixteens Amid Rising Concern Over Online Harm
Trump Aides Say U.S. Has Discussed Offering Asylum to British Jews Amid Growing Antisemitism Concerns
UK Seeks Diplomatic De-escalation with Trump Over Greenland Tariff Threat
×