The late Queen Elizabeth would be “very proud” of King Charles’ coronation, his son William said on Sunday, as he celebrated his father at a concert at Windsor Castle and thousands of Britons held street parties in his honor.
Charles and Camilla were crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey on Saturday amid pomp and pageantry in Britain’s largest ceremonial event in 70 years.
According to a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace, Charles, and Camilla were “deeply touched by the events of yesterday” and “profoundly grateful both to all those who helped make it such a glorious occasion and to the very many who turned out to show their support.”
Charles and Camilla, as well as other senior royals, attended the “Coronation Concert” at Windsor, the king’s palace west of London, in front of 20,000 members of the public and invited guests.
“Coronations, as my grandmother said when she was crowned, are a declaration of our hopes for the future,” she said. “And I know she’s up there, fondly watching us, and she’d be a very proud mother,” Charles’ heir, William, said during a speech at the evening concert, to rousing applause.
William praised his father’s service as well as the service of others, including teachers and hospital workers, many of whom have gone on strike in recent months.
Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Andrea Bocelli were among the performers, as were the pop group Take That and pianist Lang Lang, as well as Hollywood actor Tom Cruise and Winnie the Pooh.
From the royal box, Charles was seen waving a mini Union flag and laughing at jokes, including one that referred to Charles, a keen painter, as the “artist formerly known as Prince.”
The celebrations included a “Lighting up the Nation” event, which featured projections and laser displays that illuminated landmarks and natural beauty spots across the country.
COME TOGETHER
Earlier in the day, Prince Edward, the king’s younger brother, Princess Anne, and his nieces Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended “Big Lunch” events, joining some of the estimated 50,000 street parties held across the country.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was among those who hosted a coronation lunch for Ukrainian families, youth groups, and US First Lady Jill Biden.
Local councilor Joe Walker said at a street party in Hackney, east London, that the coronation had been a unifying force as the country recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic turmoil.
“I think people need a reason to come together and celebrate, especially after the pandemic and the lockdown, and during the cost of living crisis, and today has been a really great day to do that,” he said.
However, not everyone has celebrated the coronation, with anti-monarchists claiming that the “right to peacefully protest in the UK no longer exists” after some activists were detained for hours on Saturday.
The protesters, according to police, were planning to disrupt the royal procession.
In response to questions about whether the police response was disproportionate and violated the right to free expression, Culture Minister Lucy Frazer stated that she believed the police had “managed to get that balance right.”
