King and Queen 'deeply touched' by coronation celebrations
Coronation lunches and street parties are getting underway nationwide, ITV News' Sejal KariaI reports
The King and Queen have sent their "warmest wishes" to royal fans celebrating the coronation with lunches today.
The coronation celebrations will continue today with Coronation Big Lunches attended by royals, nationwide street parties, and a star-studded concert at Windsor, as the new Carolean era begins.King Charles III and Queen Camilla were “deeply touched” by the nation’s celebration of their historic coronation, Buckingham Palace said.
A Palace spokesman said: “Their Majesties were deeply touched by the events of yesterday and profoundly grateful both to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion – and to the very many who turned out to show their support in such numbers in London and further afield.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised crowds in Windsor with an unannounced appearance this afternoon, ahead of the concert tonight, where it has been revealed William is set to make a speech.
Meanwhile, royal family members were dropping in on lunches across the country today, where the royals' official coronation quiche will be the star dish.
Watch William and Kate surprise crowds of royal fans in Windsor
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are attending a big lunch in Cranleigh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will visit a community street party in Swindon, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will join a big lunch in Windsor.
Volunteers, Ukrainian refugees and youth group members will celebrate at a Downing Street coronation Big Lunch with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty.
Later, the King and Queen will join around 20,000 members of the public at the coronation concert where, along with other family members, they will see performances by Take That, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
Pubs will be allowed to stay open later than usual on Sunday night for the special occasion.
And finally, the celebrations will conclude with a special Bank Holiday on Monday, to mark the coronation.
Ahead of the coronation lunches, the King and Queen wrote in a special message for participants: “Whether this is your first ever Big Lunch or whether it is an annual part of your local calendar, we send our warmest good wishes to each one of you, and all those who will be with you, at what we hope will be a truly enjoyable event for everyone.”
Britain's coronation celebrations continue
Cheers rang through the centre of Glasgow on Sunday as hundreds of military personnel gathered for a special parade to mark the King’s coronation in one of the main celebrations in Scotland.
The parade progressed through the city to the cathedral for a thanksgiving service, before hundreds of street parties get underway across Scotland.
Later on Sunday evening, singers Perry and Richie will headline the Coronation Concert in Windsor.
The show, hosted by Paddington and Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, will see Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Dynasty actress Dame Joan Collins, adventurer Bear Grylls and singer Sir Tom Jones appear via video message.
The series of pre-recorded sketches will reveal little-known facts about the monarch and will also include moments from beloved literary figure Winnie the Pooh – seemingly echoing the famous moment Paddington Bear drank tea with the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
There will also be performances by Paloma Faith, Olly Murs, veteran rock guitarist Steve Winwood, and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls.
Classical acts including Andrea Bocelli, Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel and Chinese pianist Lang Lang will perform too.
The Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art will come together for the first time to create a one-off performance featuring Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Olivier Award nominee Mei Mac.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a big lunch in Cranleigh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will attend a community street party in Swindon, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will attend a big lunch in Windsor.
On Saturday, the coronation brought together around 100 heads of state, royals from across the globe, celebrities, everyday heroes, and family and friends of Charles and Camilla.
The couple, in lavish robes and wearing their crowns, appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony twice as crowds braved downpours during a ceremonial military celebration not seen for 70 years.
Making their first balcony appearance of the King’s reign, the couple looked relaxed after the momentous coronation, watched around the globe.
It was the fulfilment of Charles’ destiny, but followed the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, after a 70-year reign.
Pomp and pageantry were to the fore on Satur
day, with the Armed Forces staging the biggest ceremonial military operation since Queen Elizabeth’s II 1953 coronation, culminating in a 4,000-strong coronation procession of servicemen and women from across the globe, that wound its way through the heart of the capital.
Demonstrators also held anti-monarchy protests throughout coronation day.
Dozens of protester arrests on the day sparked criticism of London's Metropolitan Police force, which defended its policing of the event as proportionate and in line with current legislation.
When is the Coronation Concert?
The Coronation Concert begins at 8pm on Sunday on the grounds of Windsor Castle.Around 20,000 royal fans and volunteers from the King and Queen's favourite charities have already received tickets in a ballot.Everyone else is being encouraged to tune in on television, or watch the concert on big screens.
As part of the Coronation Concert, choreographed lasers, projections and drone displays will radiate over historic bridges and buildings.
Seven of the 10 locations involved in the event, Lighting up the Nation, have been disclosed so far, including Blackpool seafront in Lancashire, where people can join a viewing party from Blackpool Tower.
Sheffield Town Hall will showcase a display in the Peace Gardens, while Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge and Gateshead’s Millennium Bridge lights will cast riverside reflections for an audience stretching between the quays.
A drone show will light up the sky above the Eden Project in Cornwall, and its biomes will become multicoloured for spectators invited from the local volunteer community.
Light shows will also brighten up Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff at various locations.
The remaining three locations will be revealed during the concert.
The Coronation Concert will be broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 8pm.
It will be followed by The Big Help Out volunteering event on the bank holiday Monday.
The day will “highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation,” the Palace said.
Listen to our royal podcast, the Royal Rota...