Crown Jewels come to Cumbria as they light up historic landmarks

The Crown Jewels come to Cumbria as part of an immersive sound and light show across the city.

Carlisle will be shining images of the precious collection onto some of the city's historic buildings.

Carlisle Castle and Carlisle Cathedral will be illuminated for three days as part of the tour.

The show is part of a UK wide tour, with Carlisle the only city in the North of England to host the event.

Other landmarks in Carlisle including the Citadels, Civic Centre and the Guildhall, will also be lit in different colours as part of the celebrations.

Councillor Lisa Brown from Cumberland Council said: "We're really building on the success of the previous events that we've had.

"It's all credit to our officers who have worked really hard to bring this up here and I think it just proves that we have got so much to offer in Carlisle.

"It's part of the Light District project - we're going to be bringing different things out to different places and it's a really exciting time.

"We're the only city in the north to be showing this so it's fantastic for our economy.

"We want to encourage people to come early, come and visit our restaurants, our brilliant shops and all of the things we've got to offer.

"I think it's just going to be excellent for showing off the city.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for us to show off what we all know is that Carlisle has got some amazing places to come and visit.

"This is our chance to shine, a chance to show everybody else what we've got."

The event is run by the charity Historic Royal Palaces, which cares for the Tower of London and is a collaboration between artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper.

Mr Walker said: "We're bringing to life a thousand years of history.

"We're taking people on a journey from William the Conqueror right through to King Charles III through visions, through sounds, through textures that tell that story of that one thousand years of history.

Thousands are expected to visit the event which will take place at the cathedral and the castle.

"We're delighted because it's the furthest north we've been and it looks spectacular across these two sites, so anyone that comes is going to have a fantastic time", Mr Walker said.

The Crown and Coronation aims to shine a light on the important role the Crown Jewels play in the Coronation.

Charles Farris, Public Historian for the History of the Monarchy at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “The Crown Jewels hold deep religious, historic, and cultural significance, and we are really excited to be bringing this magnificent collection to people around the UK following a historic Coronation year.

"Crown and Coronation will immerse visitors in the rich history of the British monarchy, Coronations, and the Crown Jewels.”

The event will run until Saturday.

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