King Charles III coronation: Guernsey announces four-day celebration

St Edward’s Crown, made out of solid gold, will be used for King Charles III's coronation. Credit: PA

The States of Guernsey has announced four days of events to celebrate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

They include a military parade, special lunch and live screenings of both Saturday's main ceremony and Sunday's concert.

All schoolchildren will also be gifted a commemorative coronation stamp later in the year by Guernsey Post.

"We’ve organised a weekend of events that we hope appeals to all islanders wanting to celebrate the coronation, which will be the first in most of our lifetimes," the President Guernsey's Culture Committee, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, said.

Special church services will also be held to give people the opportunity to reflect and pay thanks.

"It is a time for us to reflect on our long association with the British Crown, to celebrate our identity as a Crown Dependency, and to look to our future," Dean of Guernsey, the Very Reverend Tim Barker, explained.

The Bailiwick of Guernsey will be represented in person at the coronation with the Lieutenant-Governor and Bailiff due to attend the service in Westminster Abbey.

Celebrations start on Friday 5 May and continue through until Monday 8 May.

Friday 5 May

  • 7pm: A vigil is being held at Forest Methodist Church for people to reflect on the coronation's spiritual significance and to pray for the King and Queen Consort.

Saturday 6 May

  • 10am to 11am: Local bell ringers will 'ring for the King' from Town Church, Vale, Forest and St Pierre du Bois.

  • 10am to 4pm: The coronation service will be shown live on a large screen at the KGV. There will also be themed family activities including crafts, vintage games and fancy dress.

  • 10:15am: A military parade will march from Fort George to the Model Yacht Pond at the Castle Emplacement, via Le Val des Terres and South Esplanade.

  • 12 noon approximately: A 21-gun salute will be fired as part of the national salute with Castle Cornet closed to the public on Saturday 6 May.

Sunday 7 May

  • 10am to 4pm: A 'Big Lunch' is being held on St Peter Port's seafront with people encouraged to eat together as part of a nationwide show of friendship.

  • 6pm: A service of thanksgiving including music at the Town Church in St Peter Port.

  • 6:30pm to 9:30pm: A special coronation concert live from Windsor Castle will be shown on the big screen at the KGV.

  • Evening: Castle Cornet, Fort Grey and Beau Séjour turn red, white, and blue as iconic locations across the British Isles are lit up in celebration.

Monday 8 May

  • All-day: People in Guernsey are invited to lend a hand as part of the 'Big Help Out' - an initiative across the British Isles encouraging everyone to make a positive change in their local communities.

  • People in Alderney are also being encouraged to join in the 'Big Help Out' by volunteering for local causes.

A full list of events can be found online at gov.gg/coronation