Saturday, May 6, 2023. 💂💂🏿♂️👑 Annette’s News Roundup.
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Today is all Coronation.
A rehearsal for the coronation procession Wednesday morning near Buckingham Palace in central London.
For all the details of the coronation of King Charles III 👈 — click on the 👈 link.
Charles and Camilla and William and Kate greeted well-wishers ahead of Coronation.👇
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65497563
1. The Coronation coaches.
https://youtu.be/jxLHDHzcrYM
2. Which route will King Charles take to his Coronation?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65468057
3. The First Lady will attend.
Jill Biden will become the first U.S. first lady to attend the coronation of a British monarch Saturday, although 70 years ago, one of her predecessors was on hand to help document the occasion.
As a 23-year-old freelance journalist, Jacqueline Bouvier described the scene in London as the young Queen Elizabeth II was to be crowned.
Kennedy never made it inside Westminster Abbey for the historic ceremony. But Jill Biden will be on hand Saturday along with her 22-year-old granddaughter, Finnegan, as King Charles III is formally crowned.
“The first lady is honored to represent the United States for this historic moment and celebrate the special relationship between the United States and the U.K.,” said Vanessa Valdivia, her press secretary. “Her attendance reinforces the strong and enduring ties with one of our closest allies.”
White House officials regularly point out that no U.S. president has ever attended a coronation in the U.K. (Source. NBCNews).
First Lady Jill Biden brightens up a rainy day in London in splendid pink ahead of the coronation. Pictured with her granddaughter Finnegan and the Prime Minister’s wife Akshata Murthy. pic.twitter.com/y5daU8L5gB
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) May 5, 2023
4. Overview.
Here’s what to know about Saturday’s coronation.
LONDON — Britain is making its final preparations for a ceremony and celebration that have been decades in the planning and replanning: the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.
A ritual both ancient and made-for-television, the coronation service and its surrounding events will summon the world’s gaze on behalf of a royal family that has undergone a sometimes uneasy transition from imperial power to global celebrity.
In narrow political terms, not much is changing: Charles became Britain’s head of state immediately after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last year. But all the feathers and finery add up to a crucial test of the new king’s capacity to sustain the mystique that Elizabeth dedicated over 70 years to maintaining — and a chance to advertise the solidity of a country that in recent years has looked less than predictable.
Britain’s hospitality industry is also counting on an enormous party. The holiday weekend, with street celebrations and a gala concert, will last three days. Some of the hangovers may last longer.
New York Times journalists in Britain and beyond are covering the coronation and its ramifications. Stop back throughout the day for more coverage of the event, its meaning for Britons and the world, and how to follow the weekend’s developments.
Here are some highlights:
The coronation service begins at 11 a.m. (6 a.m. Eastern time) on Saturday in Westminster Abbey in London. The festivities will continue through the weekend and into Monday, which is a public holiday in Britain.
The bunting is hung, the Union Jack flags are hoisted, and the royal emblems have been rolled out as Britain gets ready for a weekend of celebrations for the coronation of King Charles III. The monarch will be formally crowned in a ceremony on Saturday, and the festive agenda will run through the weekend, including a nationwide day off on Monday.
Here’s the official schedule of events:
Saturday
The coronation service will take place at 11 a.m. [6 am EDT] in Westminster Abbey. King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, will travel in a horse-drawn coach from Buckingham Palace through central London to arrive at Westminster Abbey. Crowds are expected to line the route, and the service will be broadcast on screens at several of London’s major parks.
The royal couple will then travel back to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a mile-long procession of 4,000 troops. After an official salute from the armed forces, they will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the public.
Sunday
People in neighborhoods across Britain will gather during the day to share coronation lunches in what Buckingham Palace has called a “nationwide act of celebration and friendship.” Many of the country’s street parties, spread across the weekend, will also take place on Sunday.
At night, Windsor Castle will host a coronation concert for 20,000 people, and online viewers can watch it live via the BBC. Musical artists including Take That, Katy Perry, Tiwa Savage and Andrea Bocelli will take to the stage, as will performers from the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Monday
Capping off the official agenda for the weekend is “The Big Help Out,” an initiative in which charities and other organizations across Britain will offer volunteering opportunities for people who want to get involved.
Given that the initiative is intended as a tribute to King Charles III’s own public service, members of the royal family will also take part in charity events, Buckingham Palace said.
After years of family tensions, Prince Harry will attend his father’s coronation — alone. Harry’s wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is staying at home in California with the couple’s children, Prince Archie, who turns 4 on Saturday, and Princess Lilibet, 1.
While Charles is obviously the focus on Saturday, the ceremony will also be a triumph of image transformation for Camilla, his wife, who was vilified for years in the British news media but is now poised to be crowned queen.
The Coronation Chair, which has been used for hundreds of years, underwent a restoration before Saturday’s ceremony.