A royal celebration in Windsor
The world is all set to witness the historic moment of the coronation of King Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. The preparations for the grand ceremony, that will take place over the Coronation Weekend between Saturday 6th and Monday 8th May 2023, have already begun, and there’s a buzz of excitement all around Windsor, and across London.
The festivities will begin on Saturday, with a service at Westminster Abbey, followed by the grand procession. On Sunday a special Coronation Concert will take place at Windsor Castle, with people encouraged to get involved in celebratory lunches all over the UK. To mark the Coronation Weekend, Monday will be a bank holiday in the UK.
The Coronation Service
The Coronation Service of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May. It will involve six basic stages: The recognition, the oath, the anointing, the investiture, the enthronement, and the homage.
The Coronation is a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry. The Service will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding pageantry and traditions.
The Coronation Procession
The King’s Procession will travel from Buckingham Palace along The Mall, through Admiralty Arch, passing to the south of the King Charles Island statue in Trafalgar Square before turning onto Whitehall on their way to Westminster Abbey. Charles and Camilla, the King and Queen Consort, will arrive at Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, rather than the 260-year old Gold State Coach.
Created for Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Her late Majesty’s reign in 2012, the coach has only ever conveyed the Sovereign, occasionally accompanied by the consort or a visiting Head of State.
After the coronation service, King Charles and the royal family will embark on a grand Coronation Procession through the streets of London. The Coronation Procession will follow the same route as the Kings Procession but in reverse. This procession will include Armed Forces from across the Commonwealth and the British Overseas Territories, and all Services of the Armed Forces of the UK, alongside The Sovereign’s Bodyguard and Royal Watermen.
The streets will be lined with cheering crowds, and the atmosphere will be electric. The security for the coronation will be tight, and the event has been code-named Operation Golden Orb. At Buckingham Palace, The King and The Queen Consort, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.
The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle
A special Coronation Concert is set to take place at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7th May. The BBC and BBC Studios will produce, stage and broadcast the event live, bringing together global music icons and contemporary stars to celebrate this historic occasion. A national ballot has been held, selecting several thousand members of the public to receive a pair of free tickets for the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.
The concert will be attended, not only a public audience, but will include volunteers from The King and The Queen Consort’s various charity affiliations. It will feature a world-class orchestra playing interpretations of musical favourites, with renowned performers from the world of dance and spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen. The staging and effects will be located on the Castle’s East Lawn.
Who will the star performers be? The BBC have announced Andrea Bocelli, Bryn Terfel and Alexis French will join Take That, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and more for the concert in the Windsor Castle grounds.
In addition to the star performers, The Coronation Choir will make an exclusive appearance. The choir will be made up of the nation’s keenest community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom, including Refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups, and deaf signing choirs. The Coronation Choir will perform alongside The Virtual Choir, made up of singers from across the Commonwealth, for a special performance on the night.
The concert’s centrepiece, ‘Lighting up the Nation’, will see the country join together in celebration as iconic locations across the United Kingdom are lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays, and illuminations. Further details about the concert, the national ticket ballot, and the full line-up will be released via the Royal website.
How you can get involved
If you were not successful in the Coronation Concert ballot, or you are not able to travel and view the Coronation Procession in person, there is still much you can do to get involved. Let’s look at how you can treat yourself and your older loved one’s royally during the Coronation Celebration weekend.
Communities and neighbours throughout the United Kingdom are invited to come together and share food and fun at Coronation Big Lunches on Sunday 7th May. This nationwide act of celebration and friendship is an opportunity to build relationships and get to know your community better, whether it’s over a cup of tea with a neighbour or a street party.
Thousands of events are expected to take place – not just in Windsor – but every corner of the United Kingdom. This is a great opportunity for older family members to get involved and engage with others to celebrate because avoiding social isolation enables a longer and fulfilling life of independence.
People will take to their streets, gardens, parks, and community spaces to join in the celebrations to mark this historic occasion. It’s time to find out what is going on near you – or get organising for your street!
To help people and communities plan their Coronation Big Lunch, the Big Lunch team has made free downloadable resources available online at CoronationBigLunch.com. These resources will be a helpful starting point for those looking to organise their own event, either for their family, or their wider community.
If you are unable to visit loved ones during the Coronation Bank Holiday, or one of the other Bank Holidays in May (29 April/30 April 1 May and 27 May/28 May/29 May), even a phone call will help minimise social isolation and make them feel involved. Read more in our blog Preventing social isolation in the elderly. If you are able to visit, check out our Spring activities for seniors for great ideas you can do together.
The role of Great Park Home Care
Great Park Home Care are proud to be Windsor’s leading homecare company serving clients within and outside Windsor Castle’s walls. The ceremony promises to be a historic event, and we can’t wait to witness it. Our team of experienced, well-trained, and empathetic carers are committed to delivering outstanding senior living care that prioritises our clients’ well-being in Windsor and beyond.
We cover Windsor, Old Windsor, Ascot and surrounding areas including Bray, Datchet, Dorney, Englefield Green, Eton, Eton Wick, Great Park, Winkfield and Windsor. Please call 01753 369088 or visit our website www.greatparkhomecare.com for more information and advice.
