Millions of people are expected to join in celebrations to mark the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Aa weekend of festivities centred around the Coronation have been announced with street parties and a day to help others at the heart of the events.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will be crowned on May 6th 2023. On May 7th 2023, tens of thousands of street parties are set to be held across the country as part of the Coronation Big Lunch.
The Big Lunch takes place every year but has been linked to royal events before – most recently for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The lunches are a chance for communities to come together and they also raise money for charity – over £22 million was brought in last year for local charities.
The Big Lunch is organised by the Eden Project. Its Chief Purpose Officer, Peter Stewart, said ”Sharing friendship, food and fun together gives people more than just a good time – people feel less lonely, make friends and go on to get more involved with their community, all as a result of sharing a sarnie and a chat in their neighbourhood. The Coronation Big Lunch helps you bring the celebration right into your own street or back yard so that anyone and everyone, across the UK and beyond, can be part of this amazing moment in our history.”
More street parties are set for May 8th, a Bank Holiday for the Coronation in the UK. The day has also been named ‘The Big Help Out’ and it will highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities. People are invited to make the day a chance to support causes that are important to them. The Big Help Out honours King Charles III’s lifetime of service.
The Big Help Out will be organised by the Together Coalition. Speaking as the initiative was announced, its Chief Executive, Jon Knight, noted ”The aim is to create a legacy of better-connected communities long beyond the Coronation itself.”
He added ”In the run up to the day we’ll also be launching new ways of getting involved in volunteering in your community….if you’re a voluntary group who wants to be part of it, please reach out now so we can make this the start of the biggest volunteering effort in our country’s history.”
As the Coronation celebration weekend was announced, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Michelle Donelan, said ”The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort is a huge milestone in the history of the UK and Commonwealth. The weekend of events will bring people together to celebrate our Monarchy and the mixture of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great.  Everyone is invited to join in, on any day, whether that is by hosting a special street party, watching the Coronation ceremony or spectacular concert on TV, or stepping forward during The Big Help Out to help causes that matter to them.”Â
