King Charles III Coronation Concert
Numerous stars, dancing royals and emotional moments
Queen Camilla and King Charles III. at the ceremonial coronation concert.
© imago images/i Images
Charles’ coronation concert took place on Sunday evening. Numerous stars stood on the stage. One speech in particular caused goosebumps.
On Sunday evening (May 7th) a large concert was held in the grounds of Windsor Castle in honor of the newly crowned King Charles III. (74) instead. 20,000 spectators gathered to see stars like Lionel Richie (73), Take That and Katy Perry (38) play live. Both Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla (75), as well as heir to the throne Prince William (40), Princess Kate (41) and their two children Prince George (9) and Charlotte (8) could be seen in the grandstand. Prince Louis (5) was absent from the evening event, which was broadcast on BBC One and BBC Radio 2 from 8pm local time (9pm Central European Time). The colorful program was accompanied by musical interludes, sketches and emotional speeches.
Stars gave everything on stage
The stage offered space for a 70-piece orchestra. King Charles and Queen Camilla, both color coordinated in blue, smiled and waved flags throughout the evening. Princess Charlotte wore a white ruffled dress and sat between her mother Princess Kate, who wore a red Alexander McQueen suit, and her brother Prince George, who looked like a miniature of his father in a similar navy suit and tie. Behind them was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 42, and Commonwealth of Nations Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, 67. Duchess Sophie (58) with Prince Edward (59) could also be seen in the stands. Prince Andrew (63) and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson (63) were also present. Just like Zara Tindall (41) and her husband Mike (44) as well as Princess Eugenie (33) and husband Jack Brooksbank (37).
Presenter Hugh Bonneville (59), who is known for the series “Downton Abbey” and the “Paddington” films, addressed the royal guests at the beginning of the show and paid tribute to the king’s love of art. He joked that he was “the artist formerly known as Prince” – a nod to the late singer Prince’s (1958-2016) nickname and Charles’ longstanding title as the Prince of Wales. The musical performances included opera singers Andrea Bocelli (64) and Sir Bryn Terfel (57), who performed “You’ll Never Walk Alone” together, and Olly Murs (38), who performed “Dance with Me Tonight”. Nicole Scherzinger (44) sang “Reflection” from the Disney film “Mulan” while pianist Lang Lang (40) played. Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage (43) chose the title “Keys to the Kingdom”.
Singer Katy Perry also provided a great moment on stage. The US musician stood on stage in a golden robe. Perry has been an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, a charity co-founded by Prince Charles, since 2020. Princess Charlotte in particular seemed to be a big fan of Perry and sang along to her hit “Roar”.
Funny moments at the coronation concert
But there weren’t just songs: The “Cold Feet” actor James Nesbitt (58) presented a work by the poet Daljit Nagra, while the fashion designer Stella McCartney (51) spoke about environmental protection. A number of stars, including British actress Joan Collins (89), former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan (69), artist Tracey Emin (59) and singer Tom Jones (82), appeared in a video , in which they recounted little-known facts about the monarch. “Top Gun” actor Tom Cruise (60) delivered a special message – from a fighter plane: “From pilot to pilot. Your Majesty, you can always be my wingman” before he saluted and changed course.
Another highlight that the royal family seemed to be very amused by: a skit starring Bonneville and Muppet stars Kermit and Miss Piggy. At the end of the show, Kermit was seen in the box waving a flag in front of Prince Edward. The Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Ballet, Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and Royal Opera also attended the show. They performed a scene from “Romeo & Juliet”.
Prince William gave an emotional speech
The members of the royal family danced and sang to Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” – even the king was on his feet. In 2019, Richie was named the first global ambassador for The Prince’s Trust. William’s speech on stage followed immediately after his performance. Standing in front of a cheering crowd, the heir to the throne thanked everyone behind the epic evening and began: “I’d like to say a few words about my father and why I think this weekend is so important. But don’t worry, im Unlike Lionel, I’m not going to keep going all night,” he joked, referring to the singer.
“As my grandmother said at her coronation, ‘Coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future,'” he quoted Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation speech. “And I know she’s up there and loving up watch us. She would be a proud mom.” In addition, William turned directly to his father: “Dad, we are all very proud of you.” Addressing citizens, “I also want to express my pride and gratitude for the millions of people who serve in the armed forces, in classrooms, hospitals and communities,” continued William. “I wish I could mention them all. Their ministry inspires us, and tonight we celebrate them too.” And concluded by saying, “I pledge myself to serve you all. King, Country and Commonwealth,” he said. “God save the king.”
Another highlight: There was the first cross-location drone show in the UK – with 1,000 drones. A Welsh dragon with a wingspan of 140 meters was seen in Cardiff, while a watering can appeared over the Eden Project in Cornwall. British band Take That ended the show with the song “Never Forget”.