We are 5 days to the Coronation and just 4 days to the first official event on Coronation Eve - the reception at Buckingham Palace.
HOWEVER! We have some other fantastic Royal Engagements to look forward to this week, ahead of the historic weekend…
(Thanks to Cathy57600977 and CountessCommon1 on Twitter for the reminders!)
Let’s call them - Coronation Starters!
TOMORROW!
2nd May: King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend a ‘celebratory reception’ at Westminster Hall on Tuesday, meeting with the Prime Minister, the Opposition leader, and members of both Houses of Parliament.
According to the Evening Standard, Their Majesties’ charitable interests will be a focus of the reception:
“The King will be introduced to those who share his passion for the environment, education and the arts. The Queen will join after the arrival of the King while the reception is under way and will meet those who focus on her charitable causes of literacy, domestic violence and osteoporosis.”
The King and Queen will also get a chance to view the Speaker’s State Coach which will be on display. According to the Daily Mail, it’s in Westminster Hall for the first time since 2005:
“The ornately carved coach is thought to have been made for King William III and Queen Mary II in the 1690s.
William's successor, Queen Anne, is thought to have presented it to the Speaker of the House of Commons - who used it for royal events.”
Wednesday, 3 May:
Buckingham Palace Garden Party!
King Charles is reportedly hosting three separate Garden Parties to celebrate the Coronation, one will be three days before the ceremony, the second, three days after the ceremony! Is 3 his lucky number?!
(The third will be at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in July)
The Palace announced that the parties, the first of The King’s reign, will recognise the Coronation Champions ~
‘The Royal Voluntary Service launched the Coronation Champions Awards in February 2023 to recognise exceptional volunteers from across the country.
The 500 volunteers selected as the nation’s Coronation Champions are being invited to attend one of the official Coronation celebrations with many being invited to a Coronation Garden Party.’
(Two additional Garden Parties will also be held this May, one hosted by The Duchess of Edinburgh, the final hosted by The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.)
Many of the guests have been excitedly sharing their Royal invitations on Twitter!
The Palace also announced today that they have final numbers for the Coronation ceremony. The service will be attended by “a congregation of more than 2,200 people” ~
“Guests will include Members of the Royal Family, representatives from 203 countries, including approximately 100 Heads of State, alongside community and charity champions.”
Royal Family events are still the hottest ticket in town!
ICYMI: Previously unseen photos of The King and his grandchildren were shown on the BBC’s new documentary: The Making of a Monarch Sunday night, link to story here.
Finally, anticipation is building on the Coronation Fashion Front, to see what people - especially the senior Royals! - will be wearing.
Valentine Low had a front-page story in The Times today, reporting that sources have indicated to him, that tiaras were not certain for Royal women...
That seems strange, as famed biographer Hugo Vickers told Low:
“Considering that a Coronation is the most important state occasion in a reign, it would be disappointing to do less than at a state banquet.”
We shall see! The press speculation has been all over the place it seems these past few months. Though I noted on Twitter that he said “tiaras” not “coronets”! It reminded me that a source told Rebecca English a few months ago that Queen Victoria’s wedding coronet was under consideration for the Coronation. The Princess of Wales also hinted her ensemble had a “dash of blue”… fun to think about all the possibilities!
Reminder: In case you missed it, I’ve also curated a list of events, with times, for the entire Coronation weekend, see here:
Your One Stop Guide for Coronation Weekend! (substack.com)
I have decided to tune out the noise and negativity this week and enjoy every moment ~ I hope you do the same!
Absolutely no negativity this week! All systems are go for a special Royal week.