2023-05-08 10:31:55
Coronation Charles III
The British called to volunteer to end the festivities
Britons are invited to take part in volunteering actions across the country on Monday, a public holiday which concludes the long weekend of celebrations.
Posted
Charles’ coronation drew fewer viewers than Elizabeth II’s funeral.
REUTERS
After a festive weekend, hundreds of thousands of volunteer assignments are to be filled with the more than 1,500 associations participating in the “Big Help Out”. King Charles and Queen Camilla will not take part but other members of the royal family are expected to make an appearance. William and Kate, for example, are expected from scouts and Prince Edward and his wife Sophie are in Reading, with a training association for guide dogs.
Monday was declared a public holiday to conclude the long coronation weekend of Charles III, consecrated saturday in his role as monarch after a lavish religious ceremony and procession. Eight months after his accession to the throne, Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey, in front of 2,300 guests according to an ancient Anglican rite. His wife Camilla was also blessed and crowned.
More than 14 million viewers – far fewer than at the Queen’s funeral – watched live on the BBC the moment the heavy crown of St Edward was laid on Charles’ head. On Sunday, the British organized tens of thousands of neighborhood lunches. A big concert, featuring stars like Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, took place in the evening outside Windsor Castle.
Arrests criticized
Little motivated by this coronation, however, more than 70% of the British had no intention of taking part in any celebration this weekend, according to a recent YouGov poll. Charles is less popular than his mother Elizabeth and anti-monarchists demonstrated Saturday, in London, at the passage of the carriages, as well as in Scotland and Wales. Some 15% of Britons believe that the monarchy should be abolished.
Six officials of the anti-monarchy group Republic, including its leader Graham Smith, were arrested by police on Saturday morning, sparking heavy criticism. They were released late Saturday evening. On the BBC, Graham Smith strongly criticized on Monday the law which came into force this week and which gives more means to the police to arrest people suspected of wanting to cause “serious disturbances” to public order.
“They arrested us because the law was hastily introduced last week to give them the power to arrest us on any frivolous pretext,” he said. “This law means that we no longer have the right to demonstrate in this country, we only have the freedom to demonstrate with the authorization of the police and politicians.” In total, London police made 64 arrests on the day of the King’s coronation, including environmental activists.
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