2023-05-07 20:12:02
LONDON (AP) — At Sunday’s celebrations for the coronation of King Charles III, anyone might wear a crown, including a dog.
One day following the spectacle of King Charles III’s coronation in an ancient religious ceremony, the festivities took a more realistic turn with thousands of picnics and street parties held across Britain in his honour, without the need for fancy invitations.
Under a leafy green awning in London’s Regent’s Park, Valent Cheung and his girlfriend turned up to cheer on the new king with the neighbors who welcomed them when they moved from Hong Kong. For the occasion, they decked out Tino, their loyal and “royal” fluffy white dog, with a little purple crown.
“This is a new era for Britain,” Cheung said. “In Hong Kong we didn’t have these things. Now we embrace culture. We want to enjoy it, we want to celebrate it.”
From small villages to the capital, the British flag hung from houses and fluttered from tables and trees to celebrate the newly crowned king. It was stamped on napkins and tablecloths, hats and bows. Some wore the colors of the flag as a uniform: dressed in red, white and blue from head to toe and to the nails.
The community gatherings, part of a British tradition known as the Big Lunch, were meant to bring neighbors together to celebrate the coronation, even as support for the monarchy wanes. Critics complained regarding the cost of the coronation at a time of exorbitant living expenses amid double-digit inflation.
Thousands of luncheons were organized on Sunday as part of the celebrations, along with an evening concert at Windsor Castle featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and 1990s boy band Take That. Carlos encouraged residents to get involved in volunteer activities on Monday, which the UK has declared a public holiday.
The king and queen consort, Camilla, are scheduled to attend the concert, but didn’t make it to any of the luncheons, leaving that to other members of the royal family. ___
Helena Alves contributed to this report.
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