‘Great lunch’ follows celebration of King Charles’ grand coronation | World News

After the gilded spectacle of King Charles III being crowned in the ancient religious ceremony, Sunday’s coronation festivities got more down-to-earth, with thousands of picnics and street parties held across the UK in his honor.

The community gathering is part of Britain’s traditional “big lunch” to bring neighbors together to celebrate the newly crowned king as support for the monarchy wanes. Critics complained about the cost of the coronation at a time when double-digit inflation has made the cost of living prohibitive.

Thousands of luncheons were organized as part of Sunday’s festivities, alongside an evening concert at Windsor Castle featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and 1990s boy band Take That. Charles encourages residents to volunteer on Monday, which is a holiday.

The king and Queen Camilla are not expected to attend any luncheons, but they plan to attend a concert, where his son, heir to the throne, Prince William will give a speech.

King’s siblings Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne of Edinburgh, along with their consorts, provided lunch for the royal family. Edward was at Cranleigh and his sister was at a race in Swindon. The king’s niece, Princess Beatrice, and Prince Andrew’s daughter, Princess Eugenie, will attend the lunch in Windsor.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted US First Lady Jill Biden and her granddaughter Finnegan Biden at a lavish lunch in front of his office. Other guests included Ukrainian refugees and community activists.

Like other neighborhoods hosting street parties, Downing Street was decked out in the Union Jack for the occasion.

After the low-key event, the king and queen held a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey. They were given centuries-old swords, scepters and jewel-encrusted golden orbs that symbolized the power of monarchs in a medieval tradition that featured liturgies, songs and chants of “God save the king” celebrate.

The couple were then paraded through the streets in a gilded carriage in the largest ceremonial military procession since the coronation of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, 70 years ago. Some 4,000 soldiers marched through the streets, their scarlet sleeves and white gloves swinging in unison to the drums and horns of a marching band, including a group of musicians on horseback.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators braved the rain and lined up on the route to witness it with their own eyes. TV viewing in the UK has increased by nearly 19 million people, according to ratings published by research firm Barb. That’s about 40% fewer than the audience who attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September.

In a statement on Sunday, Charles and Camilla said they were “deeply moved” by the celebration and were “so grateful to everyone who helped make it such an honorable occasion – and to the many who came to show their support.” people.”

Not everyone was there to celebrate, however, as arrests continued on Sunday of more than 50 protesters, including members of Republican groups chanting “not my king” and environmentalists aiming to end the use of fossil fuels.

Graham Smith, leader of the Republic, a group advocating the abolition of the monarchy, said he was arrested while planning a peaceful protest and held by police for 16 hours.

“These arrests are a direct assault on our democracy and the fundamental rights of every individual in this country. Every police officer involved on the ground should bow his head in shame,” Smith said.

The Metropolitan Police acknowledged concerns about the arrests but defended police action.

“The coronation is a once-in-a-generation event, which was a key consideration in our assessment,” Commander Karen Findlay said.

As well as the lunch festivities, hundreds of soldiers marched through Glasgow city center on Sunday to celebrate the coronation.