Coronation celebrations continue with the Big Lunch before tomorrow’s Big Help Out
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Thousands of street parties are expected to be held today, with people coming together across the UK for the Coronation Big Lunch.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend a Big Lunch in Cranleigh, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will attend a community street party in Swindon, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will attend a Big Lunch in Windsor.
A palace spokeswoman said the Big Lunches will take place through to Monday in “a nationwide act of celebration and friendship”.
Those holding street parties and Big Lunch events will be hoping for better weather than most of the country saw on Saturday, which was dominated by drizzle and rain.
After the weather, the next most important aspect of the event will be the food: research commissioned by Nextdoor shows that the top party food is the sausage roll, with 21% of Britons stating these are a must-have, followed by cakes (20%), British finger sandwiches (20%) and BBQ chicken (16%).
During the Queen’s coronation in 1953, thousands of people celebrated with street parties throughout the country and the Commonwealth. The table spreads featured sandwiches, fancy cakes and sometimes, jelly.
Lucinda Spelman-Ives, from Wilstock, who raised over £1m to fund a community hub, said she hoped the Big Lunch would “unify and bring everyone together being part of history, making amazing memories, laughing and meeting lots of people who have never met before”.
Kate Welch, chairwoman of Acumen Community Buildings at The Old Rectory in Sunderland, and part of one of the biggest parties in the North East said: “The coronation badge is shining from our building, we’ve made lots of red, white, and blue chains with bunting and flags out in force.
“We expect 4,000 people to join us tomorrow for Houghton-le-Spring’s Coronation Big Lunch and the whole town is buzzing with excitement.”
Emily Connally, who leads the Cherwell Collective in Oxford, an organisation encouraging sustainable living, said her team is “buzzing with excitement”, adding: “We’ve laid tables using only surplus decorations including cut flowers.
“We’re cooking food for an expected 500 people using only surplus and food we grow within one mile.
“We’re even doing our take on the official Big Lunch dish.”
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On Sunday evening all eyes will be on Windsor Castle, which will host a star-studded coronation concert watched by the King and Queen and 20,000 members of the public.
Performers include Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Paloma Faith and Olly Murs, along with classical artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel, and Lang Lang.
The show will be hosted by Paddington and Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, with video messages from Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Dynasty actress Dame Joan Collins, adventurer Bear Grylls and singer Sir Tom Jones.
The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art will also come together for the first time for a performance featuring Sex Education and Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Olivier Award nominee Mei Mac.
Monday will see attention move to the Big Help Out, described by the palace as a way to “highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation”.
A spokesperson said: “In tribute to the King’s public service, it will encourage people to try volunteering and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.”
An estimated 6.5 million people have said they plan to take part in the Big Help Out, according to the spokesperson, who added that events include community litter picking and signing up to longer-term volunteering opportunities.
The palace said that, while “wholly supportive” of the Big Help Out initiatives on Monday, Charles and Camilla will not be attending the events.
On Saturday King Charles III’s coronation brought together around 100 heads of state, royals from across the globe, celebrities, everyday heroes and family and friends of the Royal Family.
This was followed by some 4,000 servicemen and woman from around the world taking part in a coronation procession through the heart of London.
