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King Charles III: The coronation ceremony is scheduled for early May
Photo: ED SYKES / REUTERS
If doubts about the meaning of the British monarchy should have grown after Prince Harry's revelations, it is obviously not a question of self-doubt within the royal family.
Rather, the palace seems to follow a now-more than ever motto.
At least that's how the most recent announcements about the coronation celebrations in May can be understood.
The coronation of Charles III.
was "cause for celebration and pomp," according to a statement from the royal family on Sunday night.
The palace announced details of the long coronation weekend from May 6th to 8th.
One thing is clear: modesty is out of the question.
The coronation is to be celebrated with all sorts of pomp, the British monarchy wants to celebrate itself.
Dozens of heads of state from around the world and tens of thousands of visitors are expected in London for the coronation weekend.
British Culture Minister Michelle Donelan spoke of a "huge milestone in the history of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth".
A "mixture of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great" is celebrated.
Coronation Choir, Coronation Dinner, Coronation Holiday
Saturday:
The actual ceremony takes place on Saturday morning in London's Westminster Abbey.
There the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will crown Charles and his wife Camilla.
It is the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years.
Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was also crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.
After her death last September, her eldest son Charles is now king.
It will be a service that will reflect the monarch's role today and look to the future, but also be rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry, the palace said.
Charles and Camilla will be in a procession from Buckingham Palace to the church and then back to the City Palace, accompanied by other family members.
There, the royal family will show themselves to onlookers on the balcony.
Delicate: It is still unclear which family members will be there.
The relationship between Charles and his younger son Harry and his wife Meghan is, to put it mildly, tense.
Harry had made serious allegations against the palace and his family in his recently published biography "Reserve".
Harry and Meghan traveled to London for the 70th anniversary of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's throne in June 2022.
At that time, however, only the closest family members, who took on representative tasks, stood on the balcony.
Harry and Meghan had renounced their royal duties.
Sunday:
The coronation festivities are said to continue beyond the actual ceremony.
A big concert with "global music icons and contemporary stars" is planned for Sunday at Windsor Castle in honor of the royal couple, as the palace announced.
The announced light effects bring back memories of the Queen's anniversary concert in front of Buckingham Palace.
Thousands of tickets are to be raffled across the country.
A "coronation choir" is to be formed especially for the event, to which members of numerous special choirs - such as refugees, members of the LGBTQ+ community or the hearing impaired - should belong.
Throughout Sunday, people have been called to the "Coronation Big Lunch", which translates as "The big coronation meal".
They are said to gather for street festivals and tea parties.
Thousands of events are expected nationwide, it said.
This was also something similar on Queen Elizabeth's anniversary weekend in June.
Monday:
The palace gives its subjects a day off.
Because of the coronation, people in the UK are given another holiday on May 8th, which they should use as much as possible for charitable purposes.
Under the motto "Big Help" (great help), the population is encouraged on the day to get to know volunteer work in their communities.
Another idea to make itself popular with the people is that the government is considering plans to extend pub closing hours on all three nights of the Coronation weekend.
fok/dpa