UK celebrates coronation with street parties, concert

Tens of thousands of street parties got underway on Sunday as Britain celebrated the coronation of King Charles III ahead of a concert for 20,000 people at Windsor Castle.

Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, were to host a private reception as Buckingham Palace said they had been "deeply touched" by Saturday's event at Westminster Abbey.

They will then join the evening concert at the castle, west of London.

Charles's coronation as monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth countries around the world was the first in Britain for 70 years.

The glittering ceremony, steeped in 1,000 years of tradition and ritual, was attended by global royalty and world leaders, as well as hundreds of community and charity representatives from across the UK.

But Sunday's events are a shift in emphasis.

While the coronation ceremony has its roots in the England of 1066, the "Big Lunch" parties look to bring modern Britain's communities closer.

"It's lovely... you need these things to bring the community together," Annette Cathcart, 67, told AFP from at a party at the village hall in Ashley Green, in Buckinghamshire, southern England.

"It's the perfect way to celebrate."

- Community spirit -
 

Monday has been declared a public holiday -- meaning people can let loose on Sunday without having to worry about a hangover.

Prince William and wife Kate surprised fans on Windsor's Long Walk with an unannounced visit, before the heir to the throne also delivers a speech at the concert.

Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying Charles and Camilla were "deeply touched" by Saturday's history-making events.

It added they were "profoundly grateful both, to all those who helped to make it such a glorious occasion".

After the post-World War II hardships, street parties were a major feature of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 -- and a memorable part of celebrations for her long reign in 1977 and her platinum jubilee last year.

The Big Lunch is an attempt to keep alive that more neighbourly spirit. More than 67,000 Big Lunches were planned, according to organisers Eden Project Communities.

It is likely to see multiple hit-and-miss attempts at making Coronation Quiche -- the specially created, baked savoury tart featuring spinach, broad beans and tarragon.

- Stars and lights -
 

The king's sister, Princess Anne, attended a street party in Windsor, where his nieces Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie -- Prince Andrew's daughters -- were also at a big lunch.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted a lunch at Downing Street, inviting community volunteers, Ukrainian refugees and dignitaries including US First Lady Jill Biden.

The British leader was joined by his wife, two daughters and the family dog, Nova, who sported a union flag bandana.

Attention will turn to Windsor later Sunday, where Take That, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry are among the stars performing at the concert that harks back to previous royal jubilees of the late queen.

Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel -- who sang during the coronation service -- will also be performing, along with Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Andrea Bocelli, Paloma Faith and Nicole Scherzinger.

Hollywood star Tom Cruise, actress Joan Collins, adventurer Bear Grylls and singer Tom Jones will appear via video message.

The Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art will come together for a one-off performance.

Buckingham Palace said the centrepiece would be "Lighting up the Nation", in which well-known locations across Britain will be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

- Reaction -
 

The coronation dominated British media on Sunday, with focus on the magnificence of the ceremony despite the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

The cost of the coronation -- reported to be upwards of £100 million ($126 million) -- has caused disquiet as many Britons struggle with rising bills and widespread strikes.

Many covered the arrest of anti-monarchists even before they had a chance to protest, which has prompted heavy criticism from rights groups.

The BBC said more than 14 million watched the ceremony on its two main terrestrial channels -- well down on previous major royal occasions.

The Guardian hailed an event that was "ludicrous but also magnificent" and an "extraordinary show of precision in a country where nothing works".

The Times noted that the "stilted, almost anxious, expression" on Charles's face at Westminster Abbey "was perhaps a reflection of the scale of his task".

"He rules over a country in a mess and a monarchy diminished by scandal, with his younger brother and son both cast out from the inner circle" while foreign realms are departing with the trend likely to continue.