It hardly seems 5 minutes since we were talking about the Bank Holiday Bonanza of 2022. As we celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in June last year, the usual Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May was replaced by two Bank Holidays on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd June, making it a four day weekend for many people in the UK.
Then of course in September 2022 came the sad death of Queen Elizabeth which means that this year we have a coronation. And with it comes another extra Bank Holiday – on Monday 8th May.
But what is actually happening for the coronation? Whether you want to throw yourself in and celebrate, or get away for a few days to escape the whole thing, let’s take a quick look at what is happening and when.
This is the day of the coronation itself, which will take place in the morning at Westminster Abbey. It will be preceded by The King’s Procession, in which King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
After the service, Charles and Camilla and other members of the Royal Family will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger procession, known as The Coronation Procession. They will all then appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to bring the day’s ceremonial events to a close.
Sunday will be a day of celebration with two main things happening:
The concert will take place in the evening at Windsor Castle. It will be produced, staged and broadcast live by the BBC and aims to bring together global music icons and contemporary stars to celebrate the historic occasion. The concert will feature musical favourites fronted by some of the world’s biggest entertainers along with an orchestra and performers from the world of dance. There will also be a selection of spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen.
Performers are to include Lionel Richie, Ed Sheeran, the Spice Girls and various others, but one thing we do know is that there will be a guest appearance of The Coronation Choir: a diverse group created from community choirs and amateur singers from across the United Kingdom.
The centrepiece of the Coronation Concert will be Lighting up the Nation in which iconic locations across the United Kingdom will be lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.
Also on Sunday there will be Coronation Big Lunches across the UK. Neighbours and communities across the United Kingdom are being encouraged to share food and fun together in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship. It is hoped that thousands of events will take place in every corner of the United Kingdom to celebrate the coronation and mark this historic occasion.
The Coronation Big Lunch will be overseen and organised by the Big Lunch team at the Eden Project. The Queen Consort has been Patron of the Big Lunch since 2013.
And breathe . . . . Monday is the extra Bank Holiday you will need after all that celebrating! A day to relax, unwind and do whatever you want to do. But if you have some time on your hands, you could get involved in an initiative called The Big Help Out.
The Big Help Out aims to encourage people to consider volunteering for different kinds of work in their local communities. Organised by The Together Coalition and a broad spectrum of partners including The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the United Kingdom, The Big Help hopes to create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend.
We hope that this article has provided the information you need to help you to decide what you are going to do for the coronation. And if you decide to get away from it all and need some funds to help do that, remember that Munzee offers 24 month loans that may be able to help.
Check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Munzee Loans.
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