Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie and Andrea Bocelli will be the headliners of the concert given for the coronation of Charles III, in the noticeable absence of any British megastar, the BBC announced on Friday while the event is currently arousing little of public enthusiasm.
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This eclectic poster will also bring together the boy band Take That – in its current form and without its founder Robbie Williams – or even the classical music composer Alexis Ffrench for the performance planned in front of 20,000 people at Windsor Castle, on the outskirts of London, the day after the coronation.
“The concert will celebrate a new chapter in the nation’s history, with themes of love, respect and optimism, celebrating the four nations, their communities and the Commonwealth,” said the BBC, which will broadcast the event.
There will also be a choir made up of amateurs from different communities: sea rescuers, taxi drivers and reggae groups, in addition to a virtual choir bringing together representatives of the Commonwealth, an alliance of nations composed mainly of former British colonies.
The announcement of the program for this concert confirms the press reports indicating the refusal of the main British stars to perform, such as Elton John, Adele, Ed Sheeran, or Harry Styles.
Last year, for the 70 years of reign of Elizabeth II, Queen +, Adam Lambert, Duran Duran, Alicia Key, Rod Stewart and Diana Ross had occurred in front of the palace of Buckingham. Elton John had recorded a tribute.
The coronation of Charles III, the first event of its kind since that of Elizabeth in 1953, is for the moment not very exciting for the British, concerned about a year of soaring prices causing a serious social crisis and who have already experienced in one year the jubilee of Elizabeth II last June then her funeral in September.
According to a poll by the YouGov institute published on Friday, almost two-thirds of Britons (64%) and 75% of young people are not interested, but 46% think they will watch the broadcasts or participate in certain planned celebrations (holidays neighborhoods, etc.).
The coronation itself, on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, will be held in front of 2,000 guests and is expected to last an hour, in a more modest format than that of Elizabeth II (8,000 guests and three hours).
Many crowned heads and foreign leaders will be present, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, but US President Joe Biden will be represented by his wife Jill and Prince Harry, at odds with the royal family, will come without his wife Meghan.