THE CORONATION of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be broadcast live on a giant screen in Leicester on Saturday as part of a programme of events to mark the historic occasion.
Coverage of the ceremony from Westminster Abbey will be shown on the outdoor screen at De Montfort University’s campus on Mill Lane from 10am on Saturday 6 May.
The event will conclude with the flypast over Buckingham Palace, which is scheduled to take place from 2.15pm, subject to weather conditions.
While the new King is being crowned, young visitors to Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on New Walk will be able to make their own crown or create some bunting to take home with them for a coronation party.
Coronation Crafts runs from 11am until 3pm on Saturday 6 May. Admission is free of charge, with a suggested donation of £1 for materials.
Celebrations will continue on Sunday 7 May with a special Coronation Party at Leicester’s historic Belgrave Hall. The family-friendly garden party will include hobby-horse racing, outdoor games, and arts and crafts with a royal theme. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy it in the hall’s beautiful gardens.
Belgrave Hall’s Coronation Party runs from 11am until 3pm, with a £3 charge for children’s activities. People can pre-book online or pay with cash on the day.
On Monday, 8 May, the Guildhall will mark the coronation and the extra bank holiday with merriment, a maypole (12 noon to 1.30pm) and Morris dancing.
The Guildhall’s Coronation Celebrations run from 11am – 2.30pm and include family-friendly craft activities (until 2pm). A £2 entry charge applies.
The fun will then continue at 2.30pm with a bank holiday Ceilidh, featuring music from East Midlands-based 3 Around 3. Pre-book your tickets or pay at the door (£6). Under 16s can take part in the event – which runs until 4.30pm - free of charge.
Leicester’s libraries and neighbourhood centres will be joining in too, with events taking place at venues across the city in the run-up to the coronation and on the day itself.
There’ll be crowns to decorate at the Pork Pie library (11am-12.30pm, Saturday 6 May), bunting to make at the Central library (from 2-6 May) and a coronation treasure hunt at Beaumont Leys library (from 29 April until 13 May).
Children from Folville Junior School will plant a commemorative tree in the Brite Centre’s grounds at 10am on Friday 5 May, while St Barnabas library will show the coronation ceremony live on the large screen TV in its new digital and performance suite during opening hours (10am – 4pm).
Visitors to Leicester’s libraries and community centres will also be invited to record their hopes for the reign of King Charles III. Each venue will display a Coronation poster, with space for people to post their thoughts. The comments will be incorporated into a book that will be kept in the local studies area of Leicester Central Library.
Details of all the events taking place at Leicester’s libraries and neighbourhood centres are listed at leicester.gov.uk/coronationinlibraries
Messages of congratulations to the King and Queen can be sent via a book of online greetings that’s being collated by the city council. The online book will be open for signing until 15 May.
Members of the public are also invited to join a special Coronation Service at St Mary de Castro church on Thursday 11 May at 5.30pm. All are welcome.
Mike Dalzell, Leicester City Council’s director of tourism, culture and inward investment, said: “Whether you want to make bunting for your street party, watch the coronation ceremony on a big screen, or just want to enjoy the extra bank holiday with family and friends, there’s something for you in Leicester over the coronation weekend.
“Our libraries and museums have got lots of free and low-cost ideas to help you mark this historic occasion, so check out our website to find out what’s on.”
Coronation events taking place in Leicester are listed at leicester.gov.uk/coronation, while the new King’s visits to Leicester over the years are remembered on the Story of Leicester website.
Information about how the Coronation Weekend will be marked nationally is available at royal.uk/coronation-weekend
The outdoor screening of the coronation is taking place in partnership with De Montfort University and thanks to funding from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, which is coordinating celebratory events across the country.
A spokesperson for De Montfort University said: “We are honoured to be showing the Coronation of King Charles III on the big screen on the DMU campus, providing a focal point for people to meet and celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime occasion together as a community.”