Coronation: The royals are set to take part in Big Help Out events

[ad_1]

By Rachael Russell, BBC News, May 8, 2023, 02:40 GMT

Updated 1 hour ago

photo caption,

The Prince of Wales (left) and the Queen and King (right) wave flags at the concert on Sunday

Millions of fans will take part in community events across the UK to celebrate the final day of coronation festivities.

Big Help Out includes people taking on Bank Holiday Extra volunteer roles.

The king and queen are not expected to attend any events – but other royals will be involved in some projects.

It comes after Sunday’s Coronation Gala which featured performances from stars including Take That and Katy Perry.

Actors Tom Cruise and Hugh Bonneville took part in the concert at Windsor Castle – which was watched by the King, Queen and senior members of the royal family – along with singers Ollie Morse and Paloma Faith.

The royal family was seen dancing with Lionel Richie during the 95-minute event as color photos to accompany each of the acts were projected onto the castle walls.

The Prince of Wales gave a moving speech, telling the King, “Pa, we are all so proud of you,” adding that the late Queen “would be a proud mother.”

photo caption,

Katy Perry performed at the King’s coronation

Prince William and the Princess of Wales are expected to take part in Big Help Out’s volunteer events on Monday.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will also take part in a puppy class at the Guide Dogs training center in Reading, while Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Lawrence will attend a civil service recognizing local volunteers at Gloucester Cathedral.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will meet young volunteers at a coronation ceremony at St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Kensington, west London.

photo caption,

Krishan Kant Atre, Julie Siddiqui, The Reverend Ajan Amaro and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby prepare food as they join other faith leaders in participating in the Big Help Out

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was also seen helping with other religious leaders to prepare and serve meals for the homeless in The Passage in Westminster, central London.

Matt Hyde, co-founder of Big Help Out and CEO of Scouts, said it’s “not too late” for people to sign up for activities in their area.

Tens of thousands of charities are involved, with a total of 30,000 organizations taking part in 55,000 events across the UK.

He told BBC Breakfast: “This whole weekend’s theme was about service. We’re not just spectators, we’re part of the story.

“Get out, get involved, and we can really make this the culmination of a service nation.”

It’s organizations like volunteers who “need it the most,” said Brendan Cox, co-founder of the Together coalition who is also one of the people behind the event.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Because of the Covid pandemic, volunteering rates have gone down because organizations that would normally recruit weren’t recruiting, and people were getting out of the habit.

“The thinking behind the day was how do you make volunteering as easy to get involved in as possible. Already, millions of people have said they plan to get involved.”

Guy Dzuira is one of the Scouts who organized an activity session for young people in Brent, West London.

The 15-year-old told the Today program that he would “recommend volunteering to anyone.”

“Being a Scout really helped with my social skills. Before that I didn’t socialize much. Now I’m a youth captain and it’s a really fun experience.”

An app and website have been created to allow people to search for volunteer opportunities, which range from helping the elderly to working with environmental charities and supporting animal welfare.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the monarch “fully supports Big Help Out’s initiatives”.

Queen Camilla is Patron of the Royal Voluntary Service charity and has also been Patron of the Big Lunch Initiative since 2013.

photo caption,

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie took a selfie with an enthusiast while attending a street party on Sunday

The royals came out strong over the weekend as they joined several coronation events across the country.

Before Sunday’s ceremony, Edward and Sophie attended a grand coronation lunch in Cranley, Surrey, while the Princess Royal and Sir Tim Lawrence went to a community street party in Swindon.

The Duke of York’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, also attended a big lunch in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire.

Street parties and lunches followed the coronation of the King and Queen on Saturday at Westminster Abbey.

Please include a contact number if you would like to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and cannot see the form, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age, and location with any submission.

[ad_2]