King Charles III Unveils Plans To Honor Late Father, Prince Philip, At Coronation Ceremony
By Fiyin Olowokandi on February 22, 2023 at 6:45 PM EST
King Charles III has well-some thought-out plans set aside for his late father, Prince Philip, at his imminent coronation ceremony in May of this year.
The monarch intends to pay homage to the deceased, who passed in April 2021 at 99, by acknowledging his homeland, Greece, with a beautiful ballad in the event's program.
King Charles Will Honor His Father With Greek Orthodox Music At His Coronation Ceremony
Buckingham Palace has revealed that King Charles is set to include a tribute to his late dad in the form of music that will be played at Westminster Abbey at his coronation. He "personally" asked for a composition honoring Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, born in Greece and baptized in the Greek Orthodox church.
In a statement reported by PEOPLE, the palace said, "His Majesty The King has personally commissioned the new music and shaped and selected the musical program for the Service. At the request of His Majesty, in tribute to his late father, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Greek Orthodox music will also feature in the Service performed by the Byzantine Chant Ensemble."
The late Royal had an influential role in his wife's Coronation in 1953, where he arranged the "epic investiture" as overseer of the Coronation Committee and was the first person to salute her as Queen after the Archbishop of Canterbury. As previously reported, Buckingham Palace mentioned that the upcoming occasion, crowning King Charles and Queen Camilla, will "reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."
Therefore, the King has commissioned twelve new music pieces to be performed at the Coronation at Westminster Abbey, selecting artists from across the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. The new composition features a Coronation Anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is credited for his work on "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Evita," among others.
Lloyd expressed gratitude in a statement to be honored with the request of composing a new anthem for the crowning ceremony, which he hoped would reflect the "joyful occasion." The Coronation service will be vocalized by The Choir of His Majesty's Chapel Royal, St. James Palace, alongside talent from the Chapel Choir of Methodist College, Belfast, and Truro Cathedral Choir.
In addition, the Ascension Choir and The King's Scholars of Westminster School will perform, forming the event's lineup, which is yet to be announced. Music will play a major role throughout the two-day event, beginning with the formal ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, and leading to the Coronation Concert the following day, to be aired live from Windsor Castle.
According to Buckingham Palace, a "world-class orchestra and dancers" will perform beside global music stars and modern artists, which appears to exclude Ed Sheeran and Adele, much to the disappointment of the King. Per reports, King Charles initially suggested several stars whom he wanted to perform during his crowning, and at the top of the list were Sheeran and the "Hello" songstress.
Unfortunately, both singers declined the invitation. The "Photograph" vocalist already had plans to perform in Texas the day before the Coronation concert, while Adele gave no reason. Besides, it was reported that she has no clashing show scheduled for May 7, and neither is she booked for concerts after March 25.
Although Adele and Sheeran will be absent from the momentous occasion, people may expect performances from Lionel Richie, the Spice Girls, and even Harry Styles based on assumptions.
The 74-Year-Old Royal May Reconcile With Prince Harry Before His Coronation
The Royal family may reportedly put things to rights with the estranged Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, ahead of the King's crowning ceremony, though it may be short-lived.
Jonathan Sacerdoti, a journalist well-versed in royal matters, revealed so in an interview. Sacerdoti spoke about his suspicions that efforts were being made for the reconciliation to prevent family tension from overtaking the events of the significant period.
He further explained, "I think it's going to be extremely difficult for them as a family and more broadly for the nation and the institution to forgive what's happened."
As fans know, since Harry and Markle dropped their duties as senior royals in 2020, they have been candid about their experience, openly criticizing the British monarchy, as witnessed in the Netflix docuseries and Harry's book "Spare."
