Mumbai Dabbawalas Invited to King Charles III Coronation in London
The Royal Family is trending once again. 74-year old King Charles III is getting crowned on 6th May in the coronation ceremony. See where, how and who all are invited to the festivities!
King Charles III's Coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 in London in the morning. A coronation is a religious ceremony during which the crown is placed on the king’s head. During the ceremony, the King will be crowned with his wife Camilla, the Queen consort. The royal family owns several crowns. Following coronation tradition, Charles will wear St. Edward's Crown, the oldest of the British royal crowns and the centerpiece of the so-called Crown Jewels. It was made in 1661 and first worn by King Charles II.
The crown weighs around two kilograms, is made of pure gold and adorned with rubies, amethysts and sapphires. It is estimated to be worth around $40 million (€36 million). British queens and kings have been crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066. Camilla’s crown has the very famous Kohinoor. Four countries are trying to reclaim the diamond from Great Britain: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
For the ceremony, the Kohinoor diamond will be removed from the crown. Instead of the Koh-i-noor, Camilla's crown will feature some of Queen Elizabeth II's favorite stones — a tribute to the late monarch, according to the official statement. The coronation ceremony comes under the government. There will be a bank holiday across the UK on Monday 8th May 2023.
The costs of the coronation ceremony will also be paid by the UK government. The total cost of the coronation for the new king is expected to be approximately over Rs 1,000 crore. Half of this money is just going to be used for security around the area. The rest will be spent on gold ornaments, resizing and fitting of the crown, and other lavish details. Because this is a state (govt) occasion, it also means that the government controls the guest list. As with many events, family often comes first, and many members of King Charles and Camilla's family are due to attend. The far relatives and cousins of the Royal family are all going.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to attend, alongside cabinet ministers. And according to reports, former UK prime ministers will also be there. Prime Ministers and presidents form a lot of countries have been invited. US President Joe Biden has been invited but he will not be attending, instead his wife Jill Biden will be coming. Indian President Droupadi Murmu has also received an invite but due to certain circumstances, the Vice President of India will take her place. The total guest list has a total of 2000 people. There will also be a separate viewing platform in front of their palace from where people will be able to watch the Coronation.
Let us talk about a surprising invite to India. The British Embassy has sent invitations to the dabbawalas of Mumbai to attend the coronation ceremony. 2 dabbawalas will be attending the coronation ceremony.
The famous dabbawalas of Mumbai on Tuesday were seen buying gifts for King Charles as they claimed that they have been invited to attend his coronation ceremony on May 6. The dabbawalas have bought a Puneri Pagadi and a Shawl of the Warkari community for the King. Mumbai Dabbawalas have had good relations with the British royalty. In 2003, Charles III had met the dabbawalas at Mumbai's Churchgate station during his visit to the city.
Later in 2005, two dabbawalas attended the royal wedding of Charles and Camilla. When Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, the Mumbai Dabbawala Association expressed their sorrow. After the coronation there is a concert happening on 7th May at 8.00 pm. The concert is expected to last approximately two to three hours and will be filled with music, dance and spoken-word performances. Many famous people will be performing at the concert. The only Bollywood actor to be invited is Sonam Kapoor. She is invited to introduce Steve Winwood & the exclusive Commonwealth virtual choir who will be giving their performances.
