Andrea Bocelli captivates at Windsor concert for King Charles, second only to Queen Elizabeth. Joining him on stage were Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, and Take That. Although the coronation did not surpass the record number of spectators for the Queen’s funeral, Bocelli’s performance was a standout, enchanting the new king and satisfying the royal family and the fortunate attendees of the grand concert that concluded the celebrations for Charles III’s coronation.
“Being summoned again for an event of such relevance – repeated the Italian singer – I consider it a great privilege and, above all, a testament of esteem and affection.” It was one of the voices that enchanted Westminster, capturing the attention of the king, who had strongly requested Andrea Bocelli for his coronation celebration.
The day after the solemn ceremony, the first reports on attendance and costs are revealed. It was the most-watched event of the year on TV, with a peak of 20 million viewers in the UK. However, the number was lower than the one recorded during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, which attracted 29 million viewers. It was even lower than the coronation of Charles III’s mother. In 1953, the ceremony was estimated to have been watched by 25 million Britons, about three-quarters of the population at that time, despite far fewer televisions than today. Charles lost the challenge with his mother, even outside the UK, with around 4 billion people watching Elizabeth’s funeral compared to approximately 300 million interested in Charles and Camilla’s coronation.
On the day of the coronation, thousands of people camped out in Windsor to catch a glimpse of the royal family, and to please them, Princess Catherine and her husband William came out to shake hands and give smiles. Despite the lower number of spectators compared to previous royal events, the coronation of King Charles was a grand celebration, featuring an array of talented performers including the world-renowned Andrea Bocelli.
