King Charles coronation: Ely Cathedral to be lit red, white and blue
Ely Cathedral will be a leading light in the coronation celebrations as its famous Octagon Tower is lit up in red, white and blue.
The cathedral will also host a live screening of the event as well as holding special services of thanksgiving and a coronation tea party.
The BBC’s coverage of the historic event will be broadcast live from a large screen inside the cathedral on Saturday, May 6.
Entry to the cathedral and Stained Glass Museum on May 6 will be free all day with free drinks for everyone coming to participate in the celebrations.
The live screening and refreshments have been made possible thanks in part to funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority via a grant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to provide an opportunity for communities across East Cambridgeshire to come together on this historic occasion.
Ely’s Octagon Tower will be lit red, white and blue and parts of the cathedral will be decorated with bunting. A 1.2 metre diameter flower arrangement of the coronation emblem will also be on display over the weekend as a special floral tribute to the new King and Queen.
For those wanting to celebrate further, tickets can be booked to attend a coronation tea party. This will take place in the cathedral’s medieval Lady Chapel directly following the live broadcast,
A special evensong will be held on Friday, May 5 and a service of thanksgiving for the coronation will take place on Sunday, May 7 at 4.30pm.
Everyone is invited to attend this service with the cathedral choir singing the National Anthem, alongside other famous pieces of music associated with coronations including Handel’s Zadok The Priest and Parry’s, I was glad.
The Very Revd Mark Bonney, Dean of Ely said “Everyone is warmly invited to join with us as we celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. This is a historic moment for our nation and we pray for God’s blessing on them both.
“We look forward to seeing you at the live-streaming of the coronation itself on a big screen in the Cathedral and be part of a joyful community celebration. There are also other services and events over the weekend - Everyone is very welcome and we would love to see you.”
The coronation service will also be shown at two venues in Cambridge, the Meadows Community Centre in Arbury and the Clay Farm Centre in Trumpington. Elsewhere, Impington Salvation Army will have a big screen and will also live stream the coronation.
For further information about the weekend, visit elycathedral.org.
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