The coronation of a British king is not only about tradition and ceremony; it”™s also about pounds and pence. When King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla ”“ thereafter to be known as Queen Camilla ”“ are formally crowned at Westminster Abbey at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6 (6 a.m. in New York), they will be at the heart of a production that is estimated to cost around £100 million (or $124.3 million). As the coronation is a state occasion and not a private-public affair like a royal wedding, the British government (that is, taxpayer) will be picking up a tab that is expected to be recouped by TV rights, to say nothing of tourism revenue.
Still, with one in five Britons living in poverty and mindful of the king”™s wishes for a pared-down monarchy ”“ one that is also sensitive to a more multicultural, environmentally friendly United Kingdom ”“ the ceremony is slated to be less pomp and more circumstance.
It is nonetheless necessary to keep both the monarchy and the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II going, said Jon Robinson, manager of The Hamlet, a British store in Mount Kisco. https://www.wagmag.com/the-stores-the-thing-at-the-hamlet/ As it did with Queen Elizabeth II”™s Diamond Jubilee last year, The Hamlet will be hosting a celebration, this one from 2 to 4 p.m. May 6, featuring a rebroadcast of the coronation, snacks, drinks and related items, including flags, bunting, teacups and saucers, mugs and tea towels ”“ in fitting green and white for the environmental king; Coronation Tea; books for adults and children; and a poignant animated watercolor of the late queen handing the crown to Charles. For Robinson, the actual event will be a bittersweet moment.
“Bunch of feelings, very hard,” he said. “When the queen died, I thought, ”˜She”™s the only monarch I”™ve known”¦.”™”
Like many Britons, Robinson”™s family was touched by Queen Elizabeth II ”“ not once but twice. His mother, Carol Robinson, met her when she was in her 20s. Robinson”™s mother would encounter the queen again with his sister, Jenny, when Jenny, who has Down Syndrome, took part in the Paralympics in London in 2012. They found the queen to be a lovely woman, he said.
“Those are big shoes to fill,” Robinson added. “I hope (the coronation) goes well. I wish him all the best.”
Robinson ”“ who hails from Southend-on-Sea in Essex in the south of England, not far from central London ”“ is one of more than 130,000 British expatriates living in the metro area. Many of them and other Anglophiles have made The Hamlet”™s retail shop and online business such a success that the store is opening a pub two doors down on South Moger Avenue on the site of the former Billy”™s Hair Salon in the fall. Named for the Lake District town that was home to Drew Hodgson ”“ who owns The Hamlet with wife Leigh ”“ The Ambleside will be a traditional British pub, right down to its dartboard, Robinson said, “a home away from home for the Brits.”
The Hamlet is not the only establishment that will be celebrating the coronation. The Roger Sherman Inn in New Canaan is holding a special coronation brunch and re-viewing at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6. The inn, which went all out for the marriage of the king”™s son Prince Harry to the former Meghan Markle, has even riffed on the exquisitely illuminated coronation invitation https://www.rogershermaninn.com/events for its brunch invite to all.
For reservations, which are required, call 203-966-4545.
Those who wish to have a front-row seat from the comfort of their own beds should check local listings. However, The New York Times will be livestreaming the event and covering it from the perspectives of its business, culture, styles, travel and food desks at https://www.nytco.com/press/the-new-york-times-will-livestream-the-coronation-of-king-charles-iii-as-part-of-special-coverage/
