King Charles III’s Coronation Concert: Stella McCartney, Katy Perry Bring Glamour to Windsor
LONDON — Prince William, Stella McCartney and Lionel Richie were among the royals and celebrities who saluted King Charles III on stage Sunday night during a special coronation concert at Windsor Castle.
Among the 200,000 guests were the king, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the British royal family.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales wore a bold red Alexander McQueen suit to the concert. Her suit featured an asymmetric hem jacket with wide-leg trousers that comes with a silk vest.
She first wore the red suit to the launch of her Shaping Us campaign in January with her red Miu Miu bow bag and matching Gianvito Rossi shoes.
Performers at the coronation concert included Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Take That, Paloma Faith, Olly Murs and Nicole Scherzinger. The concert aired on BBC One.
Other special performances included a collaboration between The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal College of Music and The Royal College of Art.
Actor Ncuti Gatwa performed a scene from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” with Mei Mac; meanwhile, the ballet dancer Francesca Hayward danced with Marcelino Sambe on stage.
Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog from “The Muppet Show” appeared during the live concert, looking for their seats in the royal box.
At one point, Prince William took to the stage to give a speech about his father.
“As my grandmother said when she was crowned: ‘Coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future.’ And I know she’s up there, only keeping an eye on us, and she’d be a very proud mother,” he said.
“My father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds and all communities deserve to be celebrated and supported,” he added.
Stella McCartney gave a spoken word performance about sustainability and nature. Both causes are close to the king’s heart. McCartney wore a regalia red double-breasted blazer from her fall 2023 collection.
“As a child, I remember the thrill of being in the Scottish Highlands of Mother Earth’s beauty so vast and untamed. Over time, we have grown with our glorious earth and made huge advancements in science, technology and fashion,” said McCartney, who has collaborated with King Charles on a variety of environmental projects.
“His majesty the king has been shining a spotlight on conservation and protecting our planet for 50 years now. He champions hope and action. Again, that hopeful spirit on this happy day, the work of healing our planet should be, and must be, the cause that unites us, never the cause that divides us. The planet earth is literally bigger than any of our differences. We need to leave a safe and sustainable world for all generations to come,” McCartney added.
For her performance, Katy Perry wore a shiny gold gown with gloves that went all the way up to her shoulders, resembling sleeves. She performed her hit singles “Roar” and “Firework.”
The American singer wore a lilac Vivienne Westwood ensemble to Saturday’s coronation with a hat and a pearl necklace with an orb pendant.
Perry met the king in Mumbai, India in 2019 and the two connected. In 2020, she was named an ambassador for the British Asian Trust’s Children’s Protection Fund.
The evening concert ended with the British band Take That taking the stage with a choir and military drummers.
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